Julien’s Auctions will hold a live and online sale on September 23 in Los Angeles featuring more than 300 items from the personal archive of Thai special-effects filmmaker Sompote Sands, according to the auction house. The event, titled “Kaiju King: The Sompote Sands Legacy Collection,” coincides with the 60th anniversary of the Ultraman franchise and marks the first public sale of material from Sands’ company Chaiyo Productions and his Sompote House museum in Thailand.
The collection includes production suits, monster miniatures, masks, statues, figurines and original 3-D artwork by Ultraman designer Tohl Narita, along with items tied to films such as Hanuman and the Seven Ultramen and Jumborg Ace & Giant. Also included are archival pieces from Sands’ early career, including a script and camera he says were used on the set of 1962’s King Kong vs. Godzilla, plus vintage kaiju toys from makers including Bullmark, Bandai and Popy, and a poster collection bearing signatures of directors Akira Kurosawa, Ishiro Honda and Eiji Tsuburaya.
Julien’s Entertainment managing director Catherine Williamson said in the announcement that Sands’ blend of Thai folklore and practical effects made him a pioneering figure in Southeast Asian science-fiction filmmaking. Estimates for individual lots range from roughly $1,000 to $7,000, according to the auction house.
Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by Homage PR, homagepr.com.