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1975-1979 John Belushi Estate Saturday Night Live Samurai Futaba Original Artwork
This rare pair of original hand-drawn Samurai Futaba sketches was personally owned by John Belushi and originates from the historic John Belushi Charity sale held on June 9, 1990. Belushi portrayed Samurai Futaba throughout the original era of Saturday Night Live from 1975 through 1979, making the character one of the most recognizable creations of his legendary career.
Believed to have been created for animated interstitials or promotional material, these two original mixed-media caricatures depict Samurai Futaba in different poses and are individually hand-numbered \"3\" and \"5.\" Both are mounted on foam board and represent authentic production-era artwork directly connected to one of Saturday Night Live\'s most iconic characters.
INCLUDES
- Two original hand-drawn Samurai Futaba artwork sketches
- Personally owned by John Belushi
- Original Propstore Certificate of Authenticity
- Bonus Planet Hollywood large T-shirt
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
These sketches originated from the 1990 John Belushi Charity sale, where the majority of the material was donated by Judy Belushi, with additional contributions from John\'s friends. The sale was conducted by Leslie Hindman saleeers to benefit the John Belushi Memorial Foundation, supporting numerous charitable causes including the John Belushi Scholarship Fund at Chicago\'s Second City, where Belushi launched his career.
Following the charity sale, the artwork was displayed for years at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas before entering the collector market.
CONDITION
Both sketches exhibit age-related toning, yellowing, and ink bleed consistent with their age and display history. Please review all photographs carefully for condition details.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Original artwork personally owned by John Belushi is exceptionally scarce, particularly pieces connected to Samurai Futaba, one of the defining characters of early Saturday Night Live. With documented provenance through the John Belushi Charity sale, subsequent Planet Hollywood display history, and Propstore authentication, this represents a remarkable opportunity to acquire an authentic piece of comedy and television history.
Professionally packed.
Fully insured.
Ships with the care expected for a unique Saturday Night Live production artifact.
