An original piece of Donkey Kong artwork featuring Mario’s first-ever appearance has sold for more than $329,000, setting a new record for video game art sold at auction.
Mario is now one of the most recognizable characters in gaming, having appeared in countless Nintendo titles over the past four decades. But his story began in 1981’s Donkey Kong, where he was known simply as Jumpman.
Now, an illustration created to promote the original arcade game has fetched an incredible $329,400, making it the most expensive piece of original video game artwork ever sold at auction.
Record-breaking Donkey Kong artwork was nearly thrown away
The artwork was created by Leslie Cabarga for Nintendo of America’s promotional materials in 1981, showing Donkey Kong holding a barrel while Mario climbs towards Pauline.
According to IGN, which received details from Landry Pop Auctions, it has now smashed the previous auction record for original video game art, which stood at $63,000 following the sale of the original Prince of Persia cover artwork in 2023.
Instagram: Landry Pop Auctions“Long before Mario became the face of a multibillion-dollar entertainment franchise, he was a character on an arcade flyer,” the auction house said in a statement.
“The $329,400 result is a striking reminder of how far Nintendo’s most famous plumber has come, and how valuable the surviving artwork from his earliest days has become.”
It was nearly a different story, though, as the historic drawing almost ended up in the trash. The piece was rescued by former Nintendo of America employee Donna Darbous after it was marked for disposal alongside other company materials.
The Donkey Kong piece was part of Landry Pop Auctions’ Jumpman: The Beginning of an Icon sale, which also featured several other pieces of Nintendo history, including a graded 1985 copy of Super Mario Bros. for the NES that fetched $34,160.
I’m Abhishek Sharma, an author at TigerJek.com. I enjoy exploring games, testing different strategies, and turning what I learn into clear, useful guides. My goal is to help players understand the game better and improve without the usual confusion.
