Sci-Fi Bulletin: Exploring the Universes of SF, Fantasy, Horror and Spy-fi!

Artist and filmmaker John R. Mullaney has recorded his strongest auction results to date at Propstore’s London Winter Auction, where six original artworks achieved a combined total of £34,375, with the majority of lots sold.

The works formed part of a body of officially commissioned Alien and Aliens artwork, created for licensed publications and rendered entirely by hand using traditional media. While the opening day of the auction produced confident, steady prices for landmark pieces, increased room energy on the second day saw competitive counter-bidding push several lots well beyond their initial reserves.

In particular, original artworks depicting the M56 Smart Gun and M41A Pulse Rifle attracted sustained interest from multiple bidders, highlighting strong collector appetite for screen-accurate, craft-led representations of classic science-fiction design.

The London outcome surpasses Mullaney’s previous Propstore appearance in Los Angeles in overall value realised, reflecting growing momentum for original franchise artwork at a time when much contemporary production imagery has moved to entirely digital or AI-assisted pipelines.

Much of the Alien/s material was developed with the invaluable support of a wider creative Alien Brain Trust – a community of artists, writers, researchers, archivists and enthusiasts whose generosity and expertise were fundamental in shaping the finished works – to whom Mullaney expresses his gratitude.

Reflecting on the results, Mullaney said: “I’m incredibly thankful for the response to my work — not just in terms of the auction results themselves, but for the level of engagement around it. In a world now dominated by digital workflows and AI-generated imagery, seeing collectors respond so strongly to artwork that is drawn and painted entirely by hand feels incredibly affirming. These results feel like a genuine vote of confidence in the enduring value — and growing rarity — of original, handcrafted and screen-accurate artwork which depicts some of science-fiction cinema’s most iconic designs. There are no prints, no reproductions; what collectors are responding to is the originality, the provenance, and the human touch behind each piece.

“I’m hugely grateful to Propstore for believing in my work and giving it such a prestigious platform within their world-class auctions, particularly as original published artwork represents something of a departure from their usual screen-used lots. That vote of confidence means a great deal to me. Working with Stephen Lane and all the wider Propstore team has been an absolute pleasure throughout and I’m very much looking forward to continuing our collaboration.

“I’m also sincerely thankful to all those people who have supported and enabled my journey in so many ways this year, to everyone who has shared, supported and encouraged the work online, and especially to the collectors who chose to invest in these pieces and become their new custodians.”

With further officially commissioned artworks due for publication in 2026, the artist is expected to return to the auction market next year. The success of the London sale will also help support the development of Mullaney’s forthcoming narrative film project, continuing a year that bridged gallery exhibition, filmmaking and the global collectors’ market.