PEE-WEE HERMAN Archive to Auction at The Groundlings Theatre

Julien's Auctions, the Hollywood memorabilia auction house, announced 'Paul Reubens' BIG AUCTION,' honoring the life and career of actor, comedian, writer, and producer Paul Reubens, presented in celebration with The Groundlings, the improvisation and sketch comedy theatre in Los Angeles where Reubens first found his voice as a performer. The auction takes place live Wednesday, October 28, 2026 at The Groundlings Theatre and online at juliensauctions.com.

The celebration begins at The Groundlings Theatre, where Julien's and The Groundlings will present an exclusive exhibition showcasing highlights of Paul Reubens' historic archive from Wednesday, October 14 through Wednesday, October 28, leading up to the auction. On the evening of October 14, The Groundlings will host a special screening of several episodes of the original Pee-wee's Playhouse series followed by a panel discussion celebrating Reubens' life and work. Tickets for the screening and panel go on sale Friday, October 2 at groundlings.com.

Long before he became a household name, Paul Reubens was a working performer devoted to the craft of comedy. After studying at Boston University and the California Institute of the Arts, he joined The Groundlings in the 1970s, where the company's improvisational, character-driven approach shaped much of what followed. On the Groundlings stage, Reubens developed his gift for fully realized characters—including Pee-Wee Herman—whose stage show began at The Groundlings Theatre before moving to the Roxy Theatre on the Sunset Strip and airing as a 1981 HBO special. Alongside fellow Groundlings including Phil Hartman, John Paragon, and Lynne Marie Stewart, Reubens built a world entirely his own, one that carried into the 1985 film Pee-wee's Big Adventure, which he co-wrote and which marked Tim Burton's feature directorial debut; its 1988 follow-up Big Top Pee-wee, which he co-wrote and co-produced; and the CBS series Pee-wee's Playhouse, which he created, co-wrote, and co-directed, and which won numerous Daytime Emmy Awards over its five-season run.

Reubens' range as a performer reached well beyond any single character. His career spanned more than four decades of film, television, stage, and voice work, from a small role in The Blues Brothers to memorable turns in Batman Returns, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Matilda, Mystery Men, and Blow. On television, he earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for his recurring role on Murphy Brown and appeared in 30 Rock, Pushing Daisies, Portlandia, The Blacklist, and Gotham, while lending his voice to projects including The Nightmare Before Christmas and Flight of the Navigator. In 2010, he returned to the stage in Los Angeles and on Broadway, earning another Emmy nomination for the HBO broadcast of The Pee-Wee Herman Show, and in 2016 he co-wrote and starred in the Netflix film Pee-wee's Big Holiday. Audiences continue to discover the full scope of his artistry through the Emmy Award-winning 2025 HBO documentary Pee-wee as Himself, directed by Matt Wolf, which tells his story in his own words.

The auction will offer over 400 items from the Estate of Paul Reubens, spanning his entire career and including his most cherished possessions and personal items, such as his iconic Pee-wee slate gray glen plaid suit, custom red Schwinn bicycles, rare limited-edition made dolls from Reubens' JCPenney line, original production costumes and props, stop-motion puppets and claymation artwork, production scripts and storyboards, signed posters, and memorabilia.

'Paul Reubens was one of the great performers of his generation: a gifted improviser, a meticulous writer, and an artist who built entire worlds around the characters he created,' said Catherine Williamson, Managing Director of Entertainment, Julien's Auctions. 'This collection is a remarkable archive of that artistry and his enduring impact on audiences of every age, and there is no more fitting place to celebrate it than The Groundlings, where it all began.'

Auction Highlights (with estimates)

Bicycles

Pee-wee's Big Adventure Replica Bicycle with 2011 Visionary Spike TV Scream Award: A full-scale replica of Pee-wee's iconic red Schwinn DX, ridden by Paul Reubens at the 2011 Spike TV Scream Awards where he accepted the honorary Visionary Award (also included in this lot). ($5,000-$7,000)

Sturgis 'Pee-wee Rider' Schwinn Bicycle with Helmet: The winning custom 'Easy Rider'-themed Schwinn ridden by Paul Reubens as Captain of the 2010 Buffalo Chip's Annual Legends Charity Ride in Sturgis, South Dakota, accompanied by a 'Captain America' design helmet. ($5,000-$7,000)

Original Production Costumes, Props & Puppets

Pee-wee's Big Holiday Hero Pee-Wee Herman Suit: The iconic slate gray glen plaid suit worn by Paul Reubens in his 2016 Netflix film, complete with white shirt, red bowtie, pocket square, and white loafers. ($8,000-$10,000)

Big Top Pee-wee Stunt Pee-Wee Herman Circus Ensemble: The three-piece beaded and rhinestone-embellished circus costume worn by the stunt performer during the final trapeze act of Big Top Pee-wee (1988). ($8,000-$10,000)

Pee-wee's Playhouse Stop-Motion Dinosaur Puppet with Stand: An original wire-armature and foam puppet of the Dinosaur Family's son, mounted on a custom wooden stand with an extruder handle for stop-motion animation. ($2,000-$3,000)

Pee-wee's Playhouse Double-Sided Cowboy and Chicken Wall Panel: A hand-painted zig-zag wall panel featuring a dual-image cowboy and chicken design seen in the series' opening title sequence. ($1,000-$2,000)

Original Hand-Sculpted Claymation Scenes from Pee-wee's Playhouse featuring 'Penny': Including the 'salad' scene from the 'School' episode, 'Miss Yvonne's Visit' showing Penny asleep with a teddy bear, and one of Penny posed beside an easel depicting toast. (each lot range: $800-$1,000)

Pee-wee's Playhouse Fridge Food: A collection of 12 prop food pieces from Pee-wee's refrigerator, including a claymation red pepper and bacon with armature arms, olive barbells, frozen food boxes, and desserts. ($800-$1,000)

Production Scripts, Posters & Behind-the-Scenes Artifacts

Production Scripts and Storyboards: Pee-wee's Playhouse season one scripts (a collection of 13 scripts, one for each episode of season one in 1986); Pee-wee's Big Adventure credited to Phil Hartman, Paul Reubens, and Michael Varhol, containing minor differences from the final film including a deleted magic shop scene; Big Top Pee-wee featuring barnyard and farm animal artwork; and Pee-wee's Playhouse season four storyboards. (each lot range: $500-$700)

Posters: Pee-wee's Big Adventure poster signed by Pee-Wee Herman, 1981 The Pee-Wee Herman Show at The Groundlings Theatre poster, and an original 1981 lithograph poster featuring Gary Panter's iconic illustration of Pee-wee, honoring the character's first significant stage production (each lot range: $500-$700)

Paul Reubens, Pee-Wee Herman & Hollywood Memorabilia

Pee-Wee Herman 1989 JCPenney 40 Inch Limited-Edition Doll: The 40' doll made by Carousel for Reubens' JCPenney exclusive line in the late 1980s is one of the rarest Pee-Wee Herman collectibles: only 2,000 were made in 1989, and some were used as store displays. The doll is in its original box, with the original factory shipping carton. ($300-$500)

Pee-wee's Playhouse Paul Reubens Parking Sign: A metal production parking sign reading 'Pee Wee's / PLAYHOUSE / P. REUBENS.' ($300-$500)

Paul Reubens' 'Pee Wee' Harmonica: A vintage 'Pee Wee' brand harmonica made in occupied Japan (circa 1945-1951) in its original box, personally owned by Reubens, who cited this brand as the inspiration for his character's name. ($100-$200)

Mystery Men The Spleen Whoopee Cushion Cast Gift: A red whoopee cushion gifted by Reubens to the cast and crew of Mystery Men (1999), featuring his likeness as The Spleen with the inscription 'Pull my finger!' ($200-$300)

Exhibition

'Paul Reubens' Big Auction,' in celebration with The Groundlings

Wednesday, October 14 – Wednesday, October 28, 2026

The Groundlings Theatre, 7307 Melrose Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90046

The exhibition will be open to ticketholders of The Groundlings shows. For more info, hours and tickets please visit groundlings.com

Screening & Panel

Wednesday, October 14, 2026

The Groundlings Theatre, 7307 Melrose Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90046

Tickets on sale Friday, October 2 at groundlings.com, until sold out.

Live and Online Auction

The Groundlings Theatre, 7307 Melrose Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90046

Wednesday, October 28, 2026, 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time

There are four ways to bid in Live Auctions: bidding with Julien's Auctions online; bidding over the telephone through an auction house representative; bidding in person in the room at the auction event; or bidding in advance by absentee bid, with absentee bid forms available by calling 310-836-1818.

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About The Groundlings Theatre & School