Rare comic strips up for auction at Sotheby's in Paris

Record ID: 165749

  • Title: Rare comic strips up for auction at Sotheby's in Paris
  • Date: 20th January 2017
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (JANUARY 20, 2017) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF SOTHEBY'S AUCTION HOUSE SOTHEBY'S SIGN OVER WINDOW SHOWROOM WITH COMIC STRIPS AND AUTOMOBILES COMIC BOOKS EXPERT FOR SOTHEBY'S, ERIC VERHOEST, LOOKING AT COMIC STRIPS FOUR MAIN LOTS FOR AUCTION ORIGINAL COMIC STRIP FROM 'BLAKE AND MORTIMER' BY EDGAR PIERRE JACOBS DETAIL OF 'BLAKE AND MORTIMER' COMIC STRIP (SOUNDBITE) (French) COMIC BOOKS EXPERT FOR SOTHEBY'S, ERIC VERHOEST, SAYING: "The magic 'square' of this auction is composed of four founding authors of the European comic books. There are three Belgians: Edgar Pierre Jacobs, creator of 'Blake and Mortimer'; Herge, the creator of 'Tintin'; and Franquin the creator of 'Gaston Lagaffe' but whose art is represented here by a very beautiful comic strip of 'Spirou and Fantasio' called 'Spirou the little formats'. And finally, the main lot, is a piece from the album 'The Diviner', an utterly beautiful album of 'Asterix and Obelix' drawn by Albert Uderzo and written by the brilliant André Goscinni." ORIGINAL COMIC STRIP FROM 'SPIROU THE LITTLE FORMATS' BY FRANQUIN DETAIL OF 'SPIROU THE LITTLE FORMATS' COMIC STRIP DETAIL OF COLORING BOOK 'THE PAINTER'S PALETTE' BY HERGE ORIGINAL COVER OF COLORING BOOK 'THE PAINTER'S PALETTE' (SOUNDBITE) (French) COMIC BOOKS EXPERT FOR SOTHEBY'S, ERIC VERHOEST, SAYING: "The comic strip by Albert Uderzo is valued from 140,000 to 180,000 euros, which is a completely realistic valuation compared to the prices Asterix, Uderzo and Goscinni have reached at auctions. And, for us, it is without a doubt one of the three most beautiful comic strips by Uderzo put in the market in the last decade." ORIGINAL COMIC STRIP FROM 'THE DIVINER' BY ALBERT UDERZO VARIOUS OF DETAIL OF 'THE DIVINER' COMIC STRIP VISITOR LOOKING AT EXHIBITION (SOUNDBITE) (French) COMIC BOOKS EXPERT FOR SOTHEBY'S, ERIC VERHOEST, SAYING: "The pleasure in creating this kind of auction, is to rediscover the comic books of the world - to cross several geographical zones and also several time periods. We have comic strips from the early years of comic books, at the beginning of the 20th century, around the 1900s, and more recent comic strips, created three or four years ago." ORIGINAL COMIC STRIP FROM 'FLASH GORDON' BY ALEX RAYMOND DETAIL OF 'FLASH GORDON' COMIC STRIP VISITOR LOOKING AT COMIC STRIPS ORIGINAL COMIC STRIP FROM 'TARZAN' BY BURNE HOGARTH DETAIL OF 'TARZAN' COMIC STRIP VARIOUS OF VIEWS OF SHOWROOM
  • Embargoed: 3rd February 2017 13:24
  • Keywords: Sothebys auction comic books comics Herge Uderzo Flash Gordon
  • Location: PARIS, FRANCE
  • City: PARIS, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA0015ZVZ0IH
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The Sotheby's auction house in Paris showcased on Friday (January 20) rare comic strips to be sold in auction on Saturday (January 21).
    Among the 61 lots exhibited at Sotheby's showroom in central Paris were four original drawings by the 'founding authors' of European comic books - three Belgians and a Frenchman.
    One is an original 'Blake and Mortimer' strip by Edgar Pierre Jacobs, valued between 70,000 and 80,000 euros (74,700 to 85,400 US dollars); an original cover for the coloring book 'The Painter's Palette' by Herge valued from 120,000 and 150,000 euros (128,000 to 160,000 US dollars) and an original 'Spirou, the little formats' comic strip by Andre Franquin.
    The fourth main piece of the exhibition is a comic strip by French comic author Albert Uderzo from the 1970s, valued from 140,000 to 180,000 euros (149,500 to 192,200 US dollars).
    According to comic book expert for Sotheby's, Eric Verhoest, the rarity of the strip has driven the price.
    "It is without a doubt one of the three most beautiful comic strips by Uderzo put in the market in the last decade," he said.
    The auction will feature comic books from around the world and from various time periods, including strips from 'Flash Gordon' by Alex Raymond or 'Tarzan' by Burne Hogarth, two legends of American comics.
    "We have comic strips from the early years of comic books, at the beginning of the 20th century, around 1900s, and more recent comic strips, created three or four years ago," Verhoest said.
    In May 2016, an original plate of Blake and Mortimer was sold in a Sotheby's auction at a price of 105,000 euros (112,000 US dollars).
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