PARIS — A rare drawing from one of the most famous Tintin comic books, “Explorers on the Moon,” was sold Saturday for 1.55 million euros ($1.64 million), auction house Artcurial said.
It was a record sale for a single cartoon drawing.
A depiction of comic-book reporter Tintin and his white dog, Snowy, tops a building in Brussels. A drawing from the comic book “Explorers on the Moon” fetched $1.64 million at auction Saturday, a record for a single cartoon drawing. Associated Press/Geert Vanden Wijngaert
The original drawing in Chinese ink by Belgian artist Georges Remi, who wrote under the pen name of Herge, shows the fearless reporter, his white dog Snowy and his friend Captain Haddock in spacesuits, walking on the moon for the first time and looking at the Earth.
They can be seen, on page 26 of the book, running and making big jumps, to their surprise because of the lower gravity on the moon.
The drawing was initially estimated to fetch between 700,000 and 900,000 euros.
The book, first published in 1954, is a favorite among comic strip aficionados.
In a separate auction sale on Saturday by Christie’s, another original drawing from “Explorers on the Moon” was sold for 600,000 euros ($635,000). Page 59 of the book shows the rocket reaching Earth in dramatic circumstances. The book’s heroes aren’t visible.
“The Adventures of Tintin” have been translated into 70-plus languages and sold tens of millions of copies. They were made into a movie in 2011 by Steven Spielberg.
The sales come as Herge, often referred to as the father of the European comic strip, is the subject of a major exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris until mid-January.
This photo provided by French auction house Artcurial shows a drawing from one of Tintin’s most famous cartoon books, “Explorers on the Moon” by Belgian cartoonist Herge. The original drawing in Chinese ink shows the fearless reporter, his white dog Snowy and his friend Captain Haddock in spacesuits, walking on the moon for the first time and looking at the Earth. Herge-Moulinsart2016/Artcurial via AP
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