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Registration no. 2001 – 002 of 25 October 2001
Sale conducted by Pierre Mothes
Paris Press release
Paris | 33 (0)1 53 05 53 66 | Sophie Dufresne | [email protected]
33 (0)1 53 05 52 32 | Chloé Brézet | [email protected]
33 (0)6 64 25 48 42 | Sylvie Chabroux – asc | [email protected]
Jean-Arnold Schoofs Collection The great comic strip masters
Edgar P. Jacobs, Le rayon U, 1944 (estimate: €50,000-60,000 / $57,500-69,000)
Paris, September 2015 – After the success of its comic strip sale in the spring*, Sotheby’s is delighted to be selling one of the world's largest collection of strip cartoons, belonging to the Belgian lover of this genre, Jean-Arnold Schoofs, on 24th October. From his first purchase in the early Eighties, the collector constantly sought out the masters
of strip cartoon, picking up numerous treasures at their source. Sotheby's is now unveiling
132 lots with some 60 original plates by the greatest authors in the genre from both Europe
and America, including Hergé, Foster, Franquin, Gottfredson, McCay, Jacobs and Peyo, retracing in this way the saga of the "Ninth Art".
“My wish, until now, was to keep the older well-known major artists of the comics world,
who for me will remain in the collective memory. These masters, who have become
impossible to find, have always attracted me by their graphic qualities as well as by their
historical dimension. Their work will remain. Today, I feel the need to return to the origins of
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my collection, to the great modern draughtsmen, and in particular Hermann” Jean-Arnold
Schoofs.
Jean-Arnold Schoofs was bitten by the strip cartoon bug in 1955, when his parents gave him
Hergé's The Crab with the Golden Claws. This was the start of a passion that remained
undimmed with the passing years. As a teenager, he loved contemporary authors like
Hermann, Moebius, Loisel, Rosinski and Bilal. He bought his first plate in the early 1980s. An
occasional bridge champion who worked in insurance during the week, he devoted his
weekends to tracking down originals, criss-crossing Belgium, France and Switzerland to
knock on artists' doors in person. As well as his special relationships with several authors, he
also gained an undeniable advantage from his trips: he had first refusal of the finest plates,
ahead of any other covetous fan. He thus built up a prodigious collection containing
hundreds of original pages and first edition albums. Groaning with images that have now
become legendary, the walls of his house bear witness to a lifetime's work: one of the
biggest strip cartoon collections in the world.
The 60 plates in the sale are by cult strip cartoon artists, mainly pioneers in the art. The
catalogue features American humourists of early 20th century, realist Americans of the
Thirties and Forties, and European authors of the immediate post-war period. The only
exceptions are a double-page spread by Hergé from between the wars, when the author was
working alone, and a single page by Morris from the 1970s. Schoofs was one of the first
collectors to take an equal interest in the European and American founding fathers, hunting
down historical pieces across the Atlantic as well as the Franco-Belgian series he treasured.
While most of the names in the catalogue have now entered comic strip history, there are
several authors now little-known to the general public, who made an important contribution
to its development. For a demanding collector like Jean-Arnold Schoofs, who loved drawing
and was a considerable connoisseur, the only consideration when buying a piece was the
quality. As he says in the catalogue preface, "I'd personally prefer a really fine plate by
Remacle to an indifferent one by Hergé." An uncompromising stance that accounts for the
outstanding level of a collection now eagerly awaited by fans.
European Works
Published in Le Petit Vingtième in 1939, an exceptional double-page spread from Le Sceptre
d’Ottokar by Hergé (estimate: €600,000-800,000 / $690,000-920,000) is the outstanding lot
in the collection. Every skilfully-constructed, perfectly-composed panel vibrates with energy.
We see Tintin's plane starting a vertiginous dive, whose dazzling speed is expressed through
the lively strokes of a clean line. Hergé's consistent line, here seen to masterly effect, is
counterbalanced by the pale, almost dreamlike blue of the watercolour.
In a more humorous vein, enthusiasts will revel in a page from the most popular French-
language series of all time, Astérix et Cléopatre (estimate: €200,000-250,000 / $230,000-287,000) with an uproariously funny Goscinny and an Albert Uderzo at the peak of his art,
transcending the movement of his instantly-recognisable drawing style.
*The sale on 7 March 2015 made a total of €3.9 million, with 85% of lots sold by value, and 24 records
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EDGAR P. JACOBS (1907-1983) BLAKE ET MORTIMER - LA MARQUE JAUNE
Indian ink on paper
Page 42 - Tintin no. 20 - 19 May 1954
45 x 34.2 cm (paper) - 40 x 30 cm (drawing)
Estimate: €120,000-150,000 / $138,000-173,000
Taken from the legendary Marque Jaune, this chase between a taxi
requisitioned by Mortimer and the car of the fiendish Guinea Pig is
dazzling in terms of composition. The dramatic, emphatic power of
Jacobs' drawing reaches a paroxysm in the final panels.
Again by E.P. Jacobs, this time pre-dating Blake et Mortimer, is a plate
from Le Rayon U of 1944 (estimate: 50,000-60,000 / $57,500-69,000) executed in colour, which was
highly unusual at the time. Some characters in the scene were to appear several years later, with
different names, in the author's famous Blake et Mortimer series.
ANDRÉ FRANQUIN SPIROU ET FANTASIO, LES PIRATES DU SILENCE
Indian ink on paper
Page 24 - Spirou no. 938 - 12 April 1956
(Dupuis - 1958)
47.8 x 33.2 cm (paper) - 42 x 28.3 cm (drawing)
Estimate: €200,000-250,000 / $230,000-287,000
In the rest of this scene from Les Pirates du silence, one of the great
adventures of Spirou et Fantasio, the brilliant Franquin, assisted by
Will in the backgrounds, gives free rein to his passion for design and
cars. He introduces the Marsupilami into it, bringing his "family"
together in a 1950s car.
JEAN GRATON MICHEL VAILLANT, LE PILOTE SANS VISAGE
Indian ink on paper
Page 30 - Tintin no. 15 - 16 April 1959 (Lombard - 1960)
51 x 36.2 cm (paper) - 45 x 34 cm (drawing)
Estimate: €12,000-15,000 / $13,800-17,300
This plate is sure to thrill fans of Formula One and the Monaco circuit!
Taken from Le Pilote sans visage, one of the legendary albums in the
Michel Vaillant series, this is a concentrate of all the skills of Jean
Graton, a marvellous depicter of racing cars. The virtuoso scene full of
speed, breath-taking suspense and the vintage lines of period cars
unfolds in a magnificent setting.
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PEYO JOHAN ET PIRLOUIT, L’ANNEAU DES CASTELLAC
Indian ink on paper
Page 30 - Spirou no. 1181 - 1 December 1960
(Dupuis - 1962)
43.5 x 32 cm (paper) – 39.2 x 28 cm (drawing)
Estimate: €80,000-100,000 / $92,000-115,000
All the art of Peyo, that unrivalled storyteller, can be seen in this page:
his humour, keen sense of narrative, and precise drawing. Each
character is brilliantly depicted, giving an acute attention to detail.
American Works
WINSOR MC CAY LITTLE NEMO
Indian ink on paper
(Sunday Page - 9 January 1910)
72.5 x 57.3 cm (paper) – 70.6 x 55.6 cm (drawing)
Estimate: €40,000-50,000 / $46,000-57,500
Here we find the style of Winsor McCay, imbued with his inimitable
grace. As with Hergé, the extraordinarily elegant graphic line entrances
the eye. McCay created a timeless, visionary, dreamlike body of work
for readers of all ages. A master of rhythm as well as drawing, he
mingled small square images with large vertical panels.
ALEX RAYMOND FLASH GORDON
Indian ink on paper
(Sunday Page - 28 April 1935)
76.2 x 51.1 cm (paper) – 74.6 x 48.7 (drawing)
Estimate: €45,000-55,000 / $52,000-63,500
In this magnificent page from Flash Gordon, Alex Raymond's intense inking
is totally in harmony with his energetic pencil. The crosshatching
highlights the overall lines of force, creating a singular atmosphere. This
dates from 1935, during Flash Gordon's most thriving period when it was
published in large format on a full page of the newspaper.
FLOYD GOTTFREDSON MICKEY MOUSE
Indian ink on paper
(Daily - 25 November 1936)
19.5 x 73.7 cm (paper) - 14 x 63.5 cm (drawing)
Estimate: €8,000-10,000 / $9,200-11,500
This 1936 ink drawing by Floyd Gottfredson, the main draughtsman for the series, brilliantly shows
the expressiveness of the characters while remaining refined. The protagonists' positioning in the
panels is particularly dynamic.
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HAROLD FOSTER PRINCE VALIANT
Indian ink on paper
(Sunday Page – 1 February 1948)
87.7 x 66.5 cm (paper) – 85.8 x 61.5 cm (drawing)
Estimate: €15,000-20,000 / $17,300-23,000
This plate stands out for its remarkable size, with the protagonists fully
occupying the space. As ever, Harold Foster's composition is beautifully
put together. The exceptionally fine inking imbues the characters with
arresting vitality, bringing them to life before our eyes.
Figurines
WILL TIF ET TONDU, MONSIEUR CHOC
Volume sculpture, resin, 204 cm
Edition of one, with certificate signed by Will
1996
Estimate: €12,000-15,000 / $13,800-17,300
The sale starts with several figurines, including this monumental
sculpture. This is a unique copy, for which Will himself drafted and
signed the certificate: "Monsieur Choc" in three dimensions, by Eric
Bourgeois. The legendary character invented by Rosy and drawn by Will
in the Tif & Tondu series was first produced as a small statue by the
Brussels sculptor in an edition of 55. Two metres of know-how lie
between the character's feet and his legendary helmet.
Images are available on request All the catalogues can be viewed online at www.sothebys.com or on the Sotheby’s Catalogue iPad app