While Tintin, the adventuring boy journalist, gears up for his big cinematic debut directed by Steven Spielberg, Hergé's famous cartoon creation will also be a big star at Artcurial.
The Paris auction house's sale of books, comic strips and autographs on June 5 will include a very rare Tintin #1 album - one of just 500 numbered copies from 1930.
 Hérge's famous boy journalist, Tintin, as he appears in a 1966 adventure |
This edition is particularly special as it bears the autograph of Hérge himself, signed as "Tintin", along with his wife Germaine as the boy's dog sidekick, Snowy.
The signatures are penned in blue ink and India ink, respectively. According to Artcurial, the annual is bound in blue canvass covers and remains in "superb condition."
Featuring Tintin's adventures in the Soviet Union, the lot is likely to attract enthusiastic bidders from across the globe. It carries a pre-sale estimate of €20,000-25,000.
Meanwhile, Spielberg's film adaptation, The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn, is scheduled for a December 2011 release and is likely to reignite Tintin mania across the world.
The movie's stars include Star Trek's Simon Pegg and Daniel "James Bond 007" Craig, with a script co-penned by Doctor Who writer Stephen Moffatt.
 This 1930 cartoon features Tintin and Snowy in the Soviet Union |
The hotly-tipped film could do much to boost the value of Tintin memorabilia - making this signed #1 manual a must-see for collectors and investors alike.
 Artist Georges Prosper Remi (aka Hérge, 1907-1983) |
Today, Hergé's Tintin is considered one of the most popular comic book series in Europe and the world; especially in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Denmark and India.
The character is the main legacy of artist Georges Prosper Remi (aka Hergé, born in 1907). He wrote 23 adventures - and a 24th unfinished installment - between 1929 and his death in 1983.
The works also remain a big influence on comics and other children's fiction. Hérge was inducted into the Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2003.
Elsewhere in Paris, a sale organised by the auction house Piasa Moulinsart sold 230 items, including drawings and memorabilia, relating to Tintin and Hergé.
The auction raised an incredible €1.08m.
Star lots included a painting entitled Tintin and the Shells. Produced by Hergé in 1947 as a gift for a friend, it sold for €131,250.
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