An original page of artwork by Albert Uderzo from Asterix the Soothsayer (1972) will auction at Sotheby’s in Paris.
The piece will cross the block as part of a comic art sale on January 21.
Uderzo has dedicated this page to his publisher's assistant
It’s valued at around $147,286-189,363.
Uderzo met his writing partner Rene Goscinny in 1951.
They went to work producing comic strips for a Franco-Belgian publishing company. Later on they were made editors of the influential Pilote magazine.
The first Asterix story was published in Pilote magazine in 1959 and was a near instant hit. It’s now one of the most popular comic series of all time.
The 34 books in the series have sold around 325m copies worldwide.
Uderzo has signed and dedicated the present lot to his publisher’s assistant. It’s dated 1975.
Prices have been steadily advancing for artwork by fellow comic artist Herge, whose Tintin books attract a similar audience.
In 2015, a single page from Asterix and the Great Crossing realised $255,668 at Sotheby’s, beating an estimate of $163,025.
This suggests that Uderzo’s work is also on the up.
Other highlights of the sale include a page from Andre Franquin’s Spirou & Fantasio: Les Petits Formats that is expected to reach $78,893-84,152.
Franquin’s creations may not be as well-known as those of Goscinny & Uderzo or Herge in the Anglophone world, but retain a huge following in continental Europe.
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