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 | sophie.dufresne@sothebys.com

33 (0)1 53 05 52 32 | Chloé Brézet | chloe.brezet@sothebys.com

33 (0)6 64 25 48 42 | Sylvie Chabroux – asc | sylvie@chabroux.com

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