In a historic first, Christie's auction house in Paris has sold original drawings from the beloved Lucky Luke comic series, with fans bidding up to €70,000 for the works of Belgian artist Morris.
The auction, held on Friday, showcased 50 original pages, collectively fetching nearly €2.2 million. Many individual pages were sold for between €60,000 and €70,000, marking a significant moment for comic art collectors.
Vincent Belloy, head of the sale at Christie's, emphasized Morris's unique status, stating, "Morris is the last author of this category who has not been on the market." He compared Morris to other iconic comic artists like those behind Asterix and Tintin.
Morris, whose real name was Maurice de Bevere, created the lanky cowboy character in 1947. The series reflects elements of American Wild West history, featuring notorious figures like Billy the Kid and Jesse James.
After Morris's death in 2001, the Lucky Luke series continued under various artists. The character, who famously shoots faster than his shadow, has been translated into 30 languages and sold over 300 million copies worldwide.
Coinciding with the auction, a new installment titled Last Round for the Daltons was released, exploring themes of German immigrant culture in the Wild West.