Christie’s will auction, in November, 50 original comic drawings by Morris, the Belgian artist behind the cowboy character Lucky Luke.
Morris, born Maurice De Bevere in Kortrijk, created Lucky Luke in 1946. He illustrated 71 comic albums detailing the adventures of the lone cowboy and his horse Jolly Jumper. Morris passed away in 2001 at the age of 77.
The 50 drawings will be auctioned on 15 November, following exhibitions at Christie’s locations in Brussels, Geneva, and Paris. The collection features excerpts from various albums.
The auction house expects each page to sell for €20,000 to €90,000, potentially reaching a total of €2.4 to €3.4 million.
Translated into 30 languages, Lucky Luke has sold over 300 million copies worldwide. After Morris's death in 2001, the 'Poor Lonesome Cowboy' was taken up by a number of cartoonists, including Blutch and Jul.
Lucky Luke has also had several lives on television and in the cinema.