S.K. Collection - Lot 110

S.K. Collection RALPH MEYER XIII MYSTERY La Mangouste (T.1), Dargaud 2008 Original illustration for the back cover of the album. Signed. India ink, wash and white gouache on paper 20 × 37 cm (7.87 × 14.57 in.) For the back cover of XIII, William Vance had drawn his hero leaning on a cab overlooked by a lamppost. The image was hijacked by Ralph Meyer. In this version, the silhouettes of New York skyscrapers have disappeared to make way for an ominous fog (they will be reinstated in the published version), as is Mongoose walking with his hands in the pockets of his gabardine. One of the most iconic images in the cult XIII series. Suffice to say, it was a lot of fun to reappropriate it with the Mongoose character. R.M.