Maison Daniel Maghen announces its 12th “Comics & Illustration” auction, to be held in late 2026 at the Maison de l’Amérique latine in Paris.

Featuring a general sale and two catalogs dedicated to Matthieu Bonhomme and Olivier Schwartz, the auction already includes over 180 major works by the great names of comic art—Franquin, Hergé, Uderzo, as well as Bar2, Bilal, Brüno, Caza, Chaland, Clerc, Cosey, Derib, Eisner, Ferrandez, Foster, Fournier, Franquin, Gibrat, Gimenez, Giraud, Gotlib, Hergé, Hermann, Jijé, Juillard, Lambil, Le Gall, Ledroit, Liberatore, Loisel, Manara, Martin, Mézières, Moebius, Pellerin, Pratt, Schuiten, Serpieri, Swolfs, Taniguchi, Tardi, Tillieux, Vance, and Will.


Top lots

 

   
In 1976, Charles Dupuis launched the Péchés de jeunesse collection, whose inaugural publication was this album, L’Héritage, which features Franquin’s earliest drawings of the bellboy. For the cover illustration, Franquin chose a scene he had already used on the cover of Spirou No. 23 in 1947, but he couldn’t bring himself to plagiarize his own artwork; that “old style” no longer suited him. Consequently, for this new drawing, he changed the angle, lengthened the perspective, added a gag, and—with the virtuosity of a genius at the height of his art—used the energetic linework of Gaston Lagaffe to make the smiles of the crocodiles awaiting their feast even more delightful. It is simply sublime. Sales of Les Péchés de jeunesse exceeded 100,000 copies.

 
1974, the year Astérix, Le Cadeau de César was published, was a turbulent political year, marked by Valéry Giscard d’Estaing’s victory over François Mitterrand after a very close runoff election. The authors were thus in tune with the times with this album. But what remains timeless is the unshakable friendship between Obelix and Asterix, who are at odds in this episode for reasons that are as much sentimental as they are… political. As we celebrate the centennial of René Goscinny (born in 1926), it is worth highlighting the excellence of a script brought to life by Albert Uderzo, a genius of illustration whose friendship with his writer was as unwavering as that of their heroes. While the subtext may be subtly understood by adults, the accuracy of Uderzo’s lines and characterizations also appeals to younger readers, making this page as transgenerational as it is universal.



 
Expanding on the rich universe imagined by Alejandro Jodorowsky and brought to life by Moebius was a good idea, especially since this approach allows for a style that is less ethereal and less Apollonian than that of the creator of L'Incal. Created between 1992 and 2004, the spin-off La Caste des Méta-Barons is the greatest success of Argentine artist Juan Giménez, who passed away in 2020 at the age of 76. Here, for this cover, he delivers a masterful visual synthesis: hyperrealistic textures, a baroque profusion of armor, and sophisticated weapons and cybernetic implants. The face, archaic in its gravity yet with the gaze of a seraph, contrasts with the technological coldness surrounding it, while the cosmic background places the figure within an epic dimension. Fantasy art reaches its pinnacle here.

   
Yves Chaland is one of the most influential comic artists of the 1980s, who stands out for the elegance of his style and the sophistication of his artwork. Along with Joost Swarte and Floc’h & Rivière, he is one of the founders of the Clear Line, a postmodern movement inspired by classic comic books. Chaland plays with the graphic codes of the 1950s, unrealistically blending the 1950s pin-up doll, Cousteau’s diving suit, the masks of the Belgian Congo colony, Hergé’s angelic and diabolical characters, and a copy of Noir & Blanc, the famous magazine covering “the lives of celebrities.” The whole is drawn with a lively, broad brush, rich in ink, in the style of Jijé, Franquin, and Will Eisner, who were his masters. With barely a dozen albums, Chaland’s influence is profound and international.



 

SPECIAL CATALOGS

Olivier Schwartz

For the first time, a special catalog will be dedicated to the French cartoonist Olivier Schwartz. As a leading figure of the New Clear Line movement, he has created five Spirou and Fantasio albums, including the series’ final two volumes, La Mort de Spirou (2022) and La Mémoire du Futur (2024). Blending the styles of Franquin and Jijé, Olivier Schwartz has successfully modernized this iconic series with incisive, highly referential artwork and superb gouache coloring.

This catalog will feature exceptional artworks, including an original color cover from Journal de Spirou No. 4537 (2025) and an original black-and-white page from the album La Mémoire du Futur (2024).

   
 

Matthieu Bonhomme

French author Matthieu Bonhomme, one of the most talented artists of his generation, is the subject of a second dedicated catalog. It will focus on his third album, La Longue Marche de Lucky Luke from the Lucky Luke (vu par...) series, for which he wrote the script and created the artwork. A great admirer of the creator Morris, Matthieu Bonhomme has brought a fresh perspective to this cult universe through his highly elegant artwork and his remarkable coloring technique using watercolor and gouache.

The catalog will bring together for the first time a selection of exceptional artworks from La Longue Marche de Lucky Luke, including the original cover, direct-color illustrations, black-and-white panels, and a series of artworks from Charlotte Impératrice.

     
     

OTHER ARTWORKS
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
       
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
  


Caption: André Franquin - Original cover (excerpt) of Spirou and Fantasio: The Legacy - Dupuis, 1976