There’s another smashing “Robot Archie” page by Ted Kearon on offer in this week’s Catawiki International Original Comic Art auction, alongside a fine selection of European comic art, including work by Fernando Fernández.

This week’s “Robot Archie” treat is a page from the story titled “Robot Archie and the Golden Men”, published in Lion in 1966.

Given the reach of the robot’s adventures, with new stories created from the European market after the strip’s demise in the UK, I do wonder why there are no reprints of this strip from the Treasury of British Comics yet, but hold out hopes there will be at some point.

Also in this auction is a piece of terrific World War Two cover art by Fernando Fernández (Barcelona 1940 – 2010), which the auction listing notes as being commissioned in the 1970s by Selecciones Ilustradas for the European and US market.

While the art may well have been used as a War Library cover here in the 1970s, I don’t recognise it, but it’s obviously “inspired” by the cover of both Battle Picture Library No. 2, the work of Nino Caroseli, published in 1961.

Caroseli’s work was also used as the cover of the first issue of the French adventure comic, Rangers, published in May 1964.

Fernando Fernández is credited as working for its publisher, Imperia, but it’s unclear if the French publisher commissioned him or simply bought in covers.

Via the auction, the same seller is also offering a romance art cover by Fernando Fernández, again commissioned in the 1970s by Selecciones Ilustradas, the date of the art this time supported by a label on the back of the board.

In amongst the largely European art on offer, although as usual there is some manga work, too, I was struck by a beautiful Indian ink work, an Asian landscape by Bruno Cassiers.

Born in 1949 in Brussels, Cassiers is an illustrator and author who trained as an architect. In the 1970s, he wrote and illustrated funny stories such as Abélard le Kangourou, and drew illustrations during trips to Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Of particular note is his art created based on his travels to Egypt, depicting the monuments of the Pharaohs, and those of medieval Cairo, published in L’Égypte Dessinée.

Founded in 2008, Catawiki was orginally an online platform where collectors could interact. Its founders introduced an online auction feature in 2011 and opened it up to everyone with an appreciation for special and hard-to-find objects. Catawiki quickly grew into the platform it is today, hosting auctions featuring 65,000 objects in more than 80 categories per week. Catawiki serves customers from all over the world and is available in 17 languages.

• Check out items offered by Catawiki in their International Comic Art category – the auction closes this Thursday (18th November 2021)

Do note that the UK’s departure from the European Union may mean additional import duties on sales.prior to Brexit, the effective rate of UK tax on imports of art was 5%, which is lower than most other European countries. An owner could previously import an artwork to the UK from outside the EU and was then free to transport it to other EU countries, where the import tax rates may be higher, without incurring any further import-related tax charges. If the owner then wished to bring the artwork back to the UK, there would also have been no further tax charge.

This apolitical guide outlines what you should be aware of when buying or selling art internationally but is a work in progress

This article was updated on Monday 15th November to include the cover of Battle Picture Library No. 2 and note its artist – thanks to David Roach for the information

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.

Categories: Art and Illustration, Comic Art, Comics, downthetubes Comics News, Events, Other Worlds

Tags: Battle Picture Library, Bruno Cassiers, Catawiki, Catawiki International Comic Art Auction, downthetubes News, Fernando Fernández, Lion, Nino Caroseli, Rangers, Robot Archie, Selecciones Ilustradas, Ted Kearon