The latest Catawiki International Comic Art Auction features so many pages from Rebellion-owned strips, such as “The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire” and “Robot Archie” it’s a wonder the company hasn’t simply contacted the sellers and bought their entire catalogue.
Bidding on lots in this auction closes at 7.00pm on Thursday 24th March 2022.
Relisted after it failed to sell a couple of weeks ago, an early page of “Zip Nolan” art by Reg Bunn, first published in Lion in 1963. Can you spot the clue?
A page from the story “Robot Archie versus The Superions” by Ted Kearon, from a 1968 issue of Lion, the lot description bizarrely referring to it appearing in “Issue 20”, which is patently incorrect.
Another pages from the story “Eagles over the Western Front” (1964), by Bill Lacey. Dramatic World War One action on offer!
(Don’t forget Bear Alley Books collected this strip in one volume in 2020, copies still available here).
Not one, but two pages of art from “The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire” first featured in Look and Learn: a page from the 1967 story “The Revolt of the Lokans”; and a page from “The Outlaw Planet”, published in 1973, both pages by Don Lawrence.
As ever, there are plenty of artworks by European artists and from European strips, and manga, too, such as work by Kenichiro Takai from Minus Kid, first published in 1965 – two consecutive original pages from the story “Hitler has Arrived”…
There’s a promotional illustration of Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus, too, by Eduardo Alpuente, created for the Spanish market.
Another original Western cover book by Fernando Fernández
Another page from “El Gaucho” by Milo Manara, scripted by Hugo Pratt
This beautiful strip from the peak period of the “Aram” newspaper strip, by Piet Wijn on top form.
Potential Additional International Auction Costs
This advice box was last updated on Friday 6th May 2022
The UK’s departure from the European Union means there may be 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.
The Guardian previously reported that online orders up to £135 are now supposed to have the UK’s prevailing VAT rate added at the point of sale by the EU retailer, which has to have registered with HM Revenue & Customs.
While buying from European sellers carries the sting of larger costs, the auction house Catawiki does now endeavour to provide an estimate of those in its lot descriptions.
Unfortunately, many smaller EU-based retailers have decided that the paperwork of collecting UK VAT is not worth the hassle and as a result will no longer supply UK consumers. It has also meant that some British sellers will no longer export to Europe.
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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.
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