Rare Tintin cover fetches $1.6 million

A rare 1932 cover illustration of Tintin in America by Herge, the artist who dreamed up the boy reporter, fetched a record 1.3 million euros ($1.6 million) at an auction in Paris, on Saturday.

"The work was sold by a person who wishes to remain anonymous," a spokesman for the auctioneers, Artcurial, says.

The previous owner, another Tintin collector, had bought it for 764,218 euros in 2008, which had until today stood as the record price in this domain.

Belgian comic book artist Herve painted the Indian ink and gouache color cover for the first edition of the book, which appeared in 1934.

One of only five such works of cover art remaining by Herve, it shows the young adventurer dressed as a cowboy sitting on a rock, his dog Snowy at his side, as three Indians, two wielding axes, creep up behind him.

The sale on Saturday was part of a larger sale of Tintin-related memorabilia.