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

“The work has been sold at 1,338,509.20 euros, costs included, by a person who wishes to remain anonymous,” a spokesman for the auctioneers, Artcurial, told AFP.

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 Herge painted the Indian ink and gouache colour cover for the first edition of the book, which first appeared in 1934.

One of only five such works of cover art remaining by Herge, 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.

Last year, film director Steven Spielberg released a 3D film, “Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn” and is already planning a sequel.