‘Master Race’ Original Art Sells for $600,000

The original art for the comic book story “Master Race,” about a postwar encounter between a Nazi war criminal and a Holocaust survivor, sold for $600,000 at Heritage Auctions on Thursday. It was purchased by the Boon Foundation for Narrative Graphic Arts in Belgium.

“Master Race” was published in 1955 by EC Comics, which specialized in horror, crime and suspense tales. It was developed by William Gaines, the publisher of EC and an editor, and the writer Al Feldstein, and was illustrated by Bernie Krigstein.

Philippe Boon is “one of the main collectors of original comic artworks as well as objects, statutes, illustrations and paintings,” said Daniel Spindler, the vice president of the foundation, who noted that Boon has one of the broadest collections of this kind of work in Europe. Boon wants to “open the richness of the collection to public eyes,” Spindler said.

The organization acquired “Master Race” for its historical significance and for Krigstein’s critically acclaimed presentation of the suspenseful story. “We want to explore the richness and the variety of storytelling, not only for comics, but also for other graphic arts,” Spindler said.

The foundation is designing an exhibition space in central Brussels that will also include video games and films. “We don’t want it to look like a normal museum,” Spindler said. “What we show will always be original pieces. We believe you feel something special when you are in the presence of these kinds of works, more so than a reproduction.”

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