Dutch comic shop Barabas celebrates 20th anniversary with special comic art auction
Catawiki, the online European auction site is currently hosting an exclusive <a href="https://www.catawiki.com/en/a/1241841-dutch-language-comics-auction-special-20-years-of-barabas-comic-shop-exclusive” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>Dutch Language Comics Auction celebrating the 20th anniversary of trading for Holland’s specialist comic book store and antiquarian shop Stripwinkel Barabas, located in ‘s-Gravendeel.
The shop regularly hosts auctions of comic art, on Catawiki and Bobbedoes, some of it British alongside plenty of homegrown gems, translated into Dutch for titles such as Sjors. They also offer a wide range of art for direct sale, just like Book Palace here in the UK, and are known for producing special limited editions.
The current Dutch Language Comics Auction on Catawiki includes a “Trigan Empire” page by Don Lawrence, with Dutch word balloons; a glorious New Year “Billy Bunter” page by Reg Parlett, in which Billy is more interested in scoffing than dancing, to his cost; and a “Robot Archie” page with art by Bert Bus created under license from IPC for the Dutch title Sjors in 1973, that sees Archie riding a mammoth!
As we’ve previously noted, “Robot Archie” began running in the Dutch weekly Sjors in 1963, reprinting tales from Archie’s original appearances in Lion. When Archie disappeared from Lion in 1971, new stories continued to appear in Holland.
These were largely written and drawn by leading Dutch artist Bert Bus, who died in 2017, aged 86, a creator who whose widow described him for whom “drawing was everything”.
The Dutch Language Comics Auction auction, full catalogue here, which also includes plenty of Blake and Mortimer rarities, runs until Saturday 5th September 2026. All items can be shipped to the UK winners and Catawiki lot pages include a guide to potential additional shipping costs caused by customs charges etc.
• Catawiki Dutch Language Comics Auction – 28th August to Saturday 5th September Catalogue
Head downthetubes for…
• Barabas is at Strijensedijk 1, 3295 KL ‘s-Gravendeel
Nederland | Online (in Dutch) at profbarabas.nl | Buy artworks direct | Regular auction offerings on Catawiki and Bobbedoes
• downthetubes: Robot Archie’s Dutch Adventures as “Der Man van Staal”
Explore Robot Archie’s Dutch adventures!
• Robot Archie and the Time Machine stillavailable (AmazonUK Affiliate Link) | ISBN 978-1837861699
Together with the Professor’s nephew, Ted Ritchie and his best friend Ken Dale, Archie is ready to embark on a journey through time that will bring him into conflicts with medieval knights and a terrifying, dystopian future where aliens have conquered the Earth!
- About the Author
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who MagazineandOverkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as 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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