The original artwork for the last two pages of the Tintin comic book King Ottokar's Sceptre sold for a total of 1.046 million euros ($1.2 million) at auction Saturday in Paris.

"This is only the second time a Tintin plate has exceeded a million euros," Eric Leroy, comic book expert at French auction house Artcurial, told AFP.

A double page plate also from King Ottokar's Sceptre sold for more than 1.5 million euros at Sotheby's in Paris in October.

Artcurial had estimated Saturday's lot would fetch between 600,000 and 800,000 euros, before fees.

"Over a million euros, this is an excellent result," said Leroy.

"Herge's universe still conquers," added Leroy, referring to the cartoonist behind the famous comic.

The work in blue watercolor, gouache and ink was bought on the phone "by a European collector, a long-time fan," said Leroy.

Published in 1939, King Ottokar's Sceptre is the eighth installment of the adventures of the intrepid boy reporter by the Belgian artist Herge.

Intended by Herge as criticism of then Nazi Germany, Tintin helps thwart a plot to overthrow the king of a fictional Central European country which is threatened by an aggressive neighbor.