Blake and Mortimer,
The Yellow "M"

Blake and Mortimer is a comic book/graphic novel series that was created by the Belgian writer and artist Edgar P. Jacobs (1904-1987). It first appeared serialised in the Belgian comics magazine Tintin from 1946 on and was subsequently published in softcover and hardcover albums by Les Editions du Lombard. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 353 × 329 pixelsFull resolution (353 × 329 pixel, file size: 38 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Edgar P. Jacobs This is a copyrighted digital image of the cover art for a comic book that has been released by a company or organization... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 353 × 329 pixelsFull resolution (353 × 329 pixel, file size: 38 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Edgar P. Jacobs This is a copyrighted digital image of the cover art for a comic book that has been released by a company or organization... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... Trade paperback of Will Eisners A Contract with God (1978), often mistakenly cited as the first graphic novel. ... The term writer can apply to anyone who creates a written work, but the word more usually designates those who write creatively or professionally, or those who have written in many different forms. ... The definition of an artist is wide-ranging and covers a broad spectrum of activities to do with creating art, practising the arts and/or demonstrating an art. ... Blake and Mortimer, The Yellow M Edgard Félix Pierre Jacobs, (b. ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Le journal de Tintin (in its French-speaking version), Kuifje (Dutch-speaking version), was a weekly realist Belgian comics magazine of the second half of the 20th century. ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Le Lombard or Lombard Editions is a Belgian comic book publisher established in 1946 when the Tintin series was launched. ...

During the first years of Tintin magazine (also Le journal de Tintin) the series "The Secret of the Swordfish" (Le secret de l'Espadon) by Jacobs was paradoxically more popular than The Adventures of Tintin, appearing also in a serial form in the same magazine. This was due to the fact that the "Swordfish" series started with the first issue of Tintin magazine, while the adventures of Tintin in the first issue confusingly took up The Seven Crystal Balls, a story in progress abandoned two years earlier during the war, when it had been serialised in a newspaper. The main cast of the series. ... The Seven Crystal Balls (Les Sept Boules de cristal) is the thirteenth of The Adventures of Tintin, a series of classic comic-strip albums, written and illustrated by Belgian writer and illustrator Hergé, featuring young reporter Tintin as a hero. ...

After Jacobs’ death, Bob de Moor completed Jacobs’ unfinished last story; the series was subsequently continued by two Jacobs Studios writing and drawing teams, Van Hamme/Benoit and Sente/Juillard. Bob de Moor is the pen name of Robert Frans Marie De Moor (1925-1992), a Belgian comic artist born in Antwerp who died in 1992 in Brussels. ... Jean Van Hamme (born January 16, 1939) is a Belgian novelist and scenario writer of comic books. ... André Juillard, 2002 Photograph by Rita Scaglia for Dargaud André Juillard (born. ...

Blake and Mortimer was adapted into an animated television series; see Blake and Mortimer (TV series). Animation refers to the process in which each frame of a film or movie is produced individually, whether generated as a computer graphic, or by photographing a drawn image, or by repeatedly making small changes to a model (see claymation and stop motion), and then photographing the result. ... A television program is the content of television broadcasting. ... Blake and Mortimer is an animated television series, based on the Blake and Mortimer comic books by Edgar Pierre Jacobs. ...

Main characters

Wall drawing in Brussels

• Philip Angus Mortimer — professor of Scottish descent; grew up in colonial India; the archetypical British gentleman scholar.
• Francis Percy Blake — Welsh-born officer in Her Majesty's armed forces; although appointed head of MI5 he is still very active in the field.
• Colonel Olrik — the perennial bad guy from the first instalment on. Of the original series, there is but one book that does not feature him in one capacity or other: Le Piège diabolique. Olrik started out in Le Secret de l’Espadon as colonel in the army of Oriental dictator Basam Damdu, became a mercenary and general criminal adventurer.

The three main characters were already present in slightly different form in the unrelated, Flash Gordon-alike first full length comic strip by Jacobs, Le Rayon U (The 'U'-Ray, 1943), where they appeared as Professor Marduk, Lord Calder, and Captain Dagon, respectively. (The story furnished many elements for L'Énigme de l'Atlantide as well.) Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (800 × 600 pixel, file size: 177 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Muurschildering naar de cover van E.P. Jacobs Het gele teken in Brussel. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (800 × 600 pixel, file size: 177 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Muurschildering naar de cover van E.P. Jacobs Het gele teken in Brussel. ... The meaning of the word professor (Latin: one who claims publicly to be an expert) varies. ... Motto (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity Wha daur meddle wi me?(Scots)1 Anthem (Multiple unofficial anthems) Scotlands location in Europe Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic, Scots3 Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  -  First Minister Jack McConnell... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For other senses of this word, see archetype (disambiguation). ... The term gentleman (from Latin gentilis, belonging to a race or gens, and man, cognate with the French word gentilhomme, the Spanish gentilhombre and the Italian gentil uomo or gentiluomo), in its original and strict signification, denoted a man of good family, the Latin generosus (its invariable translation in English... A scholar is either a student or someone who has achieved a mastery of some academic discipline, perhaps receiving financial support through a scholarship. ... This article is about the country. ... An officer is a member of a military or naval service who holds a position of responsibility. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A stereotypical villain. ... The far east as a cultural block includes East Asia, Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia and South Asia. ... Dictator is originally the title of a magistrate in ancient Rome appointed by the Senate to rule the state in times of emergency. ... A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict and is motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by the desire for private gain and, in fact, is promised, by or on behalf of a Party to the conflict, material compensation substantially in excess of that... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Flash Gordon is a science fiction comic strip originally drawn by Alex Raymond, first published on January 7, 1935. ... This article is about the comic strip, the sequential art form as published in newspapers and on the Internet. ... The outbreak of war between Germany and the USA in 1941 meant that American comic strips could no longer be imported into Nazi-occupied Europe. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ...

Philip Mortimer was originally drawn from life. The model was a friend and sometimes collaborator of Jacobs, Jacques Van Melkebeke. There was one imaginative addition by Jacobs since Van Melkebeke had no beard. Francis Blake was modeled by another friend and sometimes collaborator of Jacobs, Jacques Laudy, with added mustache. Olrik was a self-portrait of Jacobs.

Story characteristics

Although the series is (no doubt for reasons of euphony) called Blake and Mortimer, it is Professor Mortimer who is the main protagonist. Especially in the original series, it is mainly he who, through his impulsive character, gets entangled in adventurous circumstances. Blake is the straight man, the serious army officer who comes to the rescue. If there are to be humorous passages in a story, they will happen to Mortimer. On the bad side, Colonel Olrik combines both good guys' characteristics into one. Euphony describes flowing and aesthetically pleasing speech. ... A protagonist is the, or a, central figure of a story. ...

Blake and Mortimer are sometimes shown to live in the same house, sharing an apartment as unmarried gentlemen would want to do (Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson did the same). The post-Jacobs title Les Sarcophages du Sixième Continent finally tells us how the two met and became friends: in colonial India, where Mortimer grew up. Here they met as young adults. An apartment estate in Singapore; such blocks make up the majority of public housing in Singapore. ... The term gentleman (from Latin gentilis, belonging to a race or gens, and man, cognate with the French word gentilhomme, the Spanish gentilhombre and the Italian gentil uomo or gentiluomo), in its original and strict signification, denoted a man of good family, the Latin generosus (its invariable translation in English... A portrait of Sherlock Holmes from the Strand Magazine, 1891 Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who first appeared in publication in 1887. ... Dr. John H. Watson is a fictional character, the sidekick of Sherlock Holmes, the fictional 19th century detective created by Arthur Conan Doyle. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Jacobs always drew his stories as being contemporary, and so the first few titles have a 1950s look and feel while the last installment looks decidedly 1970s. The sole exception to this rule is, again, Le Piège diabolique, which starts in the present but whose action, due to a malfunctioning time machine, largely takes place in the 51st century preceded by a short venture in medieval times and a stopover in the Jurassic period. Contemporary is an adjective which in its basic form merely means that two individuals, events or movements overlapped in time. ... // Recovering from World War I and its aftermath, the economic miracle emerged in West Germany and Italy. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ... A malfunction is a partial or total failure of a parachuting device to operate as intended. ... Time travel is a concept that has long fascinated humanity—whether it is Merlin experiencing time backwards, or religious traditions like Mohammeds trip to Jerusalem and ascent to heaven, returning before a glass knocked over had spilt its contents. ... The sixth millennium is a period of time which will begin on January 1 5001 and will end on December 31 6000. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... The Jurassic Period is a major unit of the geologic timescale that extends from about 199. ...

The layout in most of the stories included some similarities: when the story begins certain important but unseen events have already taken place: at the beginning of La Marque jaune, for instance, the titular character has already made himself known through various activities which the reader only learns about when Mortimer reads a newspaper about these events.

Some of the adventures also ended with the characters reflecting on what they have learned from their experiences: after his travels through time in Le Piège diabolique, Mortimer concludes that rather than dwell on the "good old days" or look forward to a "bright future", one should be content with the present.

The post-Jacobs volumes until now have all placed their adventures in the late Fifties-early Sixties period and so have a nostalgic retro feel. All stories are based around mild action and thriller plots with bits of (progressively less fantastic) science fiction thrown in. This article is in need of attention. ... The 1960s, or The Sixties, in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1960 and 1969, but the expression has taken on a wider meaning over the past twenty years. ... One may feel nostalgic for the familiar routine of school, conveniently forgetting the painful experiences such as bullying. ... Retro is a term used to describe the culture of the past. ... The thriller is a broad genre of literature, film, and television. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ...

Volumes published in the Blake and Mortimer series

Writers’ credits:
1-11: story and images by Edgar P. Jacobs
12: story by Edgar P. Jacobs, images by Bob de Moor
13, 15: story by Jean Van Hamme, images by Ted Benoit
14, 16-17: story by Yves Sente, images by André Juillard
18: story by Jean Van Hamme, images by René Sterne
Blake and Mortimer, The Yellow M Edgard Félix Pierre Jacobs, (b. ... Bob de Moor is the pen name of Robert Frans Marie De Moor (1925-1992), a Belgian comic artist born in Antwerp who died in 1992 in Brussels. ... Jean Van Hamme (born January 16, 1939) is a Belgian novelist and scenario writer of comic books. ... André Juillard, 2002 Photograph by Rita Scaglia for Dargaud André Juillard (born. ... Jean Van Hamme (born January 16, 1939) is a Belgian novelist and scenario writer of comic books. ...

1. 1950 - Le Secret de l'Espadon, Tome 1 ([[The Secret of The Swordfish, Volume 1: Ruthless Pursuit]]) ISBN 2-87097-002-1
2. 1953 - Le Secret de l'Espadon, Tome 2 ([[The Secret of The Swordfish, Volume 2: Mortimer's Escape]]) ISBN 2-87097-004-8
3. 1953 - Le Secret de l'Espadon, Tome 3 ([[The Secret of The Swordfish, Volume 3: SX1 Counterattacks]]) ISBN 2-87097-005-6
4. 1954 - Le Mystère de la Grande Pyramide, Tome 1 (The Mystery of the Great Pyramid, Volume 1: Manetho's Papyrus) ISBN 2-87097-008-0
5. 1955 - Le Mystère de la Grande Pyramide, Tome 2 (The Mystery of the Great Pyramid, Volume 2: The Chamber of Horus) ISBN 2-87097-009-9
6. 1956 - La Marque Jaune (The Yellow "M") ISBN 2-87097-010-2
7. 1957 - L'Énigme de l'Atlantide (Atlantis Mystery) ISBN 2-87097-013-7
8. 1959 - S.O.S. Météores: Mortimer à Paris (S.O.S. Meteors: Mortimer in Paris) ISBN 2-87097-015-3
9. 1962 - Le Piège diabolique (The Time Trap) ISBN 2-87097-020-X
10. 1967 - L'Affaire du Collier (The Necklace Affair) ISBN 2-87097-025-0
11. 1971 - Les trois Formules du Professeur Sato, Tome 1: Mortimer à Tokyo (Professor Sató's Three Formulae, Volume 1: Mortimer in Tokyo) ISBN 2-87097-016-1
12. 1990 - Les trois Formules du Professeur Sato, Tome 2: Mortimer contre Mortimer (Professor Sató's Three Formulae, Volume 2: Mortimer vs. Mortimer) ISBN 2-87097-017-X
13. 1996 - L'Affaire Francis Blake (The Francis Blake Affair) ISBN 2-87097-051-X
14. 2000 - La Machination Voronov (The Voronov Plot) ISBN 2-87097-057-9
15. 2001 - L'Étrange Rendez-Vous (The Strange Encounter) ISBN 2-87097-059-5
16. 2003 - Les Sarcophages du Sixième Continent, Tome 1: La Menace universelle (The Sarcophagi of the Sixth Continent, Volume 1: The Universal Threat) ISBN 2-87097-066-8
17. 2004 - Les Sarcophages du Sixième Continent, Tome 2: Le Duel des Esprits (The Sarcophagi of the Sixth Continent, Volume 2: Battle of the Minds) ISBN 2-87097-068-4
18. 200? - La malédiction des trente deniers (The Curse of the Thirty Denarii) Not yet released. See: http://www.actuabd.com/article.php3?id_article=2887&var_recherche=stern

However, on November 15, 2006, Rene Sterne, who was drawing this album, died suddenly. No word yet on what will happen to the series. See: http://www.actuabd.com/article.php3?id_article=4399 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Great Pyramid of Giza, (sometimes spelled Gizeh) is the oldest and last remaining of the Seven Wonders of the World and the most famous pyramid in the world. ... This page is about the Egyptian deity. ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Yellow M (French: La Marque Jaune) by the Belgian artist Edgar P. Jacobs is the sixth comic book in the Blake and Mortimer series, first published in Tintin Magazine between 6 August 1953 and 3 November 1954. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Atlantis Mystery (lEnigme de lAtlantide) by the Belgian artist Edgar P. Jacobs was the seventh comic book in the Blake and Mortimer series, first published in Tintin Magazine from March 30, 1955 to (unknown date) 1956. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... The Time Trap is an episode of Star Trek: The Animated Series. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday. ... MCMXC redirects here; for the Enigma album, see MCMXC a. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

ISBNs given are of the latest French language editions as issued by Les Éditions Blake et Mortimer in Brussels. Le Rayon «U», in many ways a precursor of the series, has been re-issued as "Volume 0" (ISBN 2-87097-023-4). Additionally, the storyboard sketches by Jacobs of Volume 12, left incomplete at the time of his death, have been re-issued in 1996 outside of the series as Dossier Mortimer contre Mortimer (ISBN 2-87097-022-6). The International Standard Book Number, or ISBN (sometimes pronounced is-ben), is a unique[1] identifier for books, intended to be used commercially. ... French (français, langue française) is one of the most important Romance languages, outnumbered in speakers only by Spanish and Portuguese. ... In printmaking, an edition is a set of prints off one plate, composing a limited run of prints. ... Nickname: The Capital Of Europe, Comic City City of a 100 Museums[] Map showing the location of Brussels in Belgium Coordinates: Country Belgium Region Brussels-Capital Region Founded 979 Founded (Region) June 18, 1989  - Mayor (Municipality) Freddy Thielemans Area    - City 162 (Region) km²  (62. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ...

Volumes published in English

The Yellow M

Like many Franco-Belgian comics, 'Blake and Mortimer' has had limited publication into English. In the 1990s, Catalan Communications, under its 'Comcat' line of books, planned to publish the books in inexpensive trade paperback copies. They released: Image File history File links Size of this preview: 500 × 500 pixelsFull resolution (500 × 500 pixel, file size: 53 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A Cover of a Blake and Mortimer comic Copyright Edgar P Jacobs, as he produced the book Can be found at http://www. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 500 × 500 pixelsFull resolution (500 × 500 pixel, file size: 53 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A Cover of a Blake and Mortimer comic Copyright Edgar P Jacobs, as he produced the book Can be found at http://www. ... Page five from New York/Miami (Catalan, 1990) by Jacques Loustal and Philippe Paringaux, translated by Elizabeth Bell. ...

1. The Time Trap (based on Le Piège diabolique)
2. Atlantis Mystery (based on L'Énigme de l'Atlantide)

They also planned to release Secret of the Great Pyramid in 2 volumes, and then The Yellow Mark. But the company went under before they could.

Les Editions Blake and Mortimer published English translations of all three parts of The Secret of the Swordfish in 1986, both parts of The Mystery of the Great Pyramid in 1987 and The Yellow "M" in 1988.

In January 2007 Cinebook Ltd published The Yellow "M" in paperback, as the first in a set of English language volumes. They plan to release the first part of The Mystery of the Great Pyramid in November 2007. This article, image, template or category should belong in one or more categories. ...

Parodies

Caricatures of Blake and Mortimer often appear in other comic book series as background or supporting characters, usually when the plot includes a British Empire storyline.

A good example is another popular Belgian comic creation concerning the adventures of a British MI5 agent Colonel Clifton. Clifton once starred in an adventure entitled Jade, published in 2003. In it he met two characters called Blake and Mortimer, though even as caricatures they bore little resemblance (perhaps deliberate) to Jacob's originals. The story included elements from the original books, such as the secret passage from S.O.S. Météores and the cave that doubles as a submarine base in L'Affaire Francis Blake. (2003 - Jade ISBN 2-80361-669-6, by Bob de Groot (writer) and Michel Rodrigue (artist)) This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Clifton is a Franco-Belgian comics book series about the exploits of Colonel Sir Harold Wilberforce Clifton, a British colonel, retired from MI6, and sometimes still active for the British government. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Alvin in 1978, a year after first exploring hydrothermal vents. ... Bob de Groot was born on 26 October 1941 in Brussels, to Dutch and French parents. ... Michel Rodrigue, mostly signing simply Rodrigue is cartoonist of comic books. ...

In 2005 Dargaud published a parody entitled Menaces sur l'Empire (The Empire Under Threat). This was a humorous presentation of the adventures of Blake and Mortimer and was certainly not part of the canon. Jokes included: 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Les Éditions Dargaud is a publisher of Franco-Belgian and French comic book series. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

• Mortimer's attempts to break his diet, which his Indian manservant always thwarts;
• confusion over whether they are working for MI5 or MI6;
• the heroes catching Prime Minister Winston Churchill in bed with a young woman who is not his wife;
• and a send-up of Bruce Lee's Game of Death.

(2005 - Menaces sur l'Empire ISBN 2-205-05457-0, by Pierre Veys (writer) and Nicolas Barral (artist)) This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), more commonly known as MI6 (originally Military Intelligence Section 6), or the Secret Service, is the United Kingdom external security agency. ... The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is, in practice, the political leader of the the United Kingdom. ... Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC (Can) (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was an English statesman, soldier, and author. ... Bruce Lee (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: Lǐ Xiǎolóng; Cantonese Yale: Léih Síulùhng; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was a Chinese American martial artist, instructor, and martial arts actor widely regarded as one of the most influential martial artists of the twentieth century. ... Game of Death (Chinese: 死亡遊戲) was the film Bruce Lee had planned to be the demonstration piece of his martial art Jeet Kune Do. ...

Television Series

Main article Blake and Mortimer (TV series) Blake and Mortimer is an animated television series, based on the Blake and Mortimer comic books by Edgar Pierre Jacobs. ...

In 1997, the company Ellipse made an animated series containing 26 episodes, which made up 13 stories, 4 of which were entirely new and not based on existing books. For other uses, see Ellipse (disambiguation). ...

Film Adaptations

Several attempts have been made to make films of The Yellow M, though none have been successful.

References

• Guyard, Jean-Marc. Le baryton du neuvième art. Bruxelles: Éditions Blake et Mortimer, 1996. ISBN 2-87328-000-X
• Jacobs, Edgar P. Un opéra de papier: Les mémoires de Blake et Mortimer. Paris: Gallimard, 1981. ISBN 2-07-056090-2
• Lenne, Gérard. L'affaire Jacobs. Paris: Megawave, 1990. ISBN 2-908910-00-4
• Mouchart, Benoit. A l'ombre de la ligne claire: Jacques Van Melkebeke, le clandestin de la B.D. Paris: Vertige Graphic, 2002. ISBN 2-908981-71-8

Blake and Mortimer, The Yellow Mark Edgard Félix Pierre Jacobs, (b. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ...

See also

• Franco-Belgian comics

Tintin, one of the most famous Belgian comics Franco-Belgian comics are comics written in Belgium and France. ...

External links

• Le site officiel de Blake et Mortimer, official website for the B&M series
• Blake et Mortimer in Italy, website by Gianfranco Goria.