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''The Adventures of Blake & Mortimer'' is a Belgian comics series created by
writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles, genres and techniques to communicate ideas, to inspire feelings and emotions, or to entertain. Writers may develop different forms of writing such as novels, short sto ...
and
comics artist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comics illustrators/artists in that they produce both the literar ...
Edgar P. Jacobs. It was one of the first book series to appear in the Franco-Belgian comics magazine ''
Tintin Tintin usually refers to: * ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé ** Tintin (character), the protagonist and titular character of the series Tintin or Tin Tin may also refer to: Material related to ''The A ...
'' in 1946, and was subsequently published in book form by Belgian comic book publisher
Le Lombard Le Lombard (), known as Les Éditions du Lombard () until 1989, is a Belgian comic book publisher established in 1946 when '' Tintin'' magazine was launched. Le Lombard became part of Média-Participations since 1986, alongside publishers Darg ...
. The main protagonists of the adventures are Philip Mortimer, a leading British scientist, and his friend Captain Francis Blake, of
MI5 MI5 ( Military Intelligence, Section 5), officially the Security Service, is the United Kingdom's domestic counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), Gov ...
. The books' recurring antagonist is the sworn enemy of the heroes, Colonel Olrik, who appears very frequently throughout the series, in almost every book. Their confrontations take them into the realms of detective investigation and
science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
, dealing with themes of time travel, historical events, and espionage. Since Jacobs' death, many new titles of the series have been published by other authors, mainly two separate teams of artists and writers, with the amount of these new editions significantly dwarfing Jacobs' contributions. A television series based upon the series was produced in 1997, entitled '' Blake and Mortimer''. The books by Jacobs himself are generally set in the period of their writing, but those authored by others after his death are set mostly in the 1950s and 1960s.


Main characters

The presence of the basis of the series' three main characters (looks, personality, attitudes) is apparent in Jacobs' unrelated, first full-length graphic novel, ''The U-Ray'' (1943), which predates the inception of this series. Here, their origins are left unspecified, and they are portrayed only as two proud Britons serving HM's Government. They debut in the first books of the series' Francophone releases, the three-part story ''The Secret of the Swordfish'', although the English language version of the series lists these titles as being books 15 to 17. They instead suggest, by designating this book as the first in the series, that they first appear in ''The Yellow 'M'', although captions within the book contradict this. The later, post-Jacobs title ''The Sarcophagi of the Sixth Continent'' provides insight into their early lives, and shows them making acquaintance – then beginning their friendship – during the time of the
British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...
. Overviews of the main characters are as follows: *Professor Philip Angus Mortimer – a seemingly archetypical British
gentleman ''Gentleman'' (Old French: ''gentilz hom'', gentle + man; abbreviated ''gent.'') is a term for a chivalrous, courteous, or honorable man. Originally, ''gentleman'' was the lowest rank of the landed gentry of England, ranking below an esquire ...
ly scholar, he is a leading physicist of Scottish descent, having grown up in colonial India and moved England to attend university. His character is based upon a friend and occasional collaborator of Jacobs, Jacques Van Melkebeke, with the addition of a beard. *Captain Francis Percy Blake – a Welsh-born
officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...
in His Majesty's
armed forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a ...
, he studied at
Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...
and later became head of the British Security Service
MI5 MI5 ( Military Intelligence, Section 5), officially the Security Service, is the United Kingdom's domestic counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), Gov ...
, and is currently still very active in the field. He is a master of disguise, even managing to fool Mortimer on occasion. Blake is modelled on another friend and occasional collaborator of Jacobs, Jacques Laudy, with the addition of a mustache. *Colonel Olrik – the long-time, recurring
villain A villain (also known as a " black hat", "bad guy" or "baddy"; The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.126 "baddy (also baddie) noun (pl. -ies) ''informal'' a villain or criminal in a book, film, etc.". the feminine form is villai ...
from the first instalment onwards. Of the original series, only ''The Time Trap'' ( ''Le Piège Diabolique'') did not feature him in any capacity, and among the successive series, he has appeared in some capacity in every volume except '' The Oath of the Five Lords''. Olrik's first appearance is in ''The Secret of the Swordfish'', as the head of
intelligence Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. It can be described as t ...
for Oriental dictator Basam Damdu. His roles have since ranged from mercenary, spy, smuggler and general criminal adventurer. He is characterised as a Westerner, but details such as his real name, birthplace and exact nationality are left unknown. In a recent book of the series (not penned by Jacobs), Olrik is portrayed as a specialist in Slavic languages, and it is explained that he once fled Hungary, suggesting this as his country of origin. Olrik's appearance resembles that of Jacobs. *Lieutenant Ahmed Nasir – the faithful friend and ally of the two heroes, and has Indian ancestry. His first appearance is in part one of ''The Secret of the Swordfish'', where he prevents the two heroes from being captured by Olrik in
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
. He is a sergeant of the 5th Battalion of the "Makran Levy Corps", who previously served under Blake. Following his intervention, Nasir subsequently helps the two heroes in Egypt, then in London, ultimately becoming the butler of Professor Philip Mortimer. Nasir only appears in Jacobs' first books: ''The Secret of the Swordfish'', ''The Mystery of the Great Pyramid'', and ''The Yellow 'M''. His disappearance (corresponding to that of the British Empire's end) remains unexplained in later publications, however he eventually reappears many years later in ''The Sarcophagi of the Sixth Continent'', created by Yves Sente and André Juillard. It is explained that following his resignation from the military, and his retirement from butler duties, he returned to India, where he joined their intelligence service. *Jack – one of Olrik's most faithful henchmen, he wears thick, round glasses. He invariably takes the role of servant or housekeeper; however, he has partaken in numerous criminal acts under Olrik's orders, and attempted to assassinate Captain Blake at Athens airport in ''The Mystery of the Great Pyramid''. *Sharkey – a strong, albeit foolish, American henchman, another of Olrik's closest. He worked for Dr Grossgrabenstein as the above-ground regulator of his excavation site, but was simultaneously working with Olrik to eliminate Mortimer and prevent Blake from reaching Egypt in ''The Mystery of the Great Pyramid''. *Professor Jonathan Septimus – An eccentric physician and parapsychologist, he used to live in British-occupied
Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...
where he discovered Olrik in a trance after the events of ''The Mystery of the Great Pyramid'', proceeding to use him as a test subject for experiments into
telepathy Telepathy () is the purported vicarious transmission of information from one person's mind to another's without using any known human sensory channels or physical interaction. The term was first coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Frederic ...
and
telekinesis Telekinesis () (alternatively called psychokinesis) is a purported psychic ability allowing an individual to influence a physical system without physical interaction. Experiments to prove the existence of telekinesis have historically been cri ...
. His actions ultimately turned Olrik into the 'Yellow M'. *Basam Damdu – Olrik's commander-in-chief and the absolute dictator of the Yellow Empire. A megalomaniac based on
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
and
Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...
, he is obsessed with ruling the world and is willing to destroy it rather than lose control of it. Descriptions of more minor characters from the series are below: *Glenn Kendall – the Chief Inspector of
Scotland Yard Scotland Yard (officially New Scotland Yard) is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the territorial police force responsible for policing Greater London's London boroughs, 32 boroughs. Its name derives from the location of the original ...
. He assisted Blake and Mortimer in capturing the Yellow 'M' during ''The Yellow 'M'', however was one of the most prominent antagonists in ''The Francis Blake Affair'', where he endeavoured to arrest Blake on the grounds of high treason. *Ahmed Rassim Bey – a prominent historian, curator of the
Egyptian Museum The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, commonly known as the Egyptian Museum (, Egyptian Arabic: ) (also called the Cairo Museum), located in Cairo, Egypt, houses the largest collection of Ancient Egypt, Egyptian antiquities in the world. It hou ...
. He invited Mortimer to Cairo to assist him in deciphering his mysterious discoveries concerning the
Great Pyramid The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest Egyptian pyramid. It served as the tomb of pharaoh Khufu, who ruled during the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom. Built , over a period of about 26 years, the pyramid is the oldest of the Seven Wond ...
, however was betrayed by his assistant, Abdul, who informed Olrik of his discoveries. When Abdul's treachery was discovered, however, he assisted Mortimer in arresting the guilty parties. He is also friends with Doctor Grossgrabenstein. *Abdul Ben Zaim – assistant to Ahmed Rassim Bey, he also worked at the Egyptian Museum, however was secretly Olrik's accomplice, stealing secret documents and copying Ahmed's finds on his orders. He was killed in a motor accident arranged by Olrik when he began to carelessly blunder their plot away in fear of retribution. *Dr Grossgrabenstein – an eccentric
Egyptologist Egyptology (from ''Egypt'' and Greek , ''-logia''; ) is the scientific study of ancient Egypt. The topics studied include ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, architecture and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end ...
, he invited Mortimer to accompany him to his excavation site on the Great Pyramid, where his presented his discoveries to him and showed him his collection. He was ambushed and imprisoned by Olrik, who wore a disguise impersonating the professor in an attempt to subjugate Mortimer, but was later freed in a battle to recapture his property. *Superintendent Kamal – head of the Egyptian police force. A steadfast man with a serious, military, no-nonsense manner, he investigated Olrik's break-in of the Egyptian Museum, then worked with Mortimer to arrest the treacherous Abdul. On receiving a late-night telephone call from Mortimer, he and his officers invaded Youssef's antiques shop, then laid siege to the hotel hosting Olrik. He was the news-bearer of Abdul's death, and later launched an attack on Grossgrabenstein's property – at the time occupied by Olrik's gang – ultimately recapturing it and freeing Blake, Mortimer, and Nasir. *Youssef Khadem – one of Olrik's henchmen, he owned an antiques shop, a rendezvous point for their gang. He fought against Mortimer when he came to his store, collaborating with the Bezendjas and Olrik to capture him. He possessed considerable knife-throwing skill, but was fatally wounded by police fire while attempting to flee from the scene. *David Honeychurch – the deputy chief of
MI5 MI5 ( Military Intelligence, Section 5), officially the Security Service, is the United Kingdom's domestic counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), Gov ...
, he works for Blake. When Blake pretended to have become a traitor to England, Honeychurch was secretly on his side the entire time, deceiving his colleagues into believing the opposite. This was eventually discovered by Doyle-Smith and his minions, and he was imprisoned in
Edinburgh Castle Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock (Edinburgh), Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age. There has been a royal castle on the rock since the reign of Malcol ...
's dungeons, afterwards escaping and helping Blake and Mortimer to reclaim the property. *Harold Doyle-Smith – under-secretary of state of the
Home Office The Home Office (HO), also known (especially in official papers and when referred to in Parliament) as the Home Department, is the United Kingdom's interior ministry. It is responsible for public safety and policing, border security, immigr ...
, he was in charge of coordinating various police forces. He was Blake's commanding minister, and after Blake's supposed treachery in ''The Francis Blake Affair'', he became the Intelligence Service's acting minister. He inherited Ardmuir Castle following his uncle's death, lending it to Deloraine for a seminar, however betrayed its members by drugging them and attempting their kidnap. He was eventually discovered to have been working with Olrik's gang all along, informing Deloraine of results of discussions he attended within the Intelligence Service, and was arrested by SAS agents following their takeover of his property. *Major Lachlan MacQuarrie – a 34-year-old penniless Scotsman of the 18th century and a maternal ancestor of Mortimer's, he was previously the career officer of the
British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
, having served mostly overseas. Following his regiment's defeat by the
Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...
during the
American War of Independence The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
, he was abducted by 81st century humans, resulting in his declaration as a deserter and the loss of his military status. Remaining with them for several years, he studied their
time travel Time travel is the hypothetical activity of traveling into the past or future. Time travel is a concept in philosophy and fiction, particularly science fiction. In fiction, time travel is typically achieved through the use of a device known a ...
principles, ultimately perishing in an attempt to return to his own time. *Jimmy Tcheng – supposedly the
Chinese-American Chinese Americans are Americans of Chinese ancestry. Chinese Americans constitute a subgroup of East Asian Americans which also constitute a subgroup of Asian Americans. Many Chinese Americans have ancestors from mainland China, Hong Kong ...
assistant to Doctor Kaufman, he was really a disfigured future human in disguise. He cooperated with Mortimer and Kaufman to analyse the finds on MacQuarrie's body; however, after attempting to withhold a laser device discovered as part of the investigation, his betrayal was discovered by Mortimer, and following a car chase, he was killed in a tornado's onslaught. *Dr Jeronimo Ramirez – a lively, bustling, eccentric Mexican–American physicist of the Los Alamos Nuclear Centre, he helped Mortimer discover and prevent Operation Poplar Trees, an attempt by Olrik and 81st century humans to start a
nuclear holocaust A nuclear holocaust, also known as a nuclear apocalypse, nuclear annihilation, nuclear armageddon, or atomic holocaust, is a Futures studies, theoretical scenario where the mass detonation of nuclear weapons causes widespread destruction and radi ...
and subjugate the Earth using Hydrogen bombs. *Dr Walter Kaufman – director of the Unidentified Flying Object Studies section of the Centre for Spatial Studies in
Topeka, Kansas Topeka ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, in northeastern Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2020 cen ...
. An eminent American scientist, he invited Mortimer over to investigate the discovery of Major MacQuarrie's body, and later helped him to prevent Operation Poplar Trees. *John Calloway – a head
FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
agent, he led his men in an attack on Basam Damdu's military base. *Jessie Wingo – a half-
Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. The Cheyenne comprise two Native American tribes, the Só'taeo'o or Só'taétaneo'o (more commonly spelled as Suhtai or Sutaio) and the (also spelled Tsitsistas, The term for th ...
FBI agent, she is Calloway's deputy. She rescued a drowning Mortimer from Olrik's clutches, and was subsequently part of an attack on him and Basam Damdu's military base. Shortly afterwards, she helped to prevent Operation Poplar Trees. *Dimitri Voronov – a Soviet scientist and biologist during the Cold War's height, he conducted virology research and dabbled in biological warfare. A cold, calculating, ambitious figure, he opposed the current governing system of the Soviet Union, and hoped to seize control of Russia and reimplement Stalinist rule using Bacteria Z, a deadly virus he succeeded in extracting from a failed Soviet space mission. He went into hiding following his plan's failure and the arrest of Olrik, a key collaborator in his mission. *Nastasia Wardynska – a female friend and ally of Blake and Mortimer with
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
n heritage. Formerly a
MI6 The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6 ( Military Intelligence, Section 6), is the foreign intelligence service of the United Kingdom, tasked mainly with the covert overseas collection and analysis of human intelligenc ...
double agent planted in the USSR, she was imprisoned after her betrayal was discovered by Voronov, and then subsequently freed in exchange for Olrik during a prisoner swap. She is now a CSIR researcher, having been offered the role by Mortimer, and later journeyed with him to Africa. *Professor Akira Satō – a Japanese cybernetician, he works for the Japanese
Institute of Space and Astronautical Science , or ISAS, is a Japanese national research organization of astrophysics using rockets, astronomical satellites and interplanetary probes which played a major role in Japan's space development. Established as part of the University of Tokyo ...
. He has made numerous technological breakthroughs, succeeding in creating indistinguishably realistic androids and a flying machine in the image of a Japanese dragon – and, following the latter, he was betrayed by his assistant, Kim, in collaboration with Olrik's gang, who aimed to steal the findings of his research by obtaining three formulae held at banks across Tokyo. *Commissioner Pradier – the Divisional Commissioner to the Paris Branch of Territorial Surveillance (DST), Pradier assists Blake and Mortimer during their adventures taking place in France. His physique was greatly inspired by the actor Jean Gabin. *Sarah Summertown – a novelist-archaeologist, she is friends with both Blake and Mortimer. She and Mortimer first met during their youth in British colonial India, and it is strongly implied that, soon afterwards, they were briefly romantically involved. Later on, she, like Natasha, travelled with Mortimer to Africa in ''The Gondwana Shrine.'' *Elizabeth McKenzie is a student in
Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
, daughter of Sarah Summertown (and, it is slightly implied, Mortimer). *Admiral Sir William Gray is the prime minister of the United Kingdom and
first sea lord First Sea Lord, officially known as First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff (1SL/CNS), is the title of a statutory position in the British Armed Forces, held by an Admiral (Royal Navy), admiral or a General (United Kingdom), general of the ...
and chairman of the chiefs of staffs committee. *Razul is a Bizenjo (known as Bezendjas) henchman of Olrik. *Freddy is Sharkey's partner-in-crime. *Professor Labrousse is an ally of Blake and Mortimer and meteorologist from Paris, France. *Commander William Steele is chief of
MI6 The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6 ( Military Intelligence, Section 6), is the foreign intelligence service of the United Kingdom, tasked mainly with the covert overseas collection and analysis of human intelligenc ...
. *Mrs. Benson is Blake and Mortimer's landlady, a widow of Blake's former CO. *Kim is a Korean scientist who is an assistant of Prof. Akira Sato and an informant for Olrik.


Story characteristics

Although the series' title suggests a balance in appearance of the two characters, Mortimer is often the main
protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...
, seen more frequently than Blake. In the original series, it is mainly he who, through his impulsive character, gets entangled in their adventures. In comparison, Blake is depicted as a serious, formal army officer who comes Mortimer's aid when necessary. Colonel Olrik, the main antagonist, displays a combination of the characteristics and personalities of both heroes, but his exploits are typically negative, ending with disastrous consequences. Blake and Mortimer adventures are characterised by a quest, often involving undercover, secretive operations, ending with a heroic, liberated, or publicised ending. Furthermore, the structure of the books' storylines are often similar: in the beginning, certain unseen and significant events have already taken place – in ''The Yellow 'M, for instance, the antagonist of the story, 'Guinea Pig', has already committed various daring acts of theft on a grand scale, and readers only learn about this upon seeing Mortimer reading a newspaper. Also, the books often share comparable endings, with the protagonists reflecting on the wisdom they have acquired from their experiences: after returning from his time travel in ''The Time Trap'', Mortimer concludes that rather than dwell on the 'good old days' or look forward to a 'brighter future', one should be content with the present. Blake and Mortimer are frequently shown to be residing in a shared home, in adjacent apartments, the same manner as
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...
and
Doctor Watson Dr. John H. Watson is a fictional character in the Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Along with Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson first appeared in the novel ''A Study in Scarlet'' (1887). "The Adventure of Shosc ...
. Many francophone comics share this basis of confirmed bachelors who live together, including
Tintin Tintin usually refers to: * ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé ** Tintin (character), the protagonist and titular character of the series Tintin or Tin Tin may also refer to: Material related to ''The A ...
and
Captain Haddock Captain Archibald Haddock (French: ''Capitaine Archibald Haddock'') is a character in the comic book series ''The Adventures of Tintin''. He is Tintin (character), Tintin's best friend, a seafaring captain in the Merchant Navy or Merchant Mar ...
,
Asterix ''Asterix'' ( or , "Asterix the Gauls, Gaul"; also known as ''Asterix and Obelix'' in some adaptations or ''The Adventures of Asterix'') is a Franco-Belgian comics, French comic album book series, series about a Gaulish village which, thanks ...
& Obelix,
Spirou & Fantasio ''Spirou & Fantasio'' (), commonly shortened to ''Spirou'', is one of the most popular classic Franco-Belgian comics. The series, which has been running since 1938, shares many characteristics with other European comics, European humorous adventu ...
, and Tif & Tondu. These series were all first published during a time when the censorship of youth publications was very heavily enforced and stringent, and male/female segregation was rigorously policed. The settings of many of Jacobs' stories are contemporary, based on real-world events and environments, and as such the first few titles of the series present a look and feel reminiscent of the 1950s, while later instalments showcase a political climate comparable to the 1970s. One exception to this rule is, once again, ''The Time Trap'', starring in the present (i.e. early 1960s) but with its action, caused by a sabotaged time machine, largely takes place in the 51st century – a brief venture in medieval times and a stopover in the Jurassic period also take place. Post-Jacobs stories are, so far, integrated into the chronology of the earlier books, or precede it, taking place in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. Jacobs' art style, although typical of the Belgian comics drawings (known as 'clear line' or '
ligne claire ''Ligne claire'' (; ; both meaning "clear line") is a style of drawing created and pioneered by Hergé, the Belgian cartoonist and creator of ''The Adventures of Tintin''. It uses clear strong lines sometimes of varied width and no hatching, w ...
'), is notable for its extensive use of light colours and its containment of scenes similar to those found in film production (the panoramic view over night-time London featured as the opening scene in ''The Yellow 'M being a good example of this). Conversely, the series' writing is noted for its high verbosity, such as in ''The Yellow 'M, which contains a page sporting over 900 words. Captions and word balloons also appear frequently, describing action being depicted visually.


Publication history


Under Edgar P. Jacobs

With the launch of the
Tintin Tintin usually refers to: * ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé ** Tintin (character), the protagonist and titular character of the series Tintin or Tin Tin may also refer to: Material related to ''The A ...
magazine, which showcased books from The Adventures of Tintin series, it included the story '' The Secret of the Swordfish'', introducing the characters of Blake, Mortimer, and Olrik to wider audiences. The production of these instalments of the series ended in 1949, but the publication of further stories concerning the characters' exploits continued for many years, only ending with the death of the series' creator. Books penned and illustrated by him saw the two heroes go on adventures ranging from the lost city of
Atlantis Atlantis () is a fictional island mentioned in Plato's works '' Timaeus'' and ''Critias'' as part of an allegory on the hubris of nations. In the story, Atlantis is described as a naval empire that ruled all Western parts of the known world ...
to the
catacombs of Paris The Catacombs of Paris (, ) are underground ossuaries in Paris, France, which hold the remains of more than six million people. Built to consolidate Paris's ancient stone quarries, they extend south from the ("Gate of Hell") former city gate. ...
. After Jacobs' death in 1987,
Bob de Moor Robert Frans Marie De Moor (20 December 1925 – 26 August 1992), better known under his pen name Bob de Moor, was a Belgian comics creator. Chiefly noted as an artist, he is considered an early master of the Ligne claire style. He wrote and ...
completed his last story, left unfinished following the incident.


Following Jacobs' death

From 1987, the Jacobs estate, centred on the still operational Jacobs Studios, republished all of Jacobs' works. In the 1990s, after much debate about stories' authenticity,
Dargaud Société Dargaud (), doing business as Les Éditions Dargaud, is a publisher of Franco-Belgian comics series, headquartered in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. It was founded in 1936 by Georges Dargaud, publishing its first comics in 1943. ...
got permission to revive the series, including the creation and publication of new stories by a newly recruited team of writers and illustrators, published as further instalments in the series. These books are still firmly set in the middle-to-late 20th century, and include many new regular supporting characters, most notably Blake's colleagues in the security services. Much of the new additions are of the creation of two separate teams of authors, Van Hamme/ Benoit and Sente/ Juillard. The first of these, The Francis Blake Affair, was published in 1996. Its storyline was provided by famous scenarist
Jean Van Hamme Jean Van Hamme (born 16 January 1939) is a Belgian novelist and comic book writer. He has written scripts for a number of Belgian/French comic series, including ''Histoire sans héros'', '' Thorgal'', '' XIII'' and ''Largo Winch''. Biography ...
, and specialist draughtsman
Ted Benoit Thierry "Ted" Benoit (25 July 1947 – 30 September 2016) was a French comic artist, graphic novelist and prominent figure in the stylish Franco-Belgian ligne claire comics scene in the 1980s. His influences included Edgar P. Jacobs, Moebius, ...
(whose
Ligne claire ''Ligne claire'' (; ; both meaning "clear line") is a style of drawing created and pioneered by Hergé, the Belgian cartoonist and creator of ''The Adventures of Tintin''. It uses clear strong lines sometimes of varied width and no hatching, w ...
drawing style resembles that of the late Jacobs') was contracted for the artwork. Purists, partial to the original plotlines of those penned by Jacobs, immediately objected to the choice of Van Hamme and, upon publication, went on to discover the feature of some of his typically trademark plot twists, taking an instant dislike to his contribution. The elements of science fiction, prominent in earlier books by Jacobs', were noticeably absent from this new addition, which contained a strong focus on espionage. Despite the negative reception and criticism it faced, the book was a relative success, and the publisher decided to continue the line. During this time, both Benoit and Van Hamme became engaged on other projects, and their commitments caused a delay in the production of the series' next instalment. As an interim solution, writer Yves Sente and artist André Juillard were contracted to publish another adventure, ''The Voronov Plot'' (1998) containing prevalent themes of the Cold War. Later on, Van Hamme and Benoit completed work on their book, The Strange Encounter, which appeared in 2001, and concerns the heroes' confrontation of mysterious alien creatures. This was followed by the publication of Sente and Juillard's two-part adventure ''The Sarcophagi of the Sixth Continent'' (''Part 1: The Global Threat'', in 2003; ''Part 2: Battle of the Spirits'', in 2004) which deals with Blake and Mortimer's youth, and the beginning of their friendship upon their first meeting in pre-independence India. In 2008, Sente and Juillard also released another book in the series, ''The Gondwana Shrine'', chronologically following the events of the previous two volumes, ''The Sarcophagi of the Sixth Continent'' parts 1 and 2. The series' next adventure, a two-parter titled '' The Curse of the 30 Pieces of Silver'', was written by Jean Van Hamme. The first book, ''The Manuscript of Nicodemus'', was illustrated by René Sterne, whose sudden death occurred on the 15th of November 2006, and which delayed the instalments' publication. Sterne's girlfriend, Chantal De Spiegeleer, eventually completed his work, which was published on the 20th of November 2009. Aubin Frechon illustrated the adventure's second volume, published on the 26th of November 2010.


List of titles

Additionally, the Jacobs' storyboard sketches of Book 12 (Part 2 of ''Professor Satō's Three Formulae''), left incomplete following his death, have been re-issued in 1996 outside of the series as ''Dossier Mortimer contre Mortimer'' (). The Secret of the Swordfish originally consisted of two parts. In 1984, it was republished in three.


Translations


English

Like many Franco-Belgian comics, English translation publications of ''Blake and Mortimer'' were initially limited.


Blake and Mortimer Editions

Les Editions Blake and Mortimer, aka The Blake and Mortimer Editions, published English translations of the 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.


Comcat

Catalan Communications, under its 'Comcat' line of books, published two books in inexpensive trade paperback copies in the US. They released: #''The Time Trap'' (''Le Piège diabolique'') (1989) #''Atlantis Mystery'' (''L'Énigme de l'Atlantide'') (1990) There were also plans to release both parts of ''The Mystery of the Great Pyramid,'' and ''The Yellow 'M, however Catalan collapsed financially before they could be realised.


Cinebook Ltd

Cinebook Ltd has been publishing English language translations of ''Blake and Mortimer'' since 2007. The following volumes have been released to date: #''The Yellow 'M (published January 2007) #''The Mystery of the Great Pyramid, Part 1: The Papyrus of Manethon'' (published November 2007) #''The Mystery of the Great Pyramid, Part 2: The Chamber of Horus'' (published January 2008) #''The Francis Blake Affair'' (published September 2008) #''The Strange Encounter'' (published January 2009) #''S.O.S. Meteors'' (published September 2009) #''The Affair of the Necklace'' (published January 2010) #''The Voronov Plot'' (published October 2010) #''The Sarcophagi of the Sixth Continent, Part 1: The Global Threat'' (published January 2011) #''The Sarcophagi of the Sixth Continent, Part 2: Battle of the Spirits'' (published April 2011) #''The Gondwana Shrine'' (published September 2011) #''Atlantis Mystery'' (published January 2012) #''The Curse of the 30 Pieces of Silver, Part 1: The Scroll of Nicodemus'' (published April 2012) #''The Curse of the 30 Pieces of Silver, Part 2: The Gate of Orpheus'' (published August 2012) #''The Secret of the Swordfish, Part 1: The Incredible Chase'' (published February 2013) #''The Secret of the Swordfish, Part 2: Mortimer's Escape'' (published June 2013) #''The Secret of the Swordfish, Part 3: SX1 Strikes Back'' (published October 2013) #''The Oath of the Five Lords'' (published March 2014) #''The Time Trap'' (published September 2014) #''The Septimus Wave'' (published February 2015) #''Plutarch's Staff'' (published September 2015) #''Professor Satō's Three Formulae, Part 1: Mortimer in Tokyo'' (published February 2016) #''Professor Satō's Three Formulae, Part 2: Mortimer versus Mortimer'' (published May 2016) #''The Testament of William S.'' (published April 2017) #''The Valley of Immortals, Part 1: Threat Over Hong Kong'' (published April 2019) #''The Valley of Immortals, Part 2: The Thousandth Arm of the Mekong'' (published March 2020) #''The Call of the Moloch'' (published March 2021) #''The Last Swordfish'' (published May 2022) #''Eight Hours in Berlin'' (published Dec 2022) #''Before Blake & Mortimer: The U Ray'' (published Sept 2023) #''Before Blake & Mortimer: The Fiery Arrow'' (published March 2024) #''Signed, Olrik'' (published December 2025) Further volumes to be translated: *''The Last Pharaoh'' (TBC) *''Cornish Adventures'' (TBC) *''The Art of War'' (TBC) *''Ghosts of Doggerland'' (TBC)


Adaptations


Radio series

The Time Trap was adapted into a
radio play Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatised, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine ...
in 1962.


Animated series

In 1997,
Ellipse In mathematics, an ellipse is a plane curve surrounding two focus (geometry), focal points, such that for all points on the curve, the sum of the two distances to the focal points is a constant. It generalizes a circle, which is the special ty ...
animation studios made an animated series containing 26 episodes, making up 13 stories, four of which were entirely new and not based on existing books.


Film

Several prior attempts were made to adapt ''The Yellow M'' to film. Spanish director Álex de la Iglesia stated that he was working on an adaptation of the comic to be released around 2010, however this never came into fruition. At one point, surrounding rumours claimed that
Hugh Laurie James Hugh Calum Laurie (; born 11 June 1959) is an English actor, comedian, singer, musician and writer. He first gained professional recognition as a member of the English comedy double act Fry and Laurie with Stephen Fry. Fry and Laurie act ...
and
Kiefer Sutherland Kiefer William Frederick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland (born 21 December 1966) is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his starring role as Jack Bauer in the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox drama series ''24 (TV series), 24'' (2001–2010, 20 ...
were to play Blake and Mortimer respectively; Since then, however, nothing has come of this project. In April 2024, it was announced that Belga Films would produce a live-action English-language film based on ''The Yellow M'', with
Cedric Nicolas-Troyan Cedric Nicolas-Troyan (born 9 March 1969) is a French visual effects artist and film director. In 2013 he earned an Academy Awards, Academy Award nomination for Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, Best Visual Effects for his role as visual ef ...
directing. In May 2025, Corey Mylchreest and
Phil Dunster Philip James Dunster is an English actor. He is known for his roles in the Sky One drama '' Strike Back'' (2017–2018), the Channel 4 science fiction series ''Humans'' (2018), the ITV comedy-drama '' The Trouble with Maggie Cole'' (2020), the ...
were cast as Blake and Mortimer. The film will shoot in the UK and Belgium in September 2025.


Games

In 2014, French publisher Ystari Games released the deduction and social table top board game ''Blake & Mortimer: Witness''. In 2011, French publishers
Dargaud Société Dargaud (), doing business as Les Éditions Dargaud, is a publisher of Franco-Belgian comics series, headquartered in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. It was founded in 1936 by Georges Dargaud, publishing its first comics in 1943. ...
and
Anuman Interactive Microids (formerly Microïds) is a French video game developer and publisher based in Paris. Founded in 1985 by Elliot Grassiano, it attained early success with games published through Loriciel in France and other partners (including Activisio ...
launched the first video game adaptation of the ''Blake and Mortimer'' series, titled ''Blake and Mortimer: The Curse of the Thirty Denarii, a'' hidden objects game featuring both 3D and comic-strip environments.


Murals

In 2005, as part of the Brussels' Comic Book Route, a wall was designed in the Rue du Houblon/Hopstraat in
Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
, a reproduction of the one featured on the cover of ''The Yellow 'M. It was designed by G. Oreopoulos and D. Vandegeerde.


Parodies

The main characters of ''Blake and Mortimer'' have made cameo appearances in various comic series, particularly those series that are set in the same period of history, the twilight of the
British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...
. They are often a tribute to their creator, Edgar P. Jacobs. For example, they make a one-off appearance in the Valérian adventure '' On the False Earths'' when the hero visits a Victorian London club. Another example is the popular Belgian comic series concerning the adventures of
MI5 MI5 ( Military Intelligence, Section 5), officially the Security Service, is the United Kingdom's domestic counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), Gov ...
agent Colonel Clifton. Clifton once featured in a story entitled ''Jade'', published in 2003. In it he meets two characters called Blake and Mortimer, though even as caricatures they bear little resemblance (perhaps deliberately) to Jacob's originals. The story includes elements from the original books, such as the entrance to the secret passage from ''S.O.S. Météores'' and the cave that doubles as a
submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...
base in ''L'Affaire Francis Blake''. In 2005,
Dargaud Société Dargaud (), doing business as Les Éditions Dargaud, is a publisher of Franco-Belgian comics series, headquartered in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. It was founded in 1936 by Georges Dargaud, publishing its first comics in 1943. ...
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 not part of the
canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western canon, th ...
(in fact, the space reserved for the series' title reads "Les Aventures de Philip et Francis" as opposed to "Les Aventures de Blake et Mortimer"). The jokes contained include: *Mortimer's attempts to break his diet, which his Indian manservant always thwarts, even from a long distance *Confusion over whether they are working for
MI5 MI5 ( Military Intelligence, Section 5), officially the Security Service, is the United Kingdom's domestic counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), Gov ...
or
MI6 The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6 ( Military Intelligence, Section 6), is the foreign intelligence service of the United Kingdom, tasked mainly with the covert overseas collection and analysis of human intelligenc ...
*The heroes catching Prime Minister
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...
in bed, engaged in an affair with a young woman *A send-up of
Bruce Lee Bruce Lee (born Lee Jun-fan; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was an American-born Hong Kong martial artist, actor, filmmaker, and philosopher. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy which was formed from ...
's ''
Game of Death ''Game of Death'' () is an incomplete Hong Kong martial arts film, of which portions were filmed between September and October 1972, and was planned and scheduled to be released by 1973, directed, written, produced by and starring Bruce Lee. Th ...
'' Two additional volumes of "Les Aventures de Philip et Francis" have followed, ''Le Piège machiavélique'' (2011) and ''S.O.S. Météo'' (2014).
/ref> ''Tigresse Blanche'' (''White Tigress'') by Yann (comics), Yann and Conrad is another Belgian comic series featuring the adventures of a
Chinese Communist The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the Chinese Civil W ...
woman spy in post-
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
China. It features a British agent, Sir Francis Flake, whose friend (based on Mortimer) gets drunk on the announcement of Indian independence.


See also

* ''Le Mondes 100 Books of the Century *''
The Adventures of Tintin ''The Adventures of Tintin'' ( ) is a series of 24 comic albums created by Belgians, Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi, who wrote under the pen name Hergé. The series was one of the most popular European comics of the 20th century. By 2007, a c ...
''


References


Sources

*Guyard, Jean-Marc. ''Le baryton du neuvième art''. Brussels: Éditions Blake et Mortimer, 1996. * Jacobs, Edgar P. ''Un opéra de papier: Les mémoires de Blake et Mortimer''. Paris: Gallimard, 1981. *Lenne, Gérard. ''L'affaire Jacobs''. Paris: Megawave, 1990. *Mouchart, Benoit. ''A l'ombre de la ligne claire: Jacques Van Melkebeke, le clandestin de la B.D.'' Paris: Vertige Graphic, 2002.
''Blake et Mortimer'' publications in Belgian ''Tintin''
an

BDoubliées


External links

*
Blake and Mortimer 's Blog

Marque Jaune (Yellow Mark)
* {{Authority control (arts) Bandes dessinées 1946 comics debuts Comics characters introduced in 1946 Belgian comics characters Belgian comics titles Belgian comic strips Blake and Mortimer Blake and Mortimer Lombard Editions titles Drama comics Adventure comics Detective comics Spy comics Comics adapted into radio series Comics adapted into animated series Comics adapted into television series Comics adapted into video games Comics by Edgar P. Jacobs Comics set in the 1950s Male characters in comics Comics set in London