Jacques Martin, Alix, Sans titre, 1, 1962, lot 15

Alix, 1962
Sans titre, 1
lot 15
Coloured inks on paper
12 x 9 cm ( 4,72 x 3,54 in )
Signed bottom right
id. 6965

This full-colour illustration of Alix and his friendly wolf was drawn to accompany the Légions Perdues (Lost Legions) episode. It prob-ably dates from around 1962 because that was when Jacques Martin came up with the idea of launching Alix in the footsteps of his Gallic ancestors and involving him in a conspiracy that revolves around the famous sword of Brennus.In the early 1960s, Martin and his creations were becoming some-thing of a rarity in the pages of Journal Tintin. Martin always took care of his covers, however. Whether they were destined to illustrate a Tintin issue or a new album for his current publish-ing house, he produced all these beautiful illustrations himself, taking the time to devise several images for a single project. The publisher or the editor could then choose what suited them best. That was also the case here.The image shown here was offered (with a dedication) to a col-lector in 1971, which explains why it has never been reproduced before.