Jacques Martin

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Lore & Background

Jacques Martin's connection to The Adventures of Tintin is rooted in the post-war period when Hergé established Studios Hergé in 1950. The source states that Hergé "began to poach the better members of the Tintin magazine staff to work in the large house on Avenue Louise that contained the fledgling Studios Hergé." Martin was one of those poached, valued for his ability to imitate Hergé's distinctive ligne claire style. The studio operated as a "veritable production line" under Hergé's direction, with Martin contributing to the artistic output. The studios produced seven new Tintin albums for Tintin magazine and colored and reformatted several older Tintin albums before Hergé's death in 1983. After Hergé's death, the studio continued under the Hergé Foundation.

In Their Own Story

In 1950, Hergé assembled a team of talented artists at his new Studios Hergé on Avenue Louise in Brussels. Among them was Jacques Martin, a cartoonist whose ability to imitate Hergé's clean, expressive ligne claire style made him a valuable addition. The studio operated like an "artistic orchestra with Hergé conducting," as Harry Thompson observed, with each person knowing their part in the production process. Martin worked alongside Bob De Moor, who "did half the work" imitating Hergé's style, and other specialists like colorist Guy Dessicy and detailed realism artist Roger Leloup. Together, they produced eight new Tintin albums and reformatted two older ones, ensuring the series continued its successful run in Tintin magazine until Hergé's death in 1983.

Reader's Guide

Jacques Martin's role at Studios Hergé was as an artist who imitated Hergé's style, contributing to the production line that created The Adventures of Tintin albums. The source notes that the studios produced eight new Tintin albums for Tintin magazine and colored and reformatted two old Tintin albums. Martin was part of a team that included Bob De Moor (who imitated Hergé's style and did half the work), Guy Dessicy (colorist), Marcel DeHaye (secretary), Roger Leloup (detailed, realistic drawings), Eugène Evany (later chief of the Studios), Michel Demaret (letterer), and Baudouin Van Den Branden (secretary). While the source does not specify which albums Martin personally worked on, his contribution was part of the collaborative effort that sustained the series from 1950 onward. The studios continued to release additional publications until Hergé's death in 1983, after which the 24th unfinished album was released in 1986 and the studios were disbanded. Martin is best known outside Tintin for creating his own comic series 'Alix', but the source does not provide details about that work. His legacy within the Tintin universe is as a key member of Hergé's studio team during its most productive period.

Did You Know?

• Jacques Martin was added to Studios Hergé in 1950 because he imitated Hergé's style.
• Martin worked alongside Bob De Moor, who was a key artist at the studio, though no precise percentage of his work imitating Hergé's style is canonically established.
• The studios produced seven new Tintin albums and colored/reformatted several older ones.
• Studios Hergé was located in a large house on Avenue Louise in Brussels.
• After Hergé's death in 1983, the studio continued under the Hergé Foundation.

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