Tintin Forums

I have been waiting for this! I hope it's the new edition that is currently available in French! I look forward to it.

Thanks for the news Chris.

Fantastic news. Here's what I posted on the Cult of Tintin Yahoo group a while ago:

"There's actually not a great deal to tell. The story remains exactly as it was and is still unfinished. The book is supplemented by some pages of rough sketches and notes showing some further narrative
ideas, presumably a kind of brainstorming.\
What I will say is that, if the book was finished according to what
we are given, we may have seen some of the characters take on some interesting new personality traits, as well as the reappearance of plenty of familiar faces."

It's pretty easy to read in French but an English version is great for the collector ;-)

It's exactly as Ed describes (without giving anything away for the benefit of those that haven't got it yet).

I've just recently bought a copy and I wasn't disappointed with the extra material! Excellent stuff, it fleshes out the background plot much more, with one very amusing idea that would have been so funny had he finished it!

Bit disappointed with the size of some of the reproductions of the pages though...some are a bit small

Chris

It's just been confirmed that the new edition of Tintin and Alph-Art will be published in English on May 10th. I know this is true at least for the UK, hopefully it means for the rest of you as well!

Ed

This is the advertising blurb for the new English edition of Alph-Art:

In an interview shortly before his death, Hergé wrote of the last Tintin adventure: "The plot revolves around a tale of forgers! The book is set in the world of contemporary art. The narrative itself is in the course of evolution. I am still doing my research and I honestly don't know where this story will lead me."
Sadly, the tale was never completed, but this unique book gives an insight into the work Hergé had done on the project before he died.
This book gives readers a chance to see Hergé's working method – the painstaking process that went into each new Tintin book. Tintin fans the world over will be intrigued by the book's cliff-hanger ending!

Just got this e-mail from Amazon.co.uk

Dear Customer

Regarding your order for "Tintin - and Alph-Art" (ISBN: 1405214481),
we wanted to give you an update on the status of this title.

We have contacted the publishers, and they have informed us that the
publication date of this title has been delayed. They now expect this
book will be released in June, 2004, however please know this may
be subject to further delays.

We will keep this title on order for you unless you prefer to cancel. As
soon as we are able to obtain copies, we will dispatch your order to you.
We will also do our best to keep you informed of any new developments as
soon as we hear of them.

Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause you.
Unfortunately, publication dates are often subject to change with very
little notice from publishers. If you prefer to cancel your order you may
do so using the "Your Account" link on our homepage, or simply send us an
email stating your wishes.

Thanks for your patience, and we look forward to hearing from you if we
may be of any assistance.


Warmest regards,

Customer Services
Amazon.co.uk


Looks like we'll have to wait some more, it's a shame they couldn't give a specific date

Rik

I own the translated 'Tintin in Alph-art', bought from the Tintin shop circra 1992, and i must say its a must have for any Tintin fan. The ending of Tintin cast in Resin is quite a poignant and sad end to the adventures. The first few pages are very interesting as they show the way Herge worked, adding detail as he went along. It comes with a pull out translator booklet. it just goes to show you have to grab these opportunities with both hands.

Fortunately, although Tintin is being taken away to be cast in resin, there is hope that he won't actually make it as far as that - somehow he will manage to escape.

I've always had a sneaking suspicion that the ending we have is a bit of a joke by Hergé: perhaps knowing his own end was near, or lacking the inclination to do further work, he quickly sketched in those last few drawings to put Tintin into a situation neither he nor anyone else would ever get him out of. He may even have done fully expecting to get back, and rub them out, and put in something else, but never had the opportunity...

I suppose you could call Alph-Art a must-have for any Tintin fan, or at least a 'must-read', but anyone who hasn't got it shouldn't obsess about it. I used to own a copy, but I sold it last year, for several hundred pounds, to pay a gas bill! At the time I wondered if I should photocopy the English translation, and in the end I decided, no, it's not that good. It's okay, but it is NOTHING LIKE reading a Tintin adventure - the artwork is too primitive, and the cliffhanger ending makes it an unsatisfying experience to read.

Alph-Art is interesting in it's own way, as the ghost of a story. But only the first page, with Haddock's 'woodpecker dream' is anything approaching vintage Tintin. And secondly, I think it's disgraceful that Moulinsart haven't reissued it before now, and this new edition will, I've heard, be far inferior to the first one. I think the fans do deserve to be treated with a little more respect - if it sells for hundreds of pounds, why not make it readily available, in the original English edition? You can get it in Europe with no problem.

Here's hoping that a possible third edition, mentioned at the Greenwich Tintin conference, finally becomes a definitive, easily available edition.

Yeah, ok I see you points and they are very good ones. However obviously it's nothing like reading a Tintin adventure, it's the initial concepts for a Tintin adventure. It's an insight into the actual making of them, and for me that is why it is special.
I recently visited the Tintin at Sea exhibition at the National Maritine Museum, and it was amazing to see the original drawings.
Alph-Art reveals the bare bones of a comic book. For me that's very interesting, especially for people who appreciate the art-work Hergé (and colleagues) strove to perfect.
In 1992 my parents took me to Brussels to visit the To Tibet with Tintin exhibition. I was 11 at the time and seeing the original Tintin in Tibet pages was facinating, and made me realise what went into making a Tintin comic.
Ectoplasm I didnt realise the value of the English edition; when did you sell the book? Just for interest's sake, I would not be willing to sell any of my collection.