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English editions re-lettered?

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Richard
UK Correspondent
#41 · Posted: 27 Nov 2006 15:09
Another update - I think the entire series has been done now, I saw most of the books today. The Broken Ear is still called that, on front cover, back and spine. The font looks quite good for later books such as Picaros, but for Lotus etc. it's quite jarring as I think was mentioned earlier. I wonder if Soviets will be updated?
Harrock n roll
Moderator
#42 · Posted: 27 Nov 2006 18:36
Richard
I saw most of the books today
I don't suppose you happened to see Flight 714 to Sydney ?

The Broken Ear is still called that, on front cover, back and spine.
Right, so the "Tintin and the..." has left from the building.

I recently looked at the Red Sea Sharks re-lettered version and thought the reproduction of the newspapers (at the end of the book) very poor, almost unreadable. I'm not sure if this is due to the poor quality films but they would have achieved much better results if they'd scanned that frame from an earlier English edition.
Richard
UK Correspondent
#43 · Posted: 27 Nov 2006 23:56
Harrock n roll
I don't suppose you happened to see Flight 714 to Sydney ?

Yep, that one was there! Off the top of my head, I don't think there can have been more than five titles missing. Waterstones taking over Ottakar's hasn't affected the stock of Tintin books yet, at any rate.

I recently looked at the Red Sea Sharks re-lettered version and thought the reproduction of the newspapers (at the end of the book) very poor, almost unreadable.

I didn't look in that one (although I think it was there), will have to check next time. I've got the Egmont 3-in-1 edition with me now, and even at half-size it's clearly legible. Has that frame been (badly) reset with digital type, then?
Harrock n roll
Moderator
#44 · Posted: 28 Nov 2006 09:04
Richard
Has that frame been (badly) reset with digital type, then?

No, It looked to me like the one in the original book except much fainter!
Richard
UK Correspondent
#45 · Posted: 28 Nov 2006 20:28
Harrock n roll
Right, so the "Tintin and the..." has left from the building.

It's funny that after nearly thirty years of it drifting between The Broken Ear and Tintin and the Broken Ear, the "Tintin and..." still managed to make it onto the back covers of Tintin in the Congo and the new edition of Tintin and Alph-Art!
bobdaspider
Member
#46 · Posted: 31 Mar 2011 10:44
Combining two consecutive posts

As noticed and confirmed by other contributors (including Jock123), Egmont has changed the typeface used - ie. have moved away from the Hyslop handwritten font - which is a great shame. In addition, Egmont have also changed the paper used - which in my opinion is a backward step - ie. the new smooth/glossy paper means that the colours are lighter, less intense and cheaper looking. All in all, I think the changes implemented by Egmont have regrettably been detrimental to the Tintin books. Note, I queried these changes with Egmont UK and received the following comments:

"Regarding the typeface, it was changed according to the wishes of Moulinsart, the Belgian company that administers Hergé's estate, in order to bring it into line with that used in the French editions. All future editions are to use the same typeface, including, as far as I understand, the editions in the U.S."

The change in typeface is bad enough (and I speak as an experienced graphic designer) but to change the paper (ie. smooth paper) which has changed the intensity of the colour, has encouraged me to search for older/pre-Egmont Tintin books - ie. those published by the likes of Methuen, Mammoth and Magnet.

Will have to start checking out the second-hand stores from now on...

^o^

By the way, as I'm so not into the new Egmont editions, does anyone know where one can still get hold of older editions of Tintin books (ie. Methuen, Magnet and Mammoth editions) that do still use the Hyslop handwritten typeface and that were printed on the matt paper or is it simply a case of frequenting various second-hand book stores, jumble sales or internet searches?

^o^
jock123
Moderator
#47 · Posted: 1 Apr 2011 08:13
bobdaspider:
Egmont has changed the typeface used

Given that it's now nearly six years since the change began, the chances of you finding new but old-style copies on book-shop shelves is obviously slim; it would have to be old stock, and you'd need the unlikely combination of a shop that has been able to stay open, but not sell any books, in that period!

The change didn't happen when Egmont took over, nor did it happen at their request: the digital printing of editions (which happens centrally for many languages) required it.
Chances are, even if Methuen had held on to the titles it still would have happened, as the facility to use the original lettering art would have been lost.

So you could still look for Egmont books, just find pre-2006 albums; as you say, that will probably require you to go second-hand for them, however you source them.
Richard1631978
Member
#48 · Posted: 2 Apr 2011 19:32
From looking around second hand bookshops I've noticed it's sometimes possible to find books printed many years ago in near mint condition.

Sometimes publishers seem to distribute slow selling books (so probably not Tintin titles!) direct to smaller retailers rather than the high street shops, I guess these are ones that have hung around in a warehouse in quantities too small for the mainstream trade.
bobdaspider
Member
#49 · Posted: 7 Apr 2011 20:24
jock123: I'm already on the case re sourcing and purchasing older Tintin books (ie. pre-new font and glossy paper). I just assumed that a winning formula would never be changed - I was wrong, unfortunately.

If anyone does know of sources for pre-2002 Egmont published Tintin books, then I'd be very (very) pleased to hear from you. Note, I have already contacted Egmont and Moulinsart about the change of font and paper in the post-2002 Tintin books - note, am still waiting for a reply from Moulinsart...

Is anyone interested in starting a pressure group (perhaps on Facebook) to raise the issue regarding the font etc. with a view to persuade those at Moulinsart to reflect on its decision to lose the Hyslop font in the English speaking Tintin books - thoughts?

Moderator Note: As can be seen from the rest of this thread, the change has come about due to technical changes at Casterman, and the digital nature of present-day printing; as such, applying pressure will have very little effect, to be honest.

^o^

PS. I have an Egmont copy of King Ottokar's Sceptre which I will be giving away to a charity shop as I just cannot bear to look at the inside pages - uuuuuurrrrrggghhhh!
robbo
Member
#50 · Posted: 17 Apr 2011 01:04
I have to say I entirely disagree about the new text being worse than the original English font: I always thought the latter was abysmal, it bore no relation to the hand written style that Hergé himself chose which sits so unobtrusively with the drawing.

The English text was basically far too heavy and clumsy, you only have to compare an original French page to a page from a Methuen edition to see how it overpowered Hergé's subtle line from an aesthetic point of view.

mat

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