Tintin Forums

Hi everyone, I have always been very perplexed by the fact that the re-printed early versions of the Tintin books are called "Facsimile editions". Facsimile merely means "copy". If facsimile means copy, then all of the Tintin books are facsimiles. I even have a Tintin book in German that calls them facsimile editions on the back in a list of Tintin books offered by the publisher.(in German, of course. The word is "Faksimile".) does anyone know why this is?

In my opinion "facsimile" here simply means copy sent as a Fax. Any document faxed, either it is multicoloured graphic or a text document, is always received in black ink. Data is transmitted as a digital code, 1 for dark areas, 0 for white areas. Maybe because of that uncoloured Tintin books are facsimile copies of earlier uncoloured editions.

They are called facsimile editions because they are made to resemble a specific earlier edition, down to the paper, binding, and style of production, which clearly is a different matter to just creating a new edition of the same story. So the current Soviets does "copy" the story, but in publishing terms is just a new edition; the facsimile is made to copy the look and feel of a period book from the early 20th century.
It's a debatable point in English, as they are to all intents and purposes a first edition of the black and whites, but I think the intention is clear.

jock123

So does it mean even a coloured edition of a later Tintin book, if its published again to resemble its first edition with similar paper, binding and style of production, will also be termed as a "facsimile" edition?

Or rather it can be put simply as a copy of an earlier edition in black and white.

SmartTintin
So does it mean even a coloured edition of a later Tintin book, if its published again to resemble its first edition with similar paper, binding and style of production, will also be termed as a "facsimile" edition?

Yes; the French publishers Casterman have printed the entire series (with Picaros still to come) in replicas of the first editions. They all have leatherette spines and matt paper and the original texts. These are labelled colour facsimiles, presumably to differentiate from the black and white ones although they all qualify as facsimiles. Curiously they've issued Flight 714 with a leatherette spine - which the first edition never had - to make the collection appear homogeneous. Which technically isn't a facsimile!

Thanks everyone!

Does anyone know if there are any plans to publish English language colour facsimile editions of the series. I know that just over half the series was originally published in the UK with the unlettered 'cloth effect' red spine (up to 1968). It'd be great to have them all reprinted that way on good quality matte paper and with matte board covers.
A facsimile smell of a vintage Tintin album would be good too!

Is there any real difference between the French facsimile versions and the more commonly available ones?

I'm thinking in particular of the adventures published after the war, from Destination Moon to Flight 714. Some reviews appear to indicate that the only difference is the standard of colour. Are there any others?

Thanks.

mct16
Is there any real difference between the French facsimile versions and the more commonly available ones?

I'm thinking in particular of the adventures published after the war, from Destination Moon to Flight 714. Some reviews appear to indicate that the only difference is the standard of colour. Are there any others?

There's some minor differences, mostly text-based; I think the most obvious is the Africans' speech being rewritten for the current edition of The Red Sea Sharks. As far as I'm aware there's no changes to any images in the post-war books apart from the colouring (I believe Destination Moon was recoloured, which would account for the change in the rocket's colour between books) but the appearance of these books, to my mind, are superior to the glossy new editions.