Need information on graphic novel

Years ago, in the very early 60's, I read a series of graphic novels which were very similar to the Tintin series. I'd like to know what they were.

I remember one distinct plot device. They were on a ship looking for an island. They had the latitude and longitude, but there was no island at that spot. Somehow they figured out that the coordinates were not based on Greenwich, England, but on Paris, France and then they were able to find the island.

It was a bit like "The Secret of the Unicorn."

As I remember it, the books were hard-bound, four color and fairly high quality. The art work was a little more realistic and detailed than Herge's Tintin.

Any ideas?

You are describing a scene which is so similar to Red Rackham's Treasure, that I think it must be. Any other comic that had that plotline could not be anything less than a ripoff.

When I read "Secret of the Unicorn" I was sure that the next story ("Red Rackham's Treasure") would match my memory of the book I remembered. It didn't. You're probably right that there was some use of plot by one or the other. I don't know which was written first.

None-the-less, I'm sure that it was a different series. It's not Tintin.
Thanks,
Tom

It can't possibly be a different series, unless they made a blatant copy of plot from Tintin, which would not completely surprise me, since Tintin is so good.

Hi Tom, welcome to Tintinologist.org. Can you remember in what language was the series written? Can you describe the appearance of the main character?

Moderator -- The series was in English and was in the library of a Catholic elementary School in Ohio in the early 1960's. I don't have a specific memory of the main character(s), and it has been so long ago that I'm not sure that I can trust the memories that I do have. I think the books were about the same size as the Tintin stories, hard-bound, four color, fairly high quality and the art work was a little more realistic and detailed than Herge's Tintin. I don't think the cover had a picture on it as I remember being surprised that it was a "comic book" when I began to read the first one I saw. I think the library had at least four or five different books from this series.

I am quite clear on the one plot detail I mentioned -- They were looking for an island and had the latitude and longitude, but there was no island at that spot. Somehow they figured out that the longitude coordinate was not based on Greenwich, England, but on Paris, France. After figuring this out they quickly found the island.

I remember looking this up and finding that after the French Revolution the French had tried to create their own calendar, measuring system, map coordinates and other things, so I'm sure that this plot detail was in this book.

cigars of the beeper -- I agree that the Tintin series are great. The story I remember does have similarities with a Tintin story. So do many other stories written over the ages. This is not the same as "Red Rackham's Treasure"

Whatever you say.