Tintin Forums

Hello chaps,
I am a bit stumped. I have recently been acquiring for my modest collection some early french editions. They are usually from the 1940s and 50s published by Casterman. I have noticed that there are no clear publication dates or reprint dates other than the date of first publication. The only indicator of sorts is the back cover which gives a list of the last Tintin book to be published which then allows one to take a crude stab at the date.
For example I recently acquired 'Les 7 Boules de Cristal' which has 1948 as the publication date inside, 1949 as copyright Casterman on the back cover but also in the list on the back cover has 'Les Bijoux de la Castafiore' which got published in 1963. So, this book would need to be a later edition and printed after 1963.
How does does one peg the date in such editions?
My apologies if a similar subject had already been discussed.

You will need to get a copy of the "BDM":

http://www.amazon.fr/Tr%C3%A9sors-bande-dessin%C3%A9e-BDM-encyclop%C3% A9dique/dp/2859174915/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254298204&sr=8-1

It contains all of the relevant information and should allow you to determine the date of publication to a reasonable level of accuracy.

Thanks for the reply. Sadly my french is non existent. Any literature available in English? Or else I might have to wait for my kid to grow up and hope it takes french lessons -:)

None of the pundits willing to provide an opinion on this?

It’s not really done to bump your own question, especially after only a few days – it’s not like there are people on call here, waiting to take questions. A degree of patience is always welcome - if someone does have more to say on the subject, they will…!

That aside, it’s fair to say that luinivierge2010 has already given you the definitive answer - the BDM is to French Tintin books what Overstreet is to U.S. comics; there isn’t even a comparable text for valuing the English-language books in English, so there certainly isn’t a guide to the French ones in English.

Just out of interest, if you are uncertain of the publication dates of your acquisitions, and the guide valuation of them, how have you been buying them?

@Shankaro
I think you have the clue ! The back covers are the only way to give any album a year of publication and this is the information you will find in detail in the "BDM" where copy of all (or almost all) back covers are presented. If you send me (see contact - Etienne Belgium correspondent) a copy of your back cover, maybe I can give you more detail about your albums.

thanks Jocko and Chevet. Foremost, apologies, guess my ADHD gets the better of me at times -:)
I use the back cover and spine to help me along with a list of when the french editions were published. So it allows a rough estimate of dates....
Are there any english translations of the BDM? Seems like a hole in the market there which the publishers could well think about.

As far as the Tintin books are concerned, you don't really need a translation of the BDM - the information you would refer to in the volume is principally in visual form.