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Where to buy "Jo, Zette & Jocko" and "Quick & Flupke" books?

Rhods1989
Member
#1 · Posted: 27 May 2021 15:51
Hi all,

I'm new to this forum so sorry if this post has been repeated elsewhere!
Does anyone know of any plans to re-release the Jo, Zette and Jocko and Quick & Flupke series anywhere? I love Tintin and would love to add these to my Hergé collection! Are older editions being sold anywhere or is eBay, etc., my best bet?

Thank you all in advance,

Rhodri
mct16
Member
#2 · Posted: 27 May 2021 22:48
If it is English-language books that you are seeking then there are copies available on Amazon and Ebay. But they are expensive, which indicates that the publishers have few plans to re-issue them.

Ebay does appear to be your best bet.

For Jo, Zette and Jocko, the only ones available at the moment are "Mr. Pump's Legacy", "Destination New York" and "The Valley of the Cobras".

The other two books, "Le Manitoba ne repond plus" and "L'Eruption du Karamako", were published as an English omnibus book "The Secret Ray" but that is even harder to find. There are no copies on Amazon or Ebay at the moment.
jock123
Moderator
#3 · Posted: 27 May 2021 23:17
mct16:
indicates that the publishers have few plans to re-issue them

I've a feeling it may be more complicated than that...
Egmont was bought by HarperCollins last year, and I can't find anything about Hergé or Tintin on their website. It could be that Hergé wasn't part of the deal, it could be that the new owners are making plans, but have been delayed in what they can do by the pandemic - or it could be something else entirely, about which we don't know.
I'd a quick look at the the Tintin Shop Covent Garden's website, and it looks like a number of books are out of stock, so it could also be that there are problems getting in stock from the continent, or elsewhere in the supply chain.
I've dropped HarperCollins an email to see if there is any information to be had, but not yet had a reply.
I'll let everyone know if I find out more.
mct16
Member
#4 · Posted: 28 May 2021 01:47
Although Tintin's adventures are available on both Apple Store and Google Play, this is not apparently the case of Herge's other work. Maybe Moulinsart should make Jo, Zette and Jocko digital.
jock123
Moderator
#5 · Posted: 28 May 2021 14:14
And I'm back!
The helpful people at HarperCollins have got back to me (very speedily, which is nice!), with some useful information.

The reason I couldn't find the books on the HarperCollins website was because I was looking in the wrong place! D'oh!

As is the case with many publishing companies, they have a number of subsidiary branches, and in this instance, Egmont has been subsumed into the group, and still appears to exist and are still producing the Hergé output, but Tintin is being published under the Farshore imprint. This may be a bit like when Methuen stopped putting their name on the covers of the albums, and they appeared under the Magnet brand.

So, anyway, the future of those is safe, thank goodness!

As for JZ&J and Q&F, I've been told that they have been officially out of print for several years - this is much as I had suspected, but hasn't been possible to verify, as Egmont never really wanted to comment on what was happening with the titles (which was their absolute right), and as I live in London, it was fairly easy to find shops which still had stock on the shelves.

However, they won't rule out getting them back into print in due course, and were glad to hear that there is interest in them.

So, let's hope that the winds are favourable, and we'll see them back on the shelves in the future!

mct16:
Although Tintin's adventures are available on both Apple Store and Google Play, this is not apparently the case of Herge's other work.

Ah, a very good point - I wonder why that is? Secret Ray aside, the other three J,Z&J titles strike me as worth the time to make digital, and the same for Q&F.
Rhods1989
Member
#6 · Posted: 1 Jun 2021 10:35
Thanks very much for this everyone, some really insightful information! Are either series worth buying at inflated prices? I'm not a hugely serious collector but can see myself becoming one if that makes sense and would be interested to read more of Herge's other work.

I would hold out for a potential new run of Q&F and J,Z&J but it doesn't sound like it would be anytime soon, if ever. It's one to keep an eye on though!

I'm watching quite a few of the series' titles on eBay and get quite a few offers to buy them, so there are sellers keen to sell.
mct16
Member
#7 · Posted: 2 Jun 2021 01:35
I have only read a few "Quick & Flupke" stories. They can be quite fun but they depend on your sense of humour. Kids getting up to silly pranks have never really appealed to me but others enjoy them.

"Jo, Zette & Jocko" are more adventurous but can be a bit basic and episodic. I'd say that their style is similar to the early Tintins such as "Congo" or "America" but you get the feel that Herge did not really put as much heart and soul into this series as he did with Tintin.

Have you also considered "Popol et Virginie Chez les Lapinos" which has been translated as "Peppy In The Wild West"? Again it is episodic but quite fun. It is mainly for young children but adults may enjoy the references to sales, advertising, commercial conflict etc.
superjm9
Member
#8 · Posted: 2 Jun 2021 13:38
A few years ago I bought the eleven Quick and Flupke books published by Eurobooks in 2008 new here:

https://arvee.com.my/prestashop/search?controller=search&orderby=position&orderway=desc&search_query=quick+and+flupke&submit_search=

Unfortunately they seem to be out of stock now except for Everything's Fine. Maybe they will restock?

In 2009, Egmont published their own translations of Under Full Sail and Fasten Your Seatbelts. If you want these they will have to be bought used, but are usually not too expensive.

In 1992, Mammoth (a Methuen label) published Forbidden Games and Everything's Fine under the names Double Trouble and Two of a Kind respectively. These are hand-lettered and translated by Leslie Lonsdale-Cooper and Michael Turner, the translators of Tintin. These also must be found used, and are usually more expensive than the Egmont titles.

It looks like you'll also have to buy the Jo, Zette and Jocko books used. I usually use eBay and AbeBooks to look for used books. Thankfully Mr. Pump's Legacy, Destination New York and The Valley of the Cobras are available in paperback, which are more common and cheaper that their hardback counterparts. These were initially published under the Magnet label, then Mammoth and finally Egmont.

As for The Secret Ray, good luck. I was unlucky enough not to know of its existence when it was still possible to buy new old stock, so I ended up having to spend quite a bit of money buying a copy last year. Since it doesn't look like there will be a reprint any time soon, you'll most likely have to do the same if you want a copy, unfortunately.
Rhods1989
Member
#9 · Posted: 11 Jun 2021 14:28
Thank you all! Really interesting to know. I'll keep my eyes peeled on eBay and AbeBooks for any "bargains". Quite a few are going for £50 and above, which I'm reluctant to shell out for so will also keep my fingers crossed for a limited reissue of the books, too. Seems unlikely, though.

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