618 - Jijé / Blondin and Cirage. Original page No. 12, consisting of 4 comic strips, for the T5 album "BC in Mexico," published in the 1951 issue No. 670 of *Spirou* magazine and released as an album the following year. It depicts the scene of the botched landing, with poor Cirage being the first to exit the plane… A beautifully staged, almost silent action sequence with a lovely color palette. A beautiful and rare collector’s item. Indian ink and watercolor in mint condition. 55 x 40 cm

Jijé / Blondin and Cirage. Original page No. 12, consisting of 4 comic strips, for the T5 album "BC in Mexico," published in the 1951 issue No. 670 of *Spirou* magazine and released as an album the following year. It depicts the scene of the botched landing, with poor Cirage being the first to exit the plane… A beautifully staged, almost silent action sequence with a lovely color palette. A beautiful and rare collector’s item. Indian ink and watercolor in mint condition. 55 x 40 cm It was Joseph Gillain, alias Jijé (1914–1980), who elevated Spirou, the famous red-clad bellboy, to the status of a hero. A prolific author, he created a host of characters such as Blondin and Cirage, Jean Valhardi, Jerry Spring, and Dr. Gladstone, while also working on reviving the Barbe-Rouge and Tanguy and Laverdure series. He elevated the biographical genre in comics with works featuring Don Bosco, Christopher Columbus, Baden Powell, Bernadette, and Charles de Foucauld. Above all, he was the leader of a school that brought together the authors of the Dupuis publishing house. A tireless and inventive artist, Jijé welcomed and mentored talented newcomers. Thus, a new artistic movement formed around Jijé, where promising young creators cut their teeth, unaware of the enormous wave they would set in motion in the world of comics…