116 - Martin

Martin JACQUES MARTIN ALIX The Cursed Island (Vol. 3), Le Lombard 1957 Original plate no. 56, previously published in Le Journal de Tintin belge—No. 9, February 27, 1952. Signed. India ink on paper 36.7 × 46.5 cm (14.45 × 18.31 in.) *The Cursed Island*, Alix’s third adventure, marks a pivotal moment in Jacques Martin’s career. In the previous volume, *The Golden Sphinx*, the author had demonstrated such mastery of storytelling that he impressed Hergé, who soon recruited him to his studio. Martin was still searching for his artistic style and was following in the footsteps of E. P. Jacobs (L'Île maudite was, in fact, published at exactly the same time as Lefranc: The Great Threat), whose work he considered the gold standard of the realistic “ligne claire” style. Jacobs, however, took offense at this association. The two men eventually came to an understanding, and a few years later, Jacques Martin evolved his art style toward a more personal and realistic approach, beginning with *Les Légions perdues*. In the meantime, Martin delivers a particularly ambitious adventure story, blending detective work, science fiction, and exoticism. He transposes the conventions of the modern spy novel into the ancient world: a kidnapped scientist, a megalomaniacal dictator exploiting technologies ahead of his time, and a mysterious island where science becomes an instrument of domination. Admittedly, the numerous inventions (Archimedes’ mirror, a steam engine, Greek fire…) lean more toward science fiction than historical accuracy, while the Carthage depicted is completely anachronistic. But these artistic liberties fuel a breathless adventure, rich in twists and turns, as evidenced by this panel showing a fleeting character from the series, Apollon, coming to the rescue of our two heroes. It is a remarkable panel, emblematic of Jacques Martin’s early style and, more broadly, of the Brussels School. Didier Pasamonik