Edgar P. Jacobs facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Edgar P. Jacobs |
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| Born | Edgard Félix Pierre Jacobs 30 March 1904 Brussels, Belgium |
| Died | 20 February 1987 (aged 82) Lasne-Chapelle-Saint-Lambert, Belgium |
| Nationality | Belgian |
| Area(s) | artist, writer, colourist |
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Notable works
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Blake and Mortimer Le Rayon U |
| Awards | full list |
Edgar P. Jacobs (born Edgard Félix Pierre Jacobs, March 30, 1904 – February 20, 1987) was a famous Belgian comic book creator. He was both a writer and an artist. Born in Brussels, Belgium, he helped start the Franco-Belgian comics movement. He is best known for working with Hergé, the creator of Tintin, and for his own popular comic series, Blake and Mortimer.
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Life and Early Career
Edgar P. Jacobs was born in Brussels in 1904. From a young age, he loved to draw. But his biggest passion was for theater and especially opera.
After finishing commercial school in 1919, Jacobs decided he would never work in an office. He spent his free time drawing and training for music and theater. He took on many small jobs at the opera, like painting sets and working as an extra.
In 1929, he won a Belgian government medal for his excellent classical singing. However, it was a tough time for artists in Brussels. So, Jacobs started focusing more on drawing.
From Opera to Comics
Between 1919 and 1940, Jacobs worked as an extra and a baritone singer in opera shows. He also did small drawing jobs. Eventually, he decided to become a full-time illustrator.
He drew for a children's comic magazine called Bravo. This magazine was very popular, sometimes selling 300,000 copies!
During World War II, the American comic strip Flash Gordon was banned in Belgium. Jacobs was asked to finish the story for the readers. Later, he published his own comic strip in Bravo, called Le Rayon U (The U Ray). It was drawn in a style similar to Flash Gordon.
Working with Hergé
Around this time, Jacobs became a stage painter for a play based on Hergé's Cigars of the Pharaoh. This led him to meet Hergé, and they quickly became friends.
Jacobs helped Hergé color the black and white The Shooting Star comic strips for a book. From 1944, he also helped Hergé redraw earlier Tintin albums for color publication. These included Tintin in the Congo, Tintin in America, King Ottokar's Sceptre, and The Blue Lotus.
Jacobs also helped with the drawings and stories for new Tintin adventures. These were The Seven Crystal Balls and Prisoners of the Sun.
Jacobs loved opera, and he often took Hergé to concerts. Hergé didn't like opera much, but he often made fun of his friend Jacobs through the character of Bianca Castafiore. She is an opera singer in The Adventures of Tintin. Hergé even put Jacobs in small cameo roles in Tintin comics, sometimes calling him Jacobini.
Hergé once said that Jacobs was part of his inspiration for the character of Captain Haddock. He described Jacobs as being "full of movement" and "bursting into invective," just like the Captain.
Blake and Mortimer
In 1946, Jacobs joined the team creating a new comic magazine called Tintin. His first story for the magazine was Le secret de l’Espadon (The Secret of the Swordfish). This was the start of his famous Blake and Mortimer series.
In 1947, Jacobs wanted to share credit with Hergé for The Adventures of Tintin. When Hergé said no, their work together became a bit difficult. However, they remained friends, and Blake and Mortimer continued to be published in Tintin magazine.
In 1950, Jacobs published The Mystery of the Great Pyramid. Many other Blake and Mortimer stories followed. In 1970, he published the first part of The Three Formulas of Professor Sato.
Later Life and Legacy
In 1973, Jacobs updated his first full-length comic album, Le Rayon U. He also wrote his autobiography, called Un opéra de papier (A Paper Opera).
He started writing the second part of Les Trois Formules du Professeur Sato. But he passed away before he could finish the artwork. Another artist, Bob de Moor, completed the album, and it was published in 1990.
Today, there are two stone sphinxes that honor Edgar P. Jacobs. One is in the Bois des Pauvres near Brussels, where his home used to be. The other is on his tomb at the Lasne cemetery, also near Brussels. The sphinx at the cemetery looks a lot like Philip Mortimer, a main character from Jacobs' comics.
Jacobs' drawing style changed over time, but he often used the Ligne claire (clear line) style. He also often included themes of going deep underground in his stories.
Awards
- 1971: Grand Prix Saint-Michel, Belgium
See also
In Spanish: Edgar Pierre Jacobs para niños
