The Business Francis Blake

the Business Francis Blake is a Cartoon of the series Blake and Mortimer . the series was created by Edgar P. Jacobs.

Author

Scenario writer: Jean Van Hamme
Draftsman: Ted Benoit
Put colors: Madeleine of Thousand
Year of first publication: 1996
Editor: the editions Blake and Mortimer

Concept

A spy network established in the United Kingdom nargue been useful of the MI5. Each time the services of against-espionage tries to approach the network, the protagonists succeed in disappearing and erasing all traces. The assumption of a mole within the MI5 starts to come up. A mail of this network with however stopped. During the interrogation, a photograph showing the contact of the mail will be revealed. At this time, the Blake captain obviously badly at ease places himself behind the man who is questioned.

Comments

This album is the second album post-jacobien (see Edgar P. Jacobs) after the attempt of the second volume “ the 3 Formulas of the professor Satō ”.
the album respects a good part of the guns of the work of origin, but does not use the science fiction as in much albums of Edgar P. Jacobs.
the title of the album resembles extremely that of the Business of the Collar , only another album of the series not including a reference to fantastic or the science fiction. It however is not about an explicit reference to this album, indeed the authors used the title the Business Francis Blake like titrates provisional during its creation, while hoping to find another title more original. Not having found anything better, they had to be solved to leave this title which seems " copié" on a preceding album.
This album is the first album in which Edgar P. Jacobs did not take part. At the time of its exit, the Foundation Jacobs, owner of the moral rights of the work of Jacobs, brought a lawsuit against Dargaud, owner of the Éditions Blake and Mortimer, because the album, according to them, prétait with confusion on its paternity: the name of the creator of the series was only reproduced on the back and the fourth of cover and was highlighted on the first of cover. Moreover, drawings of Jacobs were used in fourth of cover and in the title pages, these last being even modified to encrust the heads there with the characters invented by Ted Benoit. Dargaud was constrained, at the time of the following editions, to withdraw all the illustrations of Jacobs, to replace " Adventures of Blake and Mortimer of E.P. Jacobs" by " Adventures of Blake and Mortimer according to the characters of E.P. Jacobs" on the cover and the back, to add the names of the real authors on this last, and to separate on the fourth from cover the albums " jacobsiens" " reprises".
the intrigue, mainly, is taken again on that of film of Alfred Hitchcock, the 39 steps ( The 39 Steps ).
the environment of the album is strong close to most famous albums of the series, the yellow Mark . One also finds there references to other albums, the Secrecy of the Swordfish in particular.
the history is held in June 1954, as a calendar located in the office of the inspector Kendall chief attests it.

References related to the work

1996 : Blake and Mortimer, history of a return , by Jean-Luc Cambier and Eric Verhoest, Blake Editions and Mortimer
1997 (February): Laurelei n°1 (analyzes thorough around the recovery)

Places

All the album is held in Great Britain. A share important proceeds in London as for “ the yellow Mark ”. However the protagonists will travel through England and will join Scotland.

London (England)

Office of the Intelligence Service (office of Scotland Yard)
Centaur club
C.S.I.R. (laboratory where professor Mortimer works)
Domicile of Blake and Mortimer
Hide Park
Gare of King' S cross-country race
Angle of Shad Thames and Saint Savior's dock in East End
Sortie London on the road of Watford
Appartement of Honeychurch (South Audley street)

Marshalling yard of Peterborough (England)
Gare of York
Pub “Black Swann Inn” (Suburb of York)
Residence Templeton (some share in the Kent - England)
Bed and breakfast Seanberry (Yorkshire - England)
Office of the maritime police force of Hull (England)

Scotland

Hadrian's Wall (border enters the England and the Scotland)
Some share in Upper- Highlands (Northern of the Scotland)
Ardmuir Castle

Characters

There also the reference to the yellow Mark is obvious. One finds for example the inspector chief Kendall as well as the landlady of Blake and Mortimer.

It will be noted that with the presence of Virginia Campbell (in 43 labels), for the first time a woman has a real role taking part in the action. The universe of Blake and Mortimer is not entirely any more male.

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