The Youth of Corto Maltese

Written and drawn by Hugo Pratt, the Youth of Corto Maltese is the 1e ventures Corto Maltese.

It is held at the end of the hostilities of the first Guerre Russo-Japanese woman (1904 - 1905). Corto Maltese, 17 years old, is with Mukden, in Mandchourie. It bound of friendship with an American war correspondent, the writer Jack London. It is here that it becomes acquainted with called Raspoutine.

The account

Attention: what follows, reveals whole or part of the intrigue.

The Japanese are about to eliminate Russia tsarist. The end of the war is close. The Russians go and the orders of Cessez-le-feu are spread. Port-Arthur, franc-tireurs still resist. On the face of Mukden, a Russian officer of the Siberian troops, wants nothing to hear either. He continues to draw on the enemy lines. In its fury, he does not hesitate to be turned over against his superiors. To avoid the judgment which awaits it, it deserted under the uniform of the Japanese imperial army and finds refuge in hutments of the Croix-Rouge. There, it meets a journalist of the name of Jack London. Suspecté by the Japanese because of his getup, Raspoutine - since it is of him that it acts - is led manu militari to the military police force. London, as for him, essuie a disagreement with lieutenant Sakaï who, for an affair of honor, causes it in duel. Meanwhile, Raspoutine could “get rid” of its escort and It returns to ask of the assistance to London. This one, has a friend, Corto Maltese, which could perhaps be useful to him. It is a young sailor who soon will embark on a trading vessel on the way for Africa. It is enough to ask him. Jack presents Raspoutine to him. Corto accepts to help it. He tells him then his mishap with the Japanese officer without knowing that Raspoutine already left it this bad step; with its manner: expeditious. But, attention with the consequences! …

First publications

In France: the Youth of Corto Maltese is published in black and white in the daily newspaper the Morning of Paris of the August 5th 1981 at January 1st 1982.
In Italy: the giovinezza is published colors, in the review the eternauta, I fumetti piu' belli LED mondo , of the n° 1 with the n° 9, into 1981/1982.
In France: the Youth of Corto Maltese appears colors, in the monthly magazine (TO BE FOLLOWED) of the n° 51 of April 1982 to the n° 53 of June 1982.

Albums

Published at Casterman

1983, Youth 1904-1905 , colors, Pulling of head with cardboard roofing fabric.
1983, Youth 1904-1905 , colors, hard-bound cover.
1985, Youth , colors, square large size, connected.
1996, Youth , colors, connected.
2006, edition colors of small size (14 X 21)

Tome 01: Youth

Anecdotes

In this album, the draftsman Guido Fuga, collaborated with Hugo Pratt for the drawing of the cargo liner, at the end of the adventure.
For the album connected, published in 1996, the Casterman editions doubled the number of pages by adding various documents and by increasing the boxes compared to the first edition (6 boxes per page instead of 12). The initial organization of the boards is thus not respected. That goes sometimes, until recadrer or to remove images like here in the last page. This practice will reproduce for the setting colors of other albums.
In agreement with Hugo Pratt, the draftsman Lele Vianello took again the character of Corto Maltese to pay homage in its cartoon to him, Fanfaron . Corto, 13 years old, is the hero of the first episode: Chinese Brawl . It is in the fort of Toku, at the edge of the Yellow Mer, in the south east of Beijing. The June 12th 1900, it makes its first act of bravery by destroying a gun during the Révolte of the Boxers.
an unfinished continuation of the youth of Corto was discovered in the files of Hugo Pratt in September 2005.

Random links: