The Adventures of Blake & Mortimer is a Belgian comics series created by writer and comics artist Edgar P. Jacobs. It was one of the first book series to appear in the Franco-Belgian comics magazine Tintin in 1946, and was subsequently published in book form by Belgian comic book publisher Le Lombard.
The main protagonists of the adventures are MI5 agent Captain Francis Blake, and his friend Professor Philip Mortimer, a leading British scientist. The books' recurring antagonist is the sworn enemy of the heroes, Colonel Olrik, who appears very frequently throughout the series, in almost every book. Their confrontations take them into the realms of detective investigation and science fiction, dealing with themes of time travel, historical events, and espionage.
Since Jacobs' death, many new titles of the series have been published by other authors, mainly two separate teams of artists and writers, with the amount of these new editions significantly dwarfing Jacobs' contributions. A television series based upon the series was produced in 1997, entitled Blake and Mortimer.
The books by Jacobs himself are generally set in the period of their writing, but those authored by others after his death are set mostly in the 1950s and 1960s.
Contents
Main characters
The presence of the basis of the series' three main characters (looks, personality, attitudes) is apparent in Jacobs' unrelated, first full-length graphic novel, The U-Ray (1943), which predates the inception of this series. Here, their origins are left unspecified, and they are portrayed only as two proud Britons serving HM's Government.
They debut in the first books of the series' Francophone releases, the three-part story The Secret of the Swordfish, although the English language version of the series lists these titles as being books 15 to 17. They instead suggest, by designating this book as the first in the series, that they first appear in The Yellow 'M', although captions within the book contradict this.
The later, post-Jacobs title The Sarcophagi of the Sixth Continent provides insight into their early lives, and shows them making acquaintance – then beginning their friendship – during the time of the British Raj.
Overviews of the main characters are as follows:
Professor Philip Angus Mortimer – a seemingly archetypical British gentlemanly scholar, he is a leading physicist of Scottish descent, having grown up in colonial India and moved to England to attend university. His character is based upon a friend and occasional collaborator of Jacobs, Jacques Van Melkebeke, with the addition of a beard.
Captain Francis Percy Blake – a Welsh-born officer in His Majesty's armed forces, he studied at Oxford University and later became head of the British Security Service MI5, and is currently still very active in the field. He is a master of disguise, even managing to fool Mortimer on occasion. Blake is modelled on another friend and occasional collaborator of Jacobs, Jacques Laudy, with the addition of a mustache.
Colonel Olrik – the long-time, recurring villain from the first instalment onwards. Of the original series, only The Time Trap (Le Piège Diabolique) did not feature him in any capacity, and among the successive series, he has appeared in some capacity in every volume except The Oath of the Five Lords. Olrik's first appearance is in The Secret of the Swordfish, as the head of intelligence for Oriental dictator Basam Damdu. His roles have since ranged from mercenary, spy, smuggler and general criminal adventurer. He is characterised as a Westerner, but details such as his real name, birthplace and exact nationality are left unknown: in Plutarch's Staff, a post-Jacobs prequel to Secret of the Swordfish, Olrik is portrayed as a specialist in Slavic languages, and it is explained that he once fled Hungary, suggesting this as his country of origin. Olrik's appearance resembles that of Jacobs.
Story characteristics
Although the series' title suggests a balance in appearance of the two characters, Mortimer is often the main protagonist, seen more frequently than Blake. In the original series, it is mainly he who, through his impulsive character, gets entangled in their adventures. In comparison, Blake is depicted as a serious, formal army officer who comes Mortimer's aid when necessary. Colonel Olrik, the main antagonist, displays a combination of the characteristics and personalities of both heroes, but his exploits are typically negative, ending with disastrous consequences.
Blake and Mortimer adventures are characterised by a quest, often involving undercover, secretive operations, ending with a heroic, liberated, or publicised ending. Furthermore, the structure of the books' storylines are often similar: in the beginning, certain unseen and significant events have already taken place – in The Yellow 'M', for instance, the antagonist of the story, 'Guinea Pig', has already committed various daring acts of theft on a grand scale, and readers only learn about this upon seeing Mortimer reading a newspaper. Also, the books often share comparable endings, with the protagonists reflecting on the wisdom they have acquired from their experiences: after returning from his time travel in The Time Trap, Mortimer concludes that rather than dwell on the 'good old days' or look forward to a 'brighter future', one should be content with the present.
Blake and Mortimer are frequently shown to be residing in a shared home, in adjacent apartments, the same manner as Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson. Many francophone comics share this basis of confirmed bachelors who live together, including Tintin and Captain Haddock, Asterix & Obelix, Spirou & Fantasio, and Tif & Tondu. These series were all first published during a time when the censorship of youth publications was very heavily enforced and stringent, and male/female segregation was rigorously policed.
The settings of many of Jacobs' stories are contemporary, based on real-world events and environments, and as such the first few titles of the series present a look and feel reminiscent of the 1950s, while later instalments showcase a political climate comparable to the 1970s. One exception to this rule is, once again, The Time Trap, starring in the present (i.e. early 1960s) but with its action, caused by a sabotaged time machine, largely takes place in the 51st century – a brief venture in medieval times and a stopover in the Jurassic period also take place. Post-Jacobs stories are, so far, integrated into the chronology of the earlier books, or precede it, taking place in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s.
Publication history
Under Edgar P. Jacobs
With the launch of the Tintin magazine, which showcased books from The Adventures of Tintin series, it included the story The Secret of the Swordfish, introducing the characters of Blake, Mortimer, and Olrik to wider audiences.
The production of these instalments of the series ended in 1949, but the publication of further stories concerning the characters' exploits continued for many years, only ending with the death of the series' creator. Books penned and illustrated by him saw the two heroes go on adventures ranging from the lost city of Atlantis to the catacombs of Paris.
After Jacobs' death in 1987, Bob de Moor completed his last story, left unfinished following the incident.
Following Jacobs' death
From 1987, the Jacobs estate, centred on the still operational Jacobs Studios, republished all of Jacobs' works.
In the 1990s, after much debate about stories' authenticity, Dargaud got permission to revive the series, including the creation and publication of new stories by a newly recruited team of writers and illustrators, published as further instalments in the series. These books are still firmly set in the middle-to-late 20th century, and include many new regular supporting characters, most notably Blake's colleagues in the security services. Much of the new additions are of the creation of two separate teams of authors, Van Hamme/Benoit and Sente/Juillard.
The first of these, The Francis Blake Affair, was published in 1996. Its storyline was provided by famous scenarist Jean Van Hamme, and specialist draughtsman Ted Benoit (whose Ligne claire drawing style resembles that of the late Jacobs') was contracted for the artwork. Purists, partial to the original plotlines of those penned by Jacobs, immediately objected to the choice of Van Hamme and, upon publication, went on to discover the feature of some of his typically trademark plot twists, taking an instant dislike to his contribution. The elements of science fiction, prominent in earlier books by Jacobs', were noticeably absent from this new addition, which contained a strong focus on espionage. Despite the negative reception and criticism it faced, the book was a relative success, and the publisher decided to continue the line. During this time, both Benoit and Van Hamme became engaged on other projects, and their commitments caused a delay in the production of the series' next instalment.
As an interim solution, writer Yves Sente and artist André Juillard were contracted to publish another adventure, The Voronov Plot (1998) containing prevalent themes of the Cold War.
Later on, Van Hamme and Benoit completed work on their book, The Strange Encounter, which appeared in 2001, and concerns the heroes' confrontation of mysterious alien creatures.
This was followed by the publication of Sente and Juillard's two-part adventure The Sarcophagi of the Sixth Continent (Part 1: The Global Threat, in 2003; Part 2: Battle of the Spirits, in 2004) which deals with Blake and Mortimer's youth, and the beginning of their friendship upon their first meeting in pre-independence India.
List of titles
Additionally, the Jacobs' storyboard sketches of Book 12 (Part 2 of Professor Satō's Three Formulae), left incomplete following his death, have been re-issued in 1996 outside of the series as Dossier Mortimer contre Mortimer (ISBN 2-87097-022-6).
† The Secret of the Swordfish originally consisted of two parts. In 1984, it was republished in three.
Translations
English
Like many Franco-Belgian comics, English translation publications of Blake and Mortimer were initially limited.
Les Editions Blake and Mortimer, aka The Blake and Mortimer Editions, published English translations of the three parts of The Secret of the Swordfish in 1986, both parts of The Mystery of the Great Pyramid in 1987, and The Yellow 'M' in 1988.
Catalan Communications, under its 'Comcat' line of books, published two books in inexpensive trade paperback copies in the US. They released:
The Time Trap (Le Piège diabolique) (1989) ISBN 0-87416-066-9
Atlantis Mystery (L'Énigme de l'Atlantide) (1990) ISBN 0-87416-094-4
There were also plans to release both parts of The Mystery of the Great Pyramid, and The Yellow 'M', however Catalan collapsed financially before they could be realised.
Cinebook Ltd has been publishing English language translations of Blake and Mortimer since 2007. The following volumes have been released to date:
The Yellow 'M' (published January 2007) ISBN 978-1-905460-21-2
The Mystery of the Great Pyramid, Part 1: The Papyrus of Manethon (published November 2007) ISBN 978-1-905460-37-3
The Mystery of the Great Pyramid, Part 2: The Chamber of Horus (published January 2008) ISBN 978-1-905460-38-0
The Francis Blake Affair (published September 2008) ISBN 978-1-905460-63-2
The Strange Encounter (published January 2009) ISBN 978-1-905460-75-5
Adaptations
Radio series
The Time Trap was adapted into a radio play in 1962.
Animated series
In 1997, Ellipse animation studios made an animated series containing 26 episodes, making up 13 stories, four of which were entirely new and not based on existing books.
Film
Several prior attempts were made to adapt The Yellow M to film. Spanish director Álex de la Iglesia stated that he was working on an adaptation of the comic to be released around 2010, however this never came into fruition. At one point, surrounding rumours claimed that Hugh Laurie and Kiefer Sutherland were to play Blake and Mortimer respectively; Since then, however, nothing has come of this project.
In April 2024, it was announced that Belga Films would produce a live-action English-language film based on The Yellow M, with Cedric Nicolas-Troyan directing. In May 2025, Corey Mylchreest and Phil Dunster were cast as Blake and Mortimer. The film will shoot in the UK and Belgium in September 2025.
Games
In 2014, French publisher Ystari Games released the deduction and social table top board game Blake & Mortimer: Witness.
In 2011, French publishers Dargaud and Anuman Interactive launched the first video game adaptation of the Blake and Mortimer series, titled Blake and Mortimer: The Curse of the Thirty Denarii, a hidden objects game featuring both 3D and comic-strip environments.
Murals
In 2005, as part of the Brussels' Comic Book Route, a wall was designed in the Rue du Houblon/Hopstraat in Brussels, a reproduction of the one featured on the cover of The Yellow 'M'. It was designed by G. Oreopoulos and D. Vandegeerde.
Parodies
The main characters of Blake and Mortimer have made cameo appearances in various comic series, particularly those series that are set in the same period of history, the twilight of the British Empire. They are often a tribute to their creator, Edgar P. Jacobs.
For example, they make a one-off appearance in the Valérian adventure On the False Earths when the hero visits a Victorian London club.
Another example is the popular Belgian comic series concerning the adventures of MI5 agent Colonel Clifton. Clifton once featured in a story entitled Jade, published in 2003. In it he meets two characters called Blake and Mortimer, though even as caricatures they bear little resemblance (perhaps deliberately) to Jacob's originals. The story includes elements from the original books, such as the entrance to the secret passage from S.O.S. Météores and the cave that doubles as a submarine base in L'Affaire Francis Blake.
In 2005, Dargaud published a parody entitled Menaces sur l'Empire ("The Empire Under Threat"). This was a humorous presentation of the adventures of Blake and Mortimer and was not part of the canon (in fact, the space reserved for the series' title reads "Les Aventures de Philip et Francis" as opposed to "Les Aventures de Blake et Mortimer"). The jokes contained include:
Mortimer's attempts to break his diet, which his Indian manservant always thwarts, even from a long distance
Confusion over whether they are working for MI5 or MI6
The heroes catching Prime Minister Winston Churchill in bed, engaged in an affair with a young woman
A send-up of Bruce Lee's Game of Death
Two additional volumes of "Les Aventures de Philip et Francis" have followed, Le Piège machiavélique (2011) and S.O.S. Météo (2014).
Tigresse Blanche (White Tigress) by Yann and Conrad is another Belgian comic series featuring the adventures of a Chinese Communist woman spy in post-World War II China. It features a British agent, Sir Francis Flake, whose friend (based on Mortimer) gets drunk on the announcement of Indian independence.