Corto Maltese - Original Strip«La Jeunesse de Corto» - Loose page - (1981)

All collectors of original illustrations would undoubtedly be very proud to highlight in their library a ‘Strip’ or an ‘Original Plate’ of this remarkable album designed by Hugo Pratt in 1981: ‘La Jeunesse de Corto Maltese’. As the original illustrations of this album are rare on the market, very few collectors realized that these strips are quite large, 15 x 15 cm, and therefore more than 45 cm x15 cm for a whole strip, which makes the framings very spectacular. This album is very famous in Italy and in the French-speaking countries for the following reasons: - Pre-publication by individual strips in 1982 in Italy (magazine L’internauta: The Gionivezza) and in France (Le Matin de Paris) in 1981 and 1982 (A Suivre, Casterman) . - Many publications in albums and reissues in black and white + colour, for which illustrations found on the Internet are presented as documentation in this lot. - Exceptional encounter between Corto Maltese, Raspoutine and Jack London to make a mythical trio in the history of the European comics, only in this album. This strip is very evocative of this famous first war between Russia and Japan from 1904 to 1905 and, especially of this ambivalent atmosphere of end of war which starts from the first plate of this story, with Raspoutine killing a Japanese soldier while the end of the war is announced, and will serve as a framework of the whole story. . . Hugo Pratt had the intelligence to mix fictional characters, such as Corto Maltese,. . . . with other characters more rooted in reality, like Jack London, the American. . . and the Russian Rasputin. For this strip, the presence of Raspoutine in the 3 panels is exceptional, and Raspoutine does have the central role in this strip: ‘I have to invent something before it is too late. . . The war is over. . and they are all buddies like before. . . Except for those who revolt . . . like me. . . . ’. Large-size strip, original texts in Italian with Pratt's original handwriting in pencil, not erased, which is a ‘little miracle’, since this strip was published several times in French in various books. This very decorative lot is very attractive for an Italian or French collector. It will be impressive with a nice frame that will enhance the prestige of a large collection. Guaranteed 100% authentic by Bernard Soetens, international Hergé expert and editor of the "Catalogue Scriptura" of sale of comics and original drawings to Luxembourg for more than 25 years, (Catalogue sent on simple request to Bernard. soetens@icloud. com) this remarkable Strip of Hugo Pratt is an opportunity to enhance a collection of original drawings of high quality. Free registered shipping worldwide with INSURANCE, and of course, to Italy. . .