The Adventures of Alix


Alix, or The Adventures of Alix, is a Franco-Belgian comics series drawn in the ligne claire style by Jacques Martin. The stories revolve around a young Gallo-Roman man named Alix in the late Roman Republic. Although the series is renowned for its historical accuracy and stunning set detail, the hero has been known to wander into anachronistic situations up to two centuries out of his era. The stories unfold throughout the reaches of the Roman world, including the city of Rome, Gaul, the German frontier, Mesopotamia, Africa and Asia Minor. One voyage goes as far as China.

Characters and story

Alix is stunning, fearless, generous and devoted to just causes. Born in Gaul, separated from his parents and sold into slavery, he is later adopted by a Roman noble contemporary to Julius Caesar. This mixed background provides Alix with an identity crisis and divided loyalties, especially in the context of the founding myths of French nationalism revolving around Vercingetorix.
In the second adventure Alix is joined by Enak, a slightly younger Egyptian orphan, who remains his constant companion and sounding board. Originally forbidden to have a female companion by the 1949 law governing children's literature, Alix later finds himself entangled with amorous women, but he always hesitates to commit. The pursuit of social justice provides a pretext for moving on.

The authors

created the Alix series as one of his earliest heroes, and he continued solo conception, plot, dialogue and illustration for 50 years, even while developing other series such as Lefranc. Due to failing eyesight and advancing age, since 1998 Martin gradually retired from the series, turning over tasks to various assistants. Rafael Morales became his first assistant, taking charge of the final illustrations with some assistance by Marc Henniquiau, while Martin continued writing the stories and performing the first sketches and layouts.
In 2006, Martin turned over the final writing task to François Maingoval, while still conceiving the main storyline in rough draft form. In 2008, Maingoval shifted his attention to a spin-off series Alix raconte, while Patrick Weber assumed the mantle of writing the main Alix series.

Characters

  • Alix Graccus: the hero of the series in the title role, pure of heart, perpetually sixteen and wise for his years.
  • Enak: a boy of fourteen, who meets Alix in Le sphinx d'or. Not originally intended as a principal character, he becomes Alix's constant and faithful companion.
  • Arbacès: sworn enemy of the heroes, this crafty and cruel Greek keeps turning up in their path.
  • Julius Caesar: friend and protector of Alix, the latter nevertheless finds himself sometimes torn between just causes and the interests of the great man.
  • Pompey: Caesar's rival, he repeatedly seeks to eliminate Alix, obviously without succeeding to end the series.
  • Vanik: cousin of Alix.
  • Astorix: Gallic chieftain, and father of Alix, not to be confused with Asterix, who was created over a decade later.
  • Honorus Galla: Roman governor, friend and loyal lieutenant of Julius Caesar, who adopted Alix as his son.
  • Heraklion: an orphan approximately the same age as Enak, entrusted to Alix's care after the death of Heraklion's mother who was a Grecian queen.

    ''Alix'' titles

The series first appeared as a serial in the Franco-Belgian comics magazine Tintin on 16 September 1948. Three more adventures appeared before Les Editions du Lombard began reissuing them in hardcover book form. Lapsing in 1959, Lombard turned over rights to Casterman in 1965. After going out of print for several years, the earlier Lombard volumes were also reintroduced to new readers in 1969–1973. As Tintin magazine declined in sales and popularity, Vercingetorix was the last Alix story to appear in its pages. Thereafter Alix was only published in book form.

''The Adventures of Alix'' by Jacques Martin as sole creator

TitleTintinLombardCasterman
1. Alix l'intrépide1948–194919561973
2. Le sphinx d'or1949–195019561971
3. L'île maudite1951–195219571969
4. La tiare d'Oribal1955–195619581969
5. La griffe noire1958–195919591965
6. Les légions perdues1962–19631965
7. Le dernier Spartiate1966–19671967
8. Le tombeau étrusque1967–19681968
9. Le dieu sauvage19691970
10. Iorix le grand1971–19721972
11. Le prince du Nil19731974
12. Le fils de Spartacus19741975
13. Le spectre de Carthage19761977
14. Les proies du volcan19771978
15. L'enfant grec19791980
16. La tour de Babel1981
17. L'empereur de Chine1983
18. Vercingétorix1985
19. Le cheval de Troie1988
20. Ô Alexandrie1996

''The adventures of Alix'' by Jacques Martin with collaborators

TitleYearScriptIllustration
21. Les barbares1998Jacques MartinRafael Moralès
Marc Henniquiau
22. La chute d'Icare2001Jacques MartinRafael Moralès
Marc Henniquiau
23. Le fleuve de jade2003Jacques MartinRafael Moralès
Marc Henniquiau
24. Roma, Roma...2005Jacques MartinRafael Moralès
Marc Henniquiau
25. C'était à Khorsabad2006François MaingovalCédric Hervan
Christophe Simon
26. L'Ibère2007François Maingoval
Patrick Weber		Christophe Simon
27. Le démon de Pharos2008Patrick WeberChristophe Simon
28. La Cité engloutie2009Patrick WeberFerry

''The adventures of Alix'' without Jacques Martin

TitleYearScriptIllustration
29. Le testament de César2010Marco VenanziMarco Venanzi
30. La Conjuration de Baal2011Michel LafonChristophe Simon
31. L'Ombre de Sarapis2012François CorteggianiMarco Venanzi
32. La derniere conquete2013Geraldine RanouilMarc Jailloux, Corinne Billon
33. Britannia2014Mathieu BredaMarc Jailloux
34. Par-dela le Styx2015Mathieu BredaMarc Jailloux
35. L'or de Saturne2016Pierre ValmourMarco Venanzi
36. Le Serment du gladiateur2017Mathieu BredaMarc Jailloux
37. '2018David B.Giorgio Albertini
38. '2019Mathieu BredaMarc Jailloux
39. '2020David B.Giorgio Albertini
40. '2021Valérie ManginChrys Millien
41. 2023Valérie ManginChrys Millien

''Alix'' in English

Alix has seen little translation into English. In 1971 the London publisher Ward Lock & Co issued two titles, The Sacred Helmet, and The Black Claw. These books are now considered relatively rare. Two more titles, The Lost Legions, and The Altar of Fire were also projected for publication that year, but never appeared. A reviewer for the Times Literary Supplement found Alix singularly lacking in humour compared to Asterix, effectively killing prospects for continued publication in a market not yet accustomed to the wider Franco-Belgian tradition.

''Alix'' in other languages

The strip has been translated into several other European languages, such as Portuguese, German, Dutch, Spanish, Greek Finnish, Danish, Swedish - at least 9 books, Italian, English, Icelandic, Catalan. It was also translated into other languages such as Indonesian, Vietnamese and Chinese. Le fils de Spartacus has been published in Latin as Spartaci Filius. The name of Alix in Dutch language is Alex.
In Sweden, Alix was presumably the second most popular adventure albums, after Tintin. However, the funny magazines Asterix and Lucky Luke sold better than Alix.

Works not in series

  • L'odyssée d'Alix, by Jacques Martin.

    Spin-offs

''Les Voyages d'Alix''

This series depicts the culture and geography of antiquity with illustrations inspired by the adventures of Alix. Printed in full colour on higher quality stock than the comics series, these books aim to educate in a style identical to Jacques Martin's. Alix and Enak can frequently be seen in various settings. At least some of these books have been available in English, for example "Egypt ", though they may now be out of print.
  1. Rome 1
  2. L'Égypte 1
  3. La marine antique 1
  4. La Grèce 1
  5. La Grèce 2
  6. Rome 2
  7. La marine antique 2
  8. Le costume antique 1
  9. L'Égypte 2
  10. Le costume antique 2
  11. Carthage
  12. Athènes
  13. Le costume antique 3
  14. Jérusalem
  15. Pompéi 1
  16. Persépolis
  17. Pétra
  18. Les Mayas
  19. Les Étrusques
  20. Les Jeux Olympiques
  21. Les Mayas 2
  22. Les Aztèques
  23. Lutèce
  24. Les Vikings
  25. Les Incas
  26. Les Étrusques 2
  27. La Chine
  28. Alexandre le conquerant 1
  29. L'Egypt 3
  30. Lugdunum
  31. Orange-Vaison-La-Romaine
  32. Vienna
  33. Nimes - Le Pont du Gard
  34. Aquae Sextiae
  35. ''Babylone - Mesopotamie''