An original and complete issue of the Journal de Tintin, N° 515, French Dargaud edition, dated 4 September 1958. It is the most significant single issue of the four 1958 magazines in this collection: the launch issue of "Dan Cooper — Cap sur Mars" by Albert Weinberg. It also carries the continuing serialization of "S.O.S. Météores!", an illustrated biography of aviation pioneer Henry Farman, and an industrial feature on the Renault tractor factory at Le Mans. Four distinct collecting categories in a single expanded 36-page issue.
The Cover
The cover is by Albert Weinberg, creator of Dan Cooper and one of the most accomplished aviation and science-fiction illustrators of the Belgian comics tradition. The scene is pure space-age drama: two astronauts in yellow spacesuits stand on a rocky alien surface beneath a vast orange-red Mars. A small blue planet is visible in the star-filled black void above, with a spacecraft in the lower left corner.
The bold orange typography of "CAP SUR MARS!" announces the launch of the new story with the confident graphic energy of the best postwar science-fiction illustration. The black space ground, the vivid orange planet, and the bold title make this one of the most immediately striking covers of the entire 1958 series. A yellow banner announces "36 PAGES — Sciences et Techniques — Actualités et...", confirming this as a special expanded issue.
Blake and Mortimer
The back cover carries the continuing serialization of "S.O.S. Météores!" by E.P. Jacobs. It is a tense episode moving from a charged indoor confrontation in a Paris apartment, through a blizzard sequence in the snow-covered streets, to a dramatic door-bursting "AAAH!!!" moment of classic Jacobs suspense. It is rendered throughout in his characteristic combination of precise draftsmanship, cinematic panel composition, and full color of great richness.
Dan Cooper: Cap sur Mars
The interior's headline story is the first episode of "Dan Cooper dans: Cap sur Mars" by Albert Weinberg, the launch of one of the most celebrated stories in the Dan Cooper canon. The opening sequence establishes the scenario with confident narrative energy. Dan Cooper is recruited at a Swedish space exhibition for a secret mission to pilot a spacecraft to Mars, briefed by military officers, and the story is set in motion with the telephone call that will change everything. A Citroën DS and Renault Dauphine appear in the street scenes, period automotive details of characteristic Weinberg precision. This is the first published episode of Cap sur Mars, a launch issue in the full collector sense of the term.
Henry Farman and the Renault Factory
The interior also carries a magnificent double-page illustrated biography of Henry Farman by Fernand Cheneval. Farman was the Franco-British aviation pioneer who made the first officially observed circular kilometre flight in Europe on 13 January 1908, published here exactly fifty years after that historic achievement. The spread traces his career from early cycling and automobile racing through his collaboration with the Voisin brothers and his historic flight at Issy-les-Moulineaux.
The Sciences et Techniques section features a detailed photo-illustrated report on "À l'usine Renault du Mans — 100 Tracteurs par Jour". It covers the Renault tractor assembly line at Le Mans, with full technical specifications of the four base models. It is a significant period industrial document, cross-collectible with Renault and French industrial history collectors.
Condition
Good for age, a well-read copy with honest wear consistent with 68 years. The interior pages are complete and intact, age-toned newsprint throughout, with color pages strong and clear. The cover shows the primary condition issues: a significant horizontal crease across the lower third with surface scuffing and ink loss along the fold line, corner creasing and ink loss at the lower right, and scattered handling marks on the black cover ground. The spine shows creasing consistent with a well-read copy. These condition issues are clearly shown in the photographs and fully reflected in the price. They do not affect the interior content, which is the primary collector value of this issue.
Key Details
Type: Original vintage comics magazine — complete issue
Publication: Journal de Tintin — Le Journal des Jeunes de 7 à 77 ans
Publisher: G. Dargaud, Paris (French edition) / Éditions du Lombard, Brussels
Issue: N° 515 (French Dargaud edition) — special 36-page expanded issue
Date: 4 September 1958
Language: French
Dimensions: 21 × 30 cm / 8 × 12 in
Cover: Albert Weinberg — "Cap sur Mars!" space cover; astronauts on Mars surface; black ground with orange Mars and bold orange typography
Key content: Albert Weinberg "Dan Cooper: Cap sur Mars" first episode, launch issue; E.P. Jacobs "S.O.S. Météores!" (Blake & Mortimer), blizzard and confrontation sequence, full color; Fernand Cheneval "Henry Farman" double-page illustrated aviation biography; "À l'usine Renault du Mans — 100 Tracteurs par Jour" industrial feature
Condition: Good for age — interior complete and intact; cover with horizontal crease, corner crease, and surface scuffing on black ground; spine creased
Collectibility: Launch issue of Dan Cooper "Cap sur Mars"; Jacobs/Blake & Mortimer serialization; Henry Farman aviation cross-collectible; Renault Le Mans industrial cross-collectible; 36-page expanded issue
Why It's Special
This is the launch issue of one of the most celebrated stories in the Dan Cooper canon, with a striking space cover by Weinberg. It layers three further collecting threads on top: a Jacobs serial, a Farman aviation biography, and a Renault industrial feature. For collectors of European comics and period documents alike, a launch issue in its original publication context is the primary target.
One Royal Art
At One Royal Art, we curate distinctive vintage pieces with care. This original Journal de Tintin is ready to join a collection or a home that loves character. Thank you for visiting our store.
