Fanspot
Tower of London
“London trembles under the mischief done by “The Yellow M,” a malefactor of strength and skill beyond the reach of a human being!“
The Yellow “M”, Edgar P. Jacobs
Blake & Mortimer, a striking duo from the Tintin newspaper
The story of Blake & Mortimer began in Belgium, between the pages of Bravo magazine, where Edgar P. Jacobs published The U Ray. If the characters Philip Mortimer and Francis Blake do not appear, the themes and the inclination of the writing announce the beginning of the saga of the two famous investigators.
It was in 1946, in the Journal de Tintin, that Jacobs gave birth to them with The Secret of Swordfish, a story later published in album format in 1950. The next one, The Mystery of the Great Pyramid, was a hit with the already numerous fans, between March 1950 and May 1952, still in the magazine, before landing in bookshops in 1954.
From M to The Yellow “M”
In August 1953, the first episode of The Yellow “M” definitively established Blake & Mortimer as one of the most fascinating characters in Belgian comics. A remarkable album on many levels, notably because the artist draws for the first time entirely monochrome images.
A way for Edgar P. Jacobs to pay tribute to the expressionist cinema of the 1920s that he loves, but also to works such as M, to which the famous signature of the thief that the heroes are chasing obviously refers.
The Tower of London is the scene of the theft of the century
More overtly fantastical than other stories such as The Necklace Affair, for example, The Yellow “M” gives the author the opportunity to explore some of London’s most iconic locations, such as King’s Cross Station and of course the Tower of London. Where the thief breaks in to take the imperial crown…
This fortress where the jewels of the British Crown are kept is the ideal place to start a thriller of which only Edgar P. Jacobs has the secret.
The former professional baritone, then later assistant to Hergé, imagines a chase between the mysterious M of the Yellow Mark and the detective duo.
The Tower of London is protected by 7 large domesticated crows (Munin, Jubilee, Gripp, Harris, Rocky, Erin and Merlina).
Tower of London
The Tower of London is a historic fortress located on the north bank of the Thames, near Tower Bridge.
The foundation of the Tower of London dates back to 1066. A monument commissioned by William the Conqueror as part of the Norman conquest of England, constantly enhanced with new elements over the years. One of the most spectacular is the White Tower, a real fortress used as a prison but also as a royal residence. The ramparts and moat protect the building from outside attacks. Many years later, after several assaults, the Tower of London was used by the Royal Mint, an agency in charge of minting the kingdom’s currency, and then as a case for the crown jewels, which are still there today. Famous for having served as a prison, feared and feared, the Tower of London has since redeemed itself. Its opening to the public dates from the end of the renovations caused by the bombings during the Blitz in 1940 and 1941. A must-see UNESCO site where millions of visitors flock every year. So far, none of them has dared to steal the Queen’s jewels, even if it was just a thought.
The Fantrippers Buying Board
Fanspots Stories London [French Edition]
Fanspots Stories London Fanspots is a collection of legendary images from movies, TV shows, music, comics and novels.
These are often anonymous places these are that have become world-famous thanks to pop culture, to the point where they are now inseparable from the works they were used to set.
Discover the secrets of the cult locations of the greatest pop culture masterpieces in London!
Cosmopolitan, buzzing and galvanizing, London offers designers a wealth of inspiration to draw from. Culture quickly took over London and made it its playground. Directors and scriptwriters, novelists and cartoonists, musicians and composers, many were born in the English capital or have settled there to exploit its magnificence and thus continue to write its legend. The secrets of a hundred of these places are revealed in this second volume of the Fanspots Stories series.
Did you know that?
Did you know that the legendary album Abbey Road should have been called Everest but the Beatles did not want to be photographed at the foot of the Himalayas and opted for simplicity by staying at home; that the The Rolling Stones refused to allow Bill Wyman, their former bass player, to name his restaurant Satisfaction that the introduction of 28 Days Later, in a deserted London was shot without any special effects; that the pig-shaped balloon on the cover of the album Animals from Pink Floyd caused an interruption in air traffic; that Bob Dylan recorded the first video clip in the history of music in London: that John Landis obtained permission to film The Werewolf of London in the British capital after hosting a screening of Blues Brothers for 300 members of the police force; that the Sherlock was never shot in Baker Street; that Paddington has its origins at the foot of a Christmas tree; or that The Portrait of Dorian Gray caused a scandal on its release and became the target of censorship?
Fanspots Stories LondonIt’s also
The apartment of Bridget Jones, the bookstore of Notting Hill…the 9 3⁄4-inch platform of Harry Potter MI6 from James Bond, the shop Kingsman, John Steed’s apartment in The Avengers, UNIT headquarters in Doctor Who, the London park of Sense8, the cemetery in Back to Black of Amy Winehouse, the address of the cover of Ziggy Stardust and the spiders from Mars by David Bowie, the pub of From Hell, the lair of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, the cemetery of Dracula, station in the War of the Worlds, 221 Baker Street and Sherlock Holmes…
Put together by a team of pop culture experts and packed with anecdotes, Fanspots Stories London tells more than just a story: it’s some of the most fascinating stories in pop culture.
Content quality
Interest for fans
Value for money
Discover all the places La marque jaune on our map
By Gilles Rolland
Passionné de cinéma, de rock and roll, de séries TV et de littérature. Rédacteur de presse et auteur des livres Le Heavy Metal au cinéma, Paroles de fans Guns N' Roses, Paroles de fans Rammstein et Welcome to my Jungle : 100 albums rock et autres anecdotes dépareillées. Adore également voyager à la recherche des lieux les plus emblématiques de la pop culture.