Thorgal
Encyclopedia
Thorgal is a critically acclaimed Belgian comic book
series by the Belgian
writer Jean Van Hamme
and the Polish
graphic artist Grzegorz Rosiński
. It first appeared in serial form in the "Tintin
" magazine in 1977, and has been published in hardcover volumes by Le Lombard
from 1980 on. Translations exist in English
, Dutch
, German
, Italian
, Polish
, Czech
, Danish
, Finnish
(in the Finnish "The Phantom
" comic), Swedish
(in the Swedish "The Phantom" comic), Norwegian
(in the Norwegian "The Phantom" comic), Turkish
, Greek
and other languages. In 2002, a new story was invented for a point-and-click adventure game
, titled Thorgal: Curse of Atlantis
, that was released for Windows
by Cryo Interactive Entertainment.
The comic unites many themes and legends into one consistent world, ranging from Norse mythology
and Atlantean
fantasy
to science fiction
, and including such genres as dark drama
, horror
and adventure
stories.
Thorgal is one of the most popular French language comics. In 2006, Album 29 was the fifth best selling new comic in French, with 280,000 copies published.
After of being lost at sea, the ship of Viking
leader Leif Haraldson suddenly finds its way home, guided by a mysterious light in the fog. To the supersticious Vikings, the light is seen as a sign from the gods. Once on shore, they find a sort of capsule, which appears to be the source of the mysterious light. Leif opens the capsule and finds a newborn baby boy. He names the child Thor-gal Aegirs-son, after Thor
, the Norse God of Thunder, and Aegir, the ruler of the sea, because he considers Thorgal to be a gift from the Gods. Leif takes Thorgal under his care as his adoptive son.
As Thorgal grows up, he is curious about his origins and often ostracized by his peers for not being a "real" Viking. On his sixth birthday, Leif gives him two strange artifacts taken from the capsule he was found in. One is a jewel made from the metal that doesn't exist. The jewel brings Thorgal on his first adventure, and binds his fate forever with that of Aaricia (his future wife). When Thorgal is twelve, the other gift prompts him to visit an old wiseman, who reveals to Thorgal his origins and true identity. He tells him that he's one of the last survivors of a group of technologically advanced space-farers who came to the planet in search of new energy sources. His people have great supernatural powers like changing the molecular composition of matter with their mind; powers that Thorgal himself seems not to have. Thorgal learns about his real parents and grandfather, and the events that preceded his birth. The old man decides to erase Thorgal's memory of their encounter and the knowledge he just learned, believing that it will be better for Thorgal to grow up as a "normal" Viking boy with no supernatural powers. Thorgal, however, continues to grow up as curious and conflicted about his true identity as ever.
Soon after this event Leif Haraldson dies and Gandalf the Mad is chosen as his successor. Gandalf repeatedly tries to get rid of Thorgal, because - as he constantly reminds everyone - Thorgal is an outsider and not of Viking blood. In reality, Gandlaf feels threatened because Thorgal is Leif's heir. In the meantime, Thorgal's relationship with Aaricia, Gandalf's daughter, develops and strengthens. While her wishes do not have much influence on her father, she is able to save Thorgal from certain death (by her father's hand) through her determination and ingenuity.
The first album of the series starts some years later, when Thorgal is already an adult, and Gandalf devises a plan to kill him after realizing how deep the love his daughter has for Thorgal really is.
at last and finding peace in the only home he knows: the Viking village of his adopted father. In order to save his father's life, however, Jolan must strike a bargain with a half-God and enter his services upon his family's return to Midgard. The story ends with a somber but understanding farewell between Thorgal and Jolan which Thorgal simply defines as the inevitable way a grown child must take: to set out on his own path in life.
The new writer of the series is Yves Sente
. The next few episodes are going to center around Jolan rather than Thorgal and this is set up in Sacrifice, afterwards his father is to return. The series will continue under the same title.
Second spin-off
would be based on stories related to Louve, daughter of Thorgal. Patrick Laumond was approached to create drawings for the first volume. However, the demonstration board he provided has not been accepted and the project is currently postponed.
Cinebook Ltd
has begun reprinting the series starting with Child of the Stars and Aaricia in 2007.
Franco-Belgian comics
Franco-Belgian comics are comics that are created in Belgium and France. These countries have a long tradition in comics and comic books, where they are known as BDs, an abbreviation of bande dessinée in French and stripverhalen in Dutch...
series by the Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
writer Jean Van Hamme
Jean Van Hamme
Jean Van Hamme is a Belgian novelist and comic book writer. He has written scripts for a number of Belgian/French comic series, including Histoire sans héros, Thorgal, XIII and Largo Winch.-Early years:...
and the Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
graphic artist Grzegorz Rosiński
Grzegorz Rosinski
Grzegorz Rosiński is a Polish comic book artist. He is best known for the series Thorgal.-Early life:Grzegorz Rosiński was born in Stalowa Wola in 1941...
. It first appeared in serial form in the "Tintin
Tintin (magazine)
Le journal de Tintin or Kuifje , was a weekly Belgian comics magazine of the second half of the 20th century...
" magazine in 1977, and has been published in hardcover volumes by Le Lombard
Le Lombard
Le Lombard or Lombard Editions is a Belgian comic book publisher established in 1946 when the Tintin magazine was launched. In 1986 the company was acquired by Média-Participations.-Titles:Lombard's more famous series include:*Clifton...
from 1980 on. Translations exist in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
, Czech
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
, Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
, Finnish
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
(in the Finnish "The Phantom
The Phantom
The Phantom is an American adventure comic strip created by Lee Falk, also creator of Mandrake the Magician. A popular feature adapted into many media, including television, film and video games, it stars a costumed crimefighter operating from the fictional African country Bengalla.The Phantom is...
" comic), Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
(in the Swedish "The Phantom" comic), Norwegian
Norwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
(in the Norwegian "The Phantom" comic), Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
, Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
and other languages. In 2002, a new story was invented for a point-and-click adventure game
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
, titled Thorgal: Curse of Atlantis
Thorgal: Curse of Atlantis
Thorgal: Curse of Atlantis is an adventure video game released in 2002. It was developed by Cryo Interactive Entertainment and published by Le Lombard....
, that was released for Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
by Cryo Interactive Entertainment.
The comic unites many themes and legends into one consistent world, ranging from Norse mythology
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
and Atlantean
Atlantis
Atlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
to science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
, and including such genres as dark drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
, horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
and adventure
Adventure
An adventure is defined as an exciting or unusual experience; it may also be a bold, usually risky undertaking, with an uncertain outcome. The term is often used to refer to activities with some potential for physical danger, such as skydiving, mountain climbing and or participating in extreme sports...
stories.
Thorgal is one of the most popular French language comics. In 2006, Album 29 was the fifth best selling new comic in French, with 280,000 copies published.
Central characters of the series
- Thorgal Aegirsson: Son of Varth and Hayne, grandson of Xargos -captain of a spaceship on a way to Earth in search of energy sources. Raised by Vikings (after the spaceship crashed on Earth) but not one of them, he shows traits of character and morality that many Vikings consider those of a weak man. In reality, if needs be, he's a courageous and skillful warrior with amazing archery skills. His life's goal is to find a place for himself and his family to live in peace, but the gods seem to have cursed him with a life full of danger and supernatural influences. For a time they strip him of his memory, and he becomes the pirate lord Shaigan, though his compassionate personality remained unchanged.
- Aaricia: Thorgal's wife and daughter of Viking leader Gandalf the Mad. She is bound to Thorgal from the moment of her birth by a magic object named Tjahzi's Tears. Aaricia is a spirited, strongwilled woman, and she loves her family dearly despite all the mishaps Thorgal's fate has brought to their lives.
- Jolan: Thorgal's son who possesses supernatural powers - the heritage of Thorgal's mysterious ancestry. During the majority of the series, his power is limited to molecular agitation (usually disintegrating objects), and although at first not entirely in control of it, he gradually learns to use it deliberately.
- Louve: Thorgal and Aaricia's daughter. She has the ability to communicate with animals.
- Kriss of Valnor: young, beautiful, unscrupulous and deadly warrioress, incredible with a bow. She first appears in the 9th album, "The Archers" and re-appears intermittently in the following albums. She is in some ways Thorgal's greatest foe, trying to hurt him and his family out of pure hate, but sometimes showing hints of admiration and even secret love for Thorgal. When Thorgal loses his memory, she tricks him into believing they are married, and convinces Thorgal he is the ruthless pirate lord Shaigan. She becomes pregnant with his son shortly before Thorgal regains his memory and leaves to find his family. Later, she ends up as a slave in ByzantiumByzantiumByzantium was an ancient Greek city, founded by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzas . The name Byzantium is a Latinization of the original name Byzantion...
and sacrifices her life to help Thorgal's family escape from the same slave pits. However, even after her demise her story is to haunt Thorgal's family in adventures to come. Her father Kahaniel of Valnor sired her to be able to reincarnate in his first-born male descendant, Aniel. - Aniel: the child son of Thorgal and Kriss of Valnor, conceived while Thorgal lived as the pirate lord Shaigan Without Mercy. He and his mother fell prey to Byzantian slavers, and his vocal cords were cut to forestall crying, leaving him mute. Later, Kriss and Aniel escaped the slave pits with Aaricia, Jolan and Louve, who had also been brought there. When Kriss was wounded by her pursuers and prepared to make her last standLast standLast stand is a loose military term used to describe a body of troops holding a defensive position in the face of overwhelming odds. The defensive force usually takes very heavy casualties or is completely destroyed, as happened in "Custer's Last Stand" at the Battle of Little Big HornBryan Perrett...
, she asked Aaricia to take care of her son. Aaricia agreed and took Aniel in as one of her own children.
Other important characters
- Ogotai aka Varth: the war-loving, merciless "god" brought by the sea into the land of Qâ (a presumably South American pre-Columbian civilization). He leads his people into countless conquests of the neighboring tribes and orders endless human sacrifices to himself. He has superior intelligence, knowledge of highly advanced technology, and supernatural powers, which he uses to trick people into believing he is a true god. In reality, he is a grief-stricken, crazed man, driven by the vengeance against the planet he believes responsible for the death of his beloved wife and son.
- Tanatloc aka Xargos: another "god" living in the land of Qâ. He is the nemesis of Ogotai, with whom he shares a secret past. He is kept hidden from his people.
- Darek and Lehla: brother and sister children of banished Vikings who met Aaricia and her family after they had been banished from their village following Shaigan's raids against their people. They joined Thorgal and his family on their journey, but after a few adventures they decided to stay behind on an island Thorgal and Louve had just liberated from a tyrant (Issue 24, Arachneà). Lehla has become Jolan's first sweetheart, and their parting was a heart-felt one.
- The Key Guardian: a powerful magician, who is (or maybe just assumes the form of) a beautiful woman. The gods have entrusted her with the task of guarding the passages between worlds. She walks between the worlds, wearing nothing but a golden girdleGirdleA girdle is a garment that encircles the lower torso, perhaps extending below the hips, and worn often for support. The word girdle originally meant a belt. In modern English, the term girdle is most commonly used for a form of women's foundation wear that replaced the corset in popularity...
that grants her powers and immortality. She has (like many other female characters appearing in the series) a crush on Thorgal, but she respects his loyalty to his family. - Tjall (called by some people Tjall-The-Fiery): the young, hot-headed nephew of Treefoot and friend of Thorgal. An excellent archer with a good heart and a silly mind, who has a crush on Kriss. He later dies while accompanying Thorgal to the City of the Lost God (issue 12), saving him from a raging mob.
- Shaniah: a teenage girl from a village enamored in the adult and married Thorgal. Out of jealousy she causes a great tragedy in Thorgal's life, but later redeems herself by giving her own life for his.
- Gandalf the Mad: Aaricia's father and king of the Vikings of the North. He became the leader of his tribe after Thorgal's adoptive father's death. Greedy, cruel and mad, he makes repeated attempts at Thorgal's life, whom he perceives a threat to the legitimacy of his own rule.
- Tiago and Ileniya: brother and sister descendants of a group of space-farers who had landed on MidgardMidgardMidgard is one of the Nine Worlds and is an old Germanic name for our world and is the home of Humans, with the literal meaning "middle enclosure".-Etymology:...
and formed the fabled kingdom of AtlantisAtlantisAtlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
. They foiled their elders' plan to enslave the world and travelled together with Thorgal and his family. Soon afterwards, however, they were all taken as slaves to a Byzantinian governor and his sadistic son Heraclius, who made Ilyena his personal 'pet". When Tiago tried to stop Heraclius from abusing his sister, the nobleman murdered him; in revenge, Ileniya killed Heraclius later on and, facing imminent death, joined her brother by throwing herself off a cliff. - Snake Nidhogg: a powerful, mythological monster creature, which Thorgal dared to go against in his youth with the help of the goddess FriggFriggFrigg is a major goddess in Norse paganism, a subset of Germanic paganism. She is said to be the wife of Odin, and is the "foremost among the goddesses" and the queen of Asgard. Frigg appears primarily in Norse mythological stories as a wife and a mother. She is also described as having the power...
. Based on NíðhöggrNíðhöggrIn Norse mythology, Níðhöggr is a dragon who gnaws at a root of the World Tree, Yggdrasill.-Prose Edda:...
from Norse mythologyNorse mythologyNorse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
. - Treefoot: a warrior past his prime and with a pegleg, but still an exceptional archer and bowmaker. One of Thorgal's few friends.
- Volsung of Nichor: A cunning, treacherous schemer. He first appears as Thorgal's competitor in Three Elders of Aran, but apparently dies in the tests they have to face. Actually, Nidhogg saves him to be her servant; his mission is to gain the Girdle of Immortality from the Guardian of the Keys. For betraying her, she transforms Volsung into a toad and keeps him with her trapped in the neverness.
- Muff: A dog that belongs to Jolan & Louve. He appears for the last time in "The Blue Sickness", when he stayed on the island of Our Ground, together with Darek de Svear and his sister Lehla, because he was too old to travel any further.
- Alinoë: Appeared in the volume of the same name as a violent, primitive boy with green hair and was revealed to be part of Jolan's imagination and he vanished when Jolan's mysterious bracelet was removed by Thorgal.
- Manthor: a Viking Half-God who cures Thorgal in "Sacrifice". He is the son of Kahaniel of Valnor and the half-brother of Kriss of Valnor.
- Vigrid: One of the lesser Gods of Asgard who is indebted towards Aaricia for having helped him after having gone blind. He repays this debt by helping her husband reach Manthor and bringing her back to her ancestral home.
Thorgal's youth
(recalling episodes of Thorgal's life presented in short stories from albums 7 & 14)After of being lost at sea, the ship of Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
leader Leif Haraldson suddenly finds its way home, guided by a mysterious light in the fog. To the supersticious Vikings, the light is seen as a sign from the gods. Once on shore, they find a sort of capsule, which appears to be the source of the mysterious light. Leif opens the capsule and finds a newborn baby boy. He names the child Thor-gal Aegirs-son, after Thor
Thor
In Norse mythology, Thor is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing, and fertility...
, the Norse God of Thunder, and Aegir, the ruler of the sea, because he considers Thorgal to be a gift from the Gods. Leif takes Thorgal under his care as his adoptive son.
As Thorgal grows up, he is curious about his origins and often ostracized by his peers for not being a "real" Viking. On his sixth birthday, Leif gives him two strange artifacts taken from the capsule he was found in. One is a jewel made from the metal that doesn't exist. The jewel brings Thorgal on his first adventure, and binds his fate forever with that of Aaricia (his future wife). When Thorgal is twelve, the other gift prompts him to visit an old wiseman, who reveals to Thorgal his origins and true identity. He tells him that he's one of the last survivors of a group of technologically advanced space-farers who came to the planet in search of new energy sources. His people have great supernatural powers like changing the molecular composition of matter with their mind; powers that Thorgal himself seems not to have. Thorgal learns about his real parents and grandfather, and the events that preceded his birth. The old man decides to erase Thorgal's memory of their encounter and the knowledge he just learned, believing that it will be better for Thorgal to grow up as a "normal" Viking boy with no supernatural powers. Thorgal, however, continues to grow up as curious and conflicted about his true identity as ever.
Soon after this event Leif Haraldson dies and Gandalf the Mad is chosen as his successor. Gandalf repeatedly tries to get rid of Thorgal, because - as he constantly reminds everyone - Thorgal is an outsider and not of Viking blood. In reality, Gandlaf feels threatened because Thorgal is Leif's heir. In the meantime, Thorgal's relationship with Aaricia, Gandalf's daughter, develops and strengthens. While her wishes do not have much influence on her father, she is able to save Thorgal from certain death (by her father's hand) through her determination and ingenuity.
The first album of the series starts some years later, when Thorgal is already an adult, and Gandalf devises a plan to kill him after realizing how deep the love his daughter has for Thorgal really is.
Jean Van Hamme (story) and Grzegorz Rosiński (drawings)
- 1. La Magicienne Trahie - (The Sorceress BetrayedThe Sorceress BetrayedThe Sorceress Betrayed is the first album of Thorgal, a popular European comic book series , written by a Belgian writer Jean Van Hamme and the Polish graphic artist Grzegorz Rosiński. It was first published in 1980 by Le Lombard under the title "La Magicienne Trahie"...
) (incl. another story: "Almost Paradise") (1980) - 2. L'Ile des Mers gelées - (The Island of Frozen SeasThe Island of Frozen SeasThe Island of Frozen Seas is the second album of Thorgal, a popular European comic book series, written by a Belgian writer Jean Van Hamme and the Polish graphic artist Grzegorz Rosiński. It was first published in 1980 by Le Lombard under the title "L'lle Des Mers Gelees"...
) (1980) - 3. Les Trois Vieillards du pays d'Aran - (Three Elders of The Land of Aran) (1981)
- 4. La Galère Noire - (The Black Galley) (1982) (start of the Brek Zarith story arc)
- 5. Au-delà des Ombres - (Beyond the Land of Shadows) (1983)
- 6. La chute de Brek Zarith - (The Fall of Brek Zarith) (1984) (end of the Brek Zarith story arc)
- 7. L'enfant des étoiles - (The Child of the Stars) (1984) (3 short stories from Thorgal's youth)
- 8. Alinoë (1985)
- 9. Les Archers - (The Archers) (1985)
- 10. Le Pays Qâ - (The Land of Qâ) (1986) (start of the Qâ story arc)
- 11. Les Yeux de Tanatloc - (The Eyes of Tanatloc) (1986)
- 12. La Cité du Dieu Perdu - (City of the Lost God) (1987)
- 13. Entre Terre et Lumière - (Between Earth and Light) (1988) (end of the Qâ story arc)
- 14. Aaricia (1989) (4 short stories from Aaricia's youth)
- 15. Le Maître des Montagnes - (The Lord of the Mountains) (1989)
- 16. Louve - (She-Wolf) (1990)
- 17. La Gardienne des Clés - (The Key Guardian) (1991)
- 18. L'épée-soleil - (The Sun-sword) (1992)
- 19. La Forteresse Invisible - (The Invisible Fortress) (1993) (start of the Shaigan story arc)
- 20. La Marque des Bannis - (The Mark of Exiles) (1994)
- 21. La Couronne d'Ogotaï - (The Crown of Ogotaï) (1995)
- 22. Géants - (Giants) (1996)
- 23. La Cage - (The Cage) (1997) (end of the Shaigan story arc)
- 24. Arachnéa - (Arachnea) (1999)
- 25. Le Mal Bleu - (The Blue Plague) (1999)
- 26. Le Royaume sous le Sable - (The Kingdom under the Sands) (2001)
- 27. Le Barbare - (The Barbarian) (2002)
- 28. Kriss de Valnor - (Kriss of Valnor) (2004)
- 29. Le Sacrifice - (The Sacrifice) (2006)
Yves Sente (story) and Grzegorz Rosiński (drawings)
- 30. Moi, Jolan - (I, Jolan) (2007)
- 31. Le bouclier de Thor - (The Shield of Thor) (2008)
- 32. La bataille d'Asgard - (The Battle of Asgard) (2010)
- 33. Le bateau-sabre - (The swordship) (2011)
- 34. Is planned to be ready on 2013
Yves Sente (story) and Giulio De Vita (drawings)
Les Mondes de Thorgal - Kriss de Valnor (The world of Thorgal)- 1. Je n'oublie Rien (I wont forget anything) (2010)
- 2. La Sentence des Walkyries (The punishment of the Walkyries) (?)
Yann (story) and Roman Surzhenko (drawings)
Les Mondes de Thorgal - Louve (The world of Thorgal)- 1. Raïssa (2011)
- 2. La main coupee du dieu Tyr (The cut-off hand of God Tyr)
New cyclus
The 29th volume - "Sacrifice" - is to be the last one written by Jean Van Hamme (at least for now). This episode centers around Thorgal escaping the curse of godfather OdinOdin
Odin is a major god in Norse mythology and the ruler of Asgard. Homologous with the Anglo-Saxon "Wōden" and the Old High German "Wotan", the name is descended from Proto-Germanic "*Wodanaz" or "*Wōđanaz"....
at last and finding peace in the only home he knows: the Viking village of his adopted father. In order to save his father's life, however, Jolan must strike a bargain with a half-God and enter his services upon his family's return to Midgard. The story ends with a somber but understanding farewell between Thorgal and Jolan which Thorgal simply defines as the inevitable way a grown child must take: to set out on his own path in life.
The new writer of the series is Yves Sente
Yves Sente
Yves Sente is a Belgian comic book editor and author. He is known as writer for Blake and Mortimer and Thorgal.-Biography:Yves Sente was born in Uccle near Brussels in 1964...
. The next few episodes are going to center around Jolan rather than Thorgal and this is set up in Sacrifice, afterwards his father is to return. The series will continue under the same title.
Spin-offs
Due to popularity, new comic series will derive from Thorgal. First one, is new serie called 'Kris de Valnor'. Screenplay has been written by Yves Sente as well as Thorgal's last two stories, but drawings were made by Giulio de Vita. First chapter of new serie is announced to be published the November of 2010.Second spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
would be based on stories related to Louve, daughter of Thorgal. Patrick Laumond was approached to create drawings for the first volume. However, the demonstration board he provided has not been accepted and the project is currently postponed.
English version
Thorgal, Child of the Stars was published by Donning Company Publishers in 1986 with ISBN 0-89865-501-3.Cinebook Ltd
Cinebook Ltd
Cinebook Ltd is a British publishing company that publishes comic books and graphic novels. It describes itself as "the 9th art publisher," the 9th art being comics in continental Europe, especially France, Italy and Greece....
has begun reprinting the series starting with Child of the Stars and Aaricia in 2007.
- 1. Child of the Stars (ISBN 9781905460236) - (The set of "Child of the Stars" and "Aaricia")
- 2. The Three Elders of Aran (ISBN 9781905460311) - (The set of The Three Elders of Aran and The Black galley [as The Black Galley])
- 3. Beyond the Shadows (ISBN 9781905460458) - (collects Beyond the Shadows and The Fall of Brek Zarith [as The Fall of Brek Zarith])
- 4. The Archers (ISBN 9781905460670) - (collects Alinoë and Les Archers)
- 5. The Land of Qa (ISBN 9781905460809) - (collects Le Pays Qâ and Les Yeux de Tanatloc)
- 6. City of the Lost God (ISBN 9781849180016) - (collects La Cité du Dieu Perdu and Entre Terre et Lumière)
- 7. The Master of the Mountains (ISBN 9781849180238) - (contains Le Maître des Montagnes)
- 8. Wolf Cub (ISBN 9781849180351) - (contains Louve)
- 9. The Guardian of the Keys (ISBN 9781849180504) - (contains La Gardienne des Clés)
- 10. The Sun Sword (ISBN 9781849180573) - (contains L'épée-soleil)
- 11. The Invisible Fortress (ISBN 9781849181037) - (contains La Forteresse Invisible)
External links
- Official web site, in FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
only - Site-fan of Thorgal in French
- English publisher of Thorgal - Cinebook Ltd
- List of comics, cover gallery, English
- "Thorgal à Saint-Ursanne", a major exhibition about his creator, Grzegorz Rosinski