Welp, here in the American Midwest, we’re locked in a bit of a battle between winter & spring. Today, Thursday, the highs are in the ~63°F range, while by Monday it’s projected to be near-freezing again. A heavy snowfall one day is followed by a glorious day, only a couple days later.

And you?

This art is the front & back cover from Jacques Martin’s Lefranc detective series. He’s better known as the creator of the ancient Roman Alix series, which continues on with the excellent Alix, Senator series.

Martin’s other famous creation was inspired by a 1951 trip to the French Vosges region. Martin and his traveling companion spotted an abandoned railway tunnel in the landscape. It was used by the Germans during World War II to harbor artillery, including a V1 missile, intended to bomb Paris. The experience motivated Martin to create a detective series set between the aftermath of WWII and the start of the Cold War. On 21 May 1952, ‘La Grande Menace’ (“The Great Threat”), the first episode of ‘Lefranc’, debuted in Tintin magazine.

The main hero of the series is Guy Lefranc, a brilliant detective, aided by the Boy Scout orphan Jean Le Gall, AKA Jeanjean. During their investigations of international expionage, Lefranc and Jeanjean are confronted by spies, terrorists and dictators. Their nemesis is Axel Borg, a gentleman thief and master of disguise. The ‘Lefranc’ stories are known for their direct references to real-life events from the second half of the 20th century.

More about Martin, including loads of pages:
https://www.lambiek.net/artists/m/martin_jacq.htm