The Oceanographic Institute of Monaco presents ‘Albert I of Monaco, the Explorer Prince’ comic book, published by Glénat Editions on 18 April.
Late nineteenth century… Young intrepid aristocrat, Albert I Crown Prince of Monaco dreams of only one thing: adventure. It only takes him a few years to learn how to be a sailor and own his own schooner: l’Hirondelle (The Swallow).
Anxious to make himself useful in the world, he quickly decides to dedicate his time and his ship to oceanographic work. To pierce the secrets of the abyss and to better understand ourselves is what he truly seeks. But this thirst for knowledge, this humanist drive for progress and peace, will be confronted with a world where, at the dawn of the Great War, science is being used as a tool of destruction…
The comic book, from the Explora collection, devotes 54 pages to the exceptional fate of Prince Albert I, pioneer of modern oceanography and great-great-grandfather of the current Prince of Monaco. A story of a life committed to science and adventure, the book traces a thirty-year-long epic, from the Mediterranean to the Arctic regions, led by the “Prince of the Sea”.
By entrusting the publication of this comic book to Glénat Editions, with the assistance of the Archives of the Prince’s Palace, the Oceanographic Institute pursues the mission of its founder: to unite Art and Science, to better promote, love and protect the oceans. A form of artistic expression in its own right, the comic offers the privilege of narration combined with images. Here, the ninth art takes turns serving the marine world and the history of the Principality, and comes alive in colour under the pencil strokes of illustrator Sandro.
Love of Oceans, part of Monaco’s Heritage
“Oceanography still has the duty of pointing out dangers in all countries caused by the badly regulated or poorly supervised abuse and exploitation of the sea’s resources.”(from Address by Prince Albert I to the Scientific Society of Arcachon 26 May 1902.) Seeking the origins of man in the ocean long ago, Prince Albert I already worried about the consequences of excessive exploitation of the oceans and tried to prevent it.
A century later, recognized for its involvement and actions in favour of the environment and biodiversity, HSH Prince Albert II revived the tradition of maritime expeditions of Monaco initiated by his great-great-grandfather. In July 2017, he launched the Explorations of Monaco, a vast scientific and mediation program around the world. The Principality today writes a new page in its history with the Ocean…
About the Author & Illustrator:
Philippe Thirault was born in 1967. He studied political science at a prestigious Parisian university, but soon decided to turn writing into his career. In the late 1990s, he published novels and his first comic series, “Miss” by Les Humanoïdes Associés. He has written about fifty publications to date.
Sandro illustrated the 7th volume of Contes du Korrigan. Eighteen months after Le Sang de la Sirène, the new publication by Anatole Le Braz in 2007, he worked alongside François Debois for Le Gardien du Feu released in 2009. At Glénat, he drew the comic adaptation of Sang de la Vigne. In 2016, he published Mateo Falcone (about Prosper Mérimée) with a story by Frédéric Bertocchini.
‘Albert I of Monaco, the Prince Explorer’ Comic Book
Published on 18 April 2018, part of the Explora Collection. Retail price: 14.95 euros. Size: 24 x 32 cm Written by: Philippe Thirault – Illustrated by: Sandro – Coloured by: Laurent Trussardi.
The comic is accompanied by a historical text by Jacqueline Carpine-Lancre, researcher at the Prince’s Palace of Monaco.
