# Is "The Adventures of Tintin (English-language firsts)" by Hergé (Georges Remi) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Adventures of Tintin (English-language firsts) by Hergé (Georges Remi) (Casterman, varies (English-language Methuen albums from 1958)) is identified by: Casterman albums are the original-language true firsts. Casterman original-language editions are the true firsts; precise Belgian first printings are identified by the back-cover album list and cover code system.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Casterman albums are the original-language true firsts
- The first two English-language Methuen albums both appeared in 1958: The Crab with the Golden Claws and King Ottokar's Sceptre, translated by Leslie Lonsdale-Cooper and Michael Turner
- Methuen firsts carry a First published in Great Britain statement and the original price
- Casterman firsts are identified by the back-cover album list and the fourth-cover spine and dot codes; later reprints update those lists and codes
- Correct publisher/imprint: Casterman

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Hergé (Georges Remi) |
| Publisher | Casterman |
| Year | varies (English-language Methuen albums from 1958) |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Comic / graphic novel |
| Key point | Casterman albums are the original-language true firsts |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Casterman albums are the original-language true firsts. The first two English-language Methuen albums both appeared in 1958: The Crab with the Golden Claws and King Ottokar's Sceptre, translated by Leslie Lonsdale-Cooper and Michael Turner. Methuen firsts carry a First published in Great Britain statement and the original price. Casterman firsts are identified by the back-cover album list and the fourth-cover spine and dot codes; later reprints update those lists and codes.

## Is this the true first?
Casterman original-language editions are the true firsts; precise Belgian first printings are identified by the back-cover album list and cover code system. The 1958 Methuen editions are the first English-language printings (first thus). Distinguish the Belgian true first from the UK first-English Methuen edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition in the usual sense. The main trap is later Casterman and Methuen reprints: Belgian firsts require checking the back-cover album list and fourth-cover code, and English firsts require the Methuen First published in Great Britain statement.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Adventures of Tintin (English-language firsts)* by Hergé (Georges Remi) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-adventures-of-tintin-english-language-firsts
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.