books, albums, a short film, L'espion aux cent visages (The Spy with a Hundred Faces (1960), and a TV series that ran through 26 episodes. Through that period Vernes started several other adventure cycles and introduced several other characters, such as the villain Monsieur Ming (also known as "L'Ombre jaune" or the Yellow Shadow), Dr Xathan, and Miss Ylang-Ylang. After 1967 the Marabout–Junior collection was reformatted and renamed Pocket Marabout. Vernes continued writing for the series, with old and new characters. His popularity remained strong, and by 1970 the series had sold over 15 million books. In 1974 he started the cycle of Ananké, considered by many to be his masterpiece. However, this success did not save Marabout from the publishing crisis of the 1970s, and in 1977 the series came to an end with issue 142, Bob Morane dans le Triangle des Bermudes (Bob Morane in the Bermuda Triangle). Over the next 28 years, Vernes authored scores of new titles, including the adult Don cycle (whose books he signed "Jacques Colombo") and supervised many re-issues of his older works. His 200th novel, the Bob Morane adventure La guerre du Pacifique n'aura pas lieu (The Pacific War Will Not Happen) was issued in 1996. Vernes was the subject of a documentary, Henri Vernes, un aventurier de l'imaginaire (1997), and in 1999, at age 81, he was decorated as Officier in the Belgian Order of Arts and Letters. A fan club, Club Bob Morane, was created in 1986 on the hero's 33rd anniversary. Works Novels 1953 : La Vallée infernale Albums 1962 : Les tours de cristal (Marabout, vol. 3) 1973 : Les géants de Mu (Dargaud) 2000 : Le lagon aux requins (éd. Nautilus) the sharks lagoon illustrations by René Follet References External links Biography of Henri Vernes by Patrice Sanahujas bobmorane.fr The world of Henri Vernes 1918 births 2021 deaths People from Ath Belgian writers in French Belgian male novelists Belgian comics writers Belgian science fiction writers Belgian centenarians Men centenarians Bob Morane 20th-century Belgian writers 20th-century Belgian male writers 20th-century pseudonymous writers Belgian military personnel of World War II