Hergè’s 100th Birthday
Today marks the 100th anniversary of Hergè’s birth. The creator of Tintin would be a happy man with the recent news of a trilogy of Tintin movies set to be made and a new Tintin museum in the works. The exhibition of his Tintin works at the Centre Georges Pompidou at the moment is their most popular exhibit ever. All of this over the simple lines that define a simple boy and his adventures. Tintin meant a lot to me as a boy and Hergè means a lot to many people all over the world. Happy Birthday. Here’s a paper I wrote for a Children’s Literature class.
Born in Brussels in 1907, Georges Rémi would be forever remembered by a single name – Hergè. His famous creation, Tintin, made any other names superfluous. Tintin stands as the herald for the modern European comic strip and Hergè as a hero to Belgium.
Hergè began his life in an upper class family that provided only boredom. His escape was the boy scouts and his first published work was in his school’s scouting magazine. At seventeen he began signing his name Hergè, his initials reversed and pronounced in French. Four years later he was employed at Le Vingtième Siècle (The Twentieth Century) newspaper and was soon asked to helm the children’s supplement, Le Petit Vingtième.
January 10th, 1929 saw the debut of Tintin. Here was a roving reporter who would inform the child readers of the events of the time. The circulation of the paper sextupled on the day featuring the Tintin insert in quick time as children flocked to follow the adventures of their new favourite character (Farr 8). His first journey was to Russia – one that was suggested by Hergè’s editor. The children of Belgium learned of the chaotic communist regime that had followed the overthrowing of the Tsar a dozen years earlier.
Hergè had seen and enjoyed the American style of word balloons, so employed them in his creations instead of the, then typical, style of printing text under the pictures. He was a contemporary of Walt Disney who awarded him a Mickey Mouse trophy on Tintin’s fiftieth anniversary (Farr 18). Their creations are timeless, popular and very recognizable into the new century. On his American influences, Hergè said, “I learned a great lesson from both American strip cartoons and cinema.” (Farr, 18)
As the popularity of Tintin continued to increased, Hergè started publishing the stories in book form – Tintin In The Land Of The Soviets was the first in 1930. Casterman Publishing took over the responsibilities for publishing during the Second World War and started selling over four million copies of Tintin books annually (Farr 8).
In 1934 Hergè was introduced to a Chinese art student, Chang Chong-Chen. This meeting was a turning point for Hergè. His eyes were opened to the narrow-mindedness of his upbringing and he became quite aware of the stereotyping he had made in his earlier stories. His Soviets had been evil, the Africans backwards, the Americans capitalists. The next story, The Blue Lotus, signaled an end to stereotypes in the adventures of Tintin. Its favorable portrayal of the Chinese resulted in a personal invitation by the wife of Chiang Kai-Shek to visit China. (Tintin.com)
Hergè’s obsession with perfection came at this time too. His early stories had been fly-by-the-seat by nature. Each part of the story had to come out a week from the previous one regardless of accuracy or completeness. His fame now allowed him to take his time, and he used it all. Every story was carefully researched for accuracy – Hergè amassed a huge collection of reference material, “from picture postcards to furniture catalogues, interspersed with press clippings on countless subjects.” (Farr 8).
In 1942 Casterman decided to reprint all the books so far in 64 page versions (Tintin.com). They asked Hergè to do some extra work to retrofit the previous editions, which he undertook over a number of years. This was a major turning point for Tintin and created the familiar format that is still available all over the world.
As Hergè became older he ventured out into the world that had previously been the exclusive right of his creation, Tintin. He finally took up the earlier offer to visit China, traveled to England, and America where he was able to meet some real Native Americans. On his seventy-fifth birthday the Belgian Astronomical Society named a planet for him (Tintin.com). The next year he died. No further work was done with the Tintin character as per his wishes.
Annotated Bibliography
Hergè. Tintin In The Land Of The Soviets. Last Gasp Of San Francisco. 2003.
In which Tintin goes to report on Bolshevik Russia and returns to Belgium a hero. Upon entering the country he is considered dangerous and immediately is targeted for removal. Using his skills (and Snowy’s) he makes it out alive to let all Belgian children know about the misguided Soviets. This story introduced the world to Tintin and Snowy (Milou as he is known in French). Tintin appears in a short and stout version – his trademark clothing is also missing. By the end of the story he has received his only distinguishing feature, the tuft of hair that is permanently raised. It is also the only story in the Tintin oeuvre that shows Tintin actually paying any attention to reporting.
Hergè. Tintin In America. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1979.
In which Tintin travels to America and overcomes Al Capone, rival gangs, the Wild West, and an angry tribe of Native Americans to be rewarded with a tickertape parade down the streets of Chicago. This story signaled the first time Hergè was allowed to choose the destination of his hero. He was fascinated with Native American culture as well as that of the bustling streets of the big cities that housed crooks such as Capone. Capone was the only real life character featured in the Tintin books by name. There were many references over the years, but no others were named. The skyscrapers of Chicago are depicted with great skill, showing aptly their height and dominance of the cityscape. The feeling at the end of the book is one of wonder at American culture, but reassurance that European culture is still superior.
Hergè. The Blue Lotus. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1984.
In which Tintin meets a lifelong friend, saves a man from a madness poison and experiences a Japanese invasion of China from within. Chang Chong-Chen, Hergè’s new real world friend, was fictionalized in this story. Tintin has an enlightening encounter with the young boy who opens his eyes to the realities of China – one that coincided exactly with Hergè’s. This story marked the start of the pre-planned Tintin stories. It was the first book that Hergè planned before starting – his previous work being a series of cliffhangers and jokes to fit the weekly strip format. It also represents Hergè’s most political story – one that awarded him much criticism in Belgium. Japan’s role in World War Two was predicted by Hergè, but it was not a popular one at the time in Belgium – a country who supported Japan. The end of the story shows Tintin’s first experience of emotion as he cries when leaving Chang.
Hergè. The Black Island. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1975.
In which Tintin seeks out his attackers in England and Scotland, foils a counterfeiting scheme, and befriends the “beast” on the Black Island. The Britain depicted in the original was reworked in the 60s to appease British publishers who felt slighted by the first version. Everything from clothing styles to housing, and airplane models to locomotives, and even alcoholic beverages were changed to reflect a more accurate Britain. Snowy finds his taste for alcohol in this book – Loch Lomond specifically. The brand was supposed to be fictional, but there was actually a Loch Lomond bottled somewhere. Counterfeiting was an actual major concern at the time with reports of the Nazis faking vast amounts of Russian and English money to destabilize their economies.
Hergè. Crab With The Golden Claws. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1979.
In which Tintin meets Captain Haddock, tracks down more counterfeiters, which leads to an encounter with drug smugglers and an experience in the Sahara Desert. Hergè had to be careful with his topics as Belgium was under Nazi occupation. He chose the neutral drug smuggling trade and concentrated on character development. The result was one of the most beloved of the Tintin family – Captain Haddock. Haddock became the rambunctious counterpoint to Tintin’s adventurous good boy and sent Snowy into the background for the rest of the series. Haddock is the whiskey-guzzling seaman with a penchant for elaborate curses. His most famous is “billions of blue blistering barnacles”, but his initial tirade after having his bottle shot is indicative of the extent of his usual outbursts. It contains twenty unrelated names, such as Troglodytes, Carpet Sellers, and Ectoplasms. He has been recorded to have used more than two hundred names during the length of the books.
Hergè. Secret of the Unicorn. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1988. AND
Hergè. Red Rackham’s Treasure. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1988.
In which Tintin and Haddock embark on a treasure hunt inspired by a purchase at a flea market and Haddock’s discovery of a chest containing the possessions of his ancestor Sir Francis Haddock. These two books mark the beginning of the two-part stories. Each book stands alone, but also serves as part of a greater story. Hergè would use this format twice more to great effect and praise. The accuracy of the ships in the stories was due to the use of models that Hergè adopted after hearing complaints from critics that boats in previous stories were not nautically sound. These two also herald the arrival of Professor Calculus, the bumbling, hard-of-hearing genius. Calculus later leads Tintin to South America and the moon. Finally, the books provide Tintin and Haddock with a new home – Marlinspike Hall. Each had lived in flats before, but now they would have somewhere to base themselves that offered a life of luxury.
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what a great story… ^^, hope i’ll read it ^^