-HERGE-
THE ADVENTURE OF
TINTIN By: Andy Wicahyo
TINTIN Hergé drew inspiration for his star character from the career of the French foreign correspondent Albert Londres. A pioneer of investigative journalism, Londres traveled the world to uncover the truth behind business, politics, governments and the criminal underworld. Tintin represented the reporter that Hergé himself would have liked to be.
An instant icon Tintin’s features are simple: a round head, a button for a nose, two dots for eyes and a quiff. This is the key to his success. He is flexible, distinctive yet anonymous: any child or adult, of any age or culture, can identify with him. Although he starts out as an investigative reporter, Tintin develops into a detective. Snowy and others regularly refer to him as Sherlock Holmes, and he has a good deal of the famous English detective about him, including a sharp eye for detail and considerable powers of deduction. Like Holmes, Tintin is a master of disguise!
An all-around expert A bit like James Bond, there is no car, motorcycle, locomotive, submarine, airplane, helicopter, horse or camel that Tintin cannot drive, ride, steer or fly. In Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, he carves an airplane propeller from a tree using a pocketknife. In Cigars of the Pharaoh, he fashions a wooden trumpet with which to communicate with the elephants. No matter what situation Tintin finds himself in, he’s never at a loss for what to do. Tintin wholeheartedly embraces the role of the explorer, which culminates in his most memorable achievement — taking the first steps on the moon, some 16 years before the American astronaut Neil Armstrong. By this time, it is clear that Tintin has ceased to report news and is instead making it
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Fun Facts about Tintin •
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Tintin didn’t always have a quiff on his head. During a car chase in his first adventure, Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, the wind blows his hair up, and it stays that way forever after! The Tintin books have been translated into over 100 languages. In German he is called Tim, in Turkish he is called Tenten and in Latin he is known as Titinus. In 1935, when Belgian radio began broadcasting fitness exercises, Hergé drew Tintin listening to the program and exercising with Snowy in Tintin and the Broken Ear.
How to draw tintin
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SNOWY Snowy is Tintin’s faithful companion, traversing continents with his adventurous master and saving his life on numerous occasions. Throughout all 24 Tintin adventures, reporter and dog are inseparable.
Real-life inspiration Hergé chose a fox terrier as Tintin’s canine companion. At the time, the fox terrier was popular for its character and intelligence — attributes abundantly evident in Snowy. Additionally, the landlord of a restaurant Hergé frequented was the proud owner of a fox terrier, and his dog became the inspiration for Snowy. In all likelihood, however, the landlord’s dog didn’t talk. In that way, Snowy is very much his own dog!
A dog’s life While heroic and intelligent, Snowy is still very much a dog. In The Shooting Star, he lies contentedly asleep, his stomach full of sausages. In The Black Island, he picks up a roast chicken from the British Rail restaurant car as Tintin rushes through in pursuit of villains. When faced with the choice between helping his companion and enjoying a delicious bone in King Ottokar’s Sceptre, Snowy hesitates just a bit before he chooses Tintin and saves the day.
Fearless…nearly
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Snowy proves his bravery on numerous occasions. He is a fighter with true terrier traits and is undeterred by bigger, fiercer dogs, lions, cheetahs, goats, gorillas or evil humans. Tintin can depend on his loyalty and impressive initiative, whether neutralizing high explosives by simply cocking his leg, or repeatedly freeing his master from his bonds. Despite his courage, there is one thing Snowy is afraid of — check out the Fun Facts below to find out what it is!
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