THE WORLD OF TIN TIN TRIBUTE TO HERGE
Nova Ikfina Rosyada's layout design project Copyright © Hergé / Moulinsart 2020 - All rights reserved
TABLE OF CONTENTS
COMIC BOOK LIST ALPH ART
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TIN TIN
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SNOWY
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CAPTAIN HADDOCK
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THOMSON & THOMPSON
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CURTBERTH CALCULUS THE LEGEND BEHIND TIN TIN
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3
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The World of Tin Tin : Tribute to Herge
COMIC BOOK LIST
T
he books can either be listed in the order in which the stories first appeared in newspapers or magazines (the “production order”), or in the order they were first published in album form (“publication order”). As many early stories were altered in the redrawings, and therefore chronologically fit in more with the later albums, both orders can be considered valid.
By Nova Ikfina Rosyada
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ALPH-ART
T
in Tin and AlphArt is an unfinished work twenty-fourth and final volume of The Adventures of Tintin, the comic series by Belgian cartoonist Herge. The manuscript was pothumously published in 1986. Herge began to work on Tin Tin and Alph Art in 1978, and it was left unfinished at the time of his death in March 1983.
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Tin Tin and Alph-Art comic book cover, using an unfinished raw drawing by Herge himself.
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Tin Tin and Alph-Art Comic Book Cover
The World of Tin Tin : Tribute to Herge
STORY
T
in tin and Alpha-Art was to describe the occult world of sects. It was also going to send Tintin wandering into a milieu that Hergé loved, that is the world of modern art and avant-garde. Although the posthumous album is only presenting the scenario and sketches of an interrupted tale, it is however the testimony of the extraordinary narrative and graphic talent of Tintin’s father. Just like Tintin, just like the story, we, the readers, will remain magically suspended to Hergé’s quill.
Tin Tin and Alph-Art Comic Panel
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TIN TIN’S LAST ADVENTURE
in Tin and Alpha-Art was to describe the occult world of sects. It was also going to send Tintin wandering into a milieu that Hergé loved, that is the world of modern art and avant-garde. Although the posthumous album is only presenting the scenario and sketches of an interrupted tale, it is however the testimony of the extraordinary narrative and graphic talent of Tintin’s father. Just like Tintin, just like the story, we, the readers, will remain magically suspended to Hergé’s quill.
Tin Tin and Alph-Art Comic Panel
SYNOPSIS
T
in Tin and Captain Haddock receive a phone call from their friend, the opera singer Bianca Castafiore, who informs them about a new spiritual leader whom she has begun following, Endaddine Akass, stating her intention to stay at his villa in Ischia. Later that day, Haddock enters the Fourcart Gallery in Brussels, where Jamaican avant-garde artist Ramó Nash convinces him to purchase one of his “Alph-Art” works, a perspex letter “H”. The gallery’s owner, Henri Fourcart, arranges to meet Tintin, but is killed in a car accident while on his way to do so. Tintin begins to investigate, discovering that Fourcart’s death was murder. During the night, Tintin witnesses men loading canvases into a van, and exploring the villa discovers a room full of faked paintings by prominent artists. He is discovered by Akass, who informs him that he uses Nash’s “Alph-Art” as a front for his criminal forgery business. Akass declares his intention to kill Tintin by having him covered in liquid polyester and sold as a work of art by César Baldaccini.
By Nova Ikfina Rosyada
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TIN TIN T
in tin was created in 1929. He was like Totor’s (the first cartoon created by Hergé) young brother, a kind of Totor who had become a journalist but kept his boy scout’s spirit. He is aged between 16 and 18. He is definitely young and his face is not wrinkled even though he is officially 75 years old in 2004. “Since the Soviets, the character of Tintin has not evolved. From a graphic standpoint Tintin is still a sketch”. Tintin is neither a surname nor a first name, it is much more than that Tintin is a totally unique world, a myth or a saga. Tintin is created from Hergé’s subconscious desire to be perfect, to be a hero. The hero who everyone between 7 and 77 years old wants to be, or become while reading the Adventures of Tintin.
Tin Tin is neither a surname nor a first name.
PERSONALITY
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ithout doubt, Tin Tin is a top reporter. He went to Russia to cover a story for his newspaper and wrote his first reportage there.
T
in Tin keeps travelling around the world and acts more like a detective always seeking the truth and fighting against injustice. Hergé was himself a reporter deal of his father’s passion.
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a round faced young man who loves to travel around the world
T
in Tin is free, and a very moral person with great integrity. He was considered by the Tibetan monks as a guileless person. These words reveal the true nature of the Tintin’s personality. He is the hero that everyone wishes to become, Tin Tin supports his friends all the way and pushes himself to the limit and fights to the last. '' Tin Tin is me wanting to be heroic and perfect. Tin Tin is me, my eyes, my feelings, my lungs, my guts!" (Herge)
The World of Tin Tin : Tribute to Herge
SNOWY Tin Tin's Faithful Companion
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In French, Snowy is called Milou.
T
hroughout the series, Snowy is Tin tin’s sidekick and companion on journeys. Along with Tin Tin he is the only character to appear in all of the comic albums. In the debut album Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, Snowy is a source of comic relief. Throughout the first eight stories Snowy is the series’ co-star. He is able to understand human language, and communicates with speech bubbles. His verbal responses to various situations include jokes, expressions of fright, and pleas to Tintin to exercise caution. In the early albums he takes an interest in mechanics and geography, in Tin Tin in the Congo, he makes biblical references. As a dog, he also sniffs, tracks, chases, and bites. nowy is portrayed as brave and is often fearless against much larger creatures when Tintin is threatened. He repeatedly frees Tintin from captivity and saves him from dangerous situations, and will sometimes identify a villain before Tin Tin. Snowy is always along side Tin Tin. They talk to each other. He is a simple dog for Tin Tin.
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PERSONALITY
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ometimes Snowy succumbs to temptation. Especially when food is concerned. He remains curious and let’s not forget that dogs have their own instincts. However, when courage is required, you can rely on Snowy to help his master.
Snowy really enjoys wearing certain outfits, a fur coat for when it is freezing, a space suit. Sometimes he dresses up just for fun.
By Nova Ikfina Rosyada
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nowy is portrayed as brave and is often fearless against much larger creatures when Tintin is threatened. He repeatedly frees Tintin from captivity and saves him from dangerous situations, and will sometimes identify a villain before Tintin. Snowy loves whiskey, and occasionally gets drunk. His appetite for food is the basis for several short, comical sequences.
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captain haddock C
aptain Haddock is the most popular character in the Tin Tin family. Haddock has always been a bit naïve and is a man of moods, good and bad, and this is part of his charm. Haddock is initially depicted as a weak and alcoholic character under the control of his treacherous first mate Allan, who keeps him drunk and runs his freighter. He regains his command and his dignity, even rising to president of the Society of Sober Sailors (The Shooting Star), but never gives up his love for rum and whisky, especially Loch Lomond, until the final Tintin adventure, Tintin and the Picaros, when Professor Calculus ‘cures’ him of his taste for alcohol. Captain Haddock’s taste for alcoholic beverages is a constant feature of the character. He falls into a coma upon re-entry to Earth, but he immediately wakes up upon hearing the word “whisky”.
the seafaring captain and also archetypal sailor
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Haddock is his surname, and his first name is Archibald
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PERSONALITY
addock is by nature emotional and irascible, the very opposite of Tintin who is sober & sensible, but he has a heart of gold. Just like Tintin, he is always willing to help people in trouble. A composite mix of roughness and tenderness, he is shown as quick-tempered. Because of his alcoholism and temperamental nature, his character was weak and unstable. However, Haddock is a sincere figure in need of reform, and has been a loyal companion for Tin Tin.
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a hero ?
t the beginning he is not heroic at all, but in the later adventures Haddock becomes genuinely heroic and would not hesitate to sacrifice his own life to save his best friend Tin Tin, as in Tintin in Tibet. Haddock is courageous but he is also very clumsy, not unlike the Thom(p)sons.
The World of Tin Tin : Tribute to Herge
THOMSON & THOMPSON T
homson and Thompson usually wear bowler hats and carry walking sticks, except when abroad during these missions they insist on wearing the stereotypical costume of the country they are visiting so that they blend into the local population, but instead manage to dress in folkloric attire that actually makes them stand apart. They look like identical twins whose only discernible difference is the shape of their moustaches. They are afflicted with chronic spoonerisms, are extremely clumsy, thoroughly clueless, and usually intent on arresting the wrong character. In spite of this, they somehow are entrusted with a lot of very delicate missions.
twin brothers who are always be victims on duty
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They are two incompetent detectives
PERSONALITY
T
hey are so keen. The trouble with the Thom(p)sons is that they are so noticeable when they are attempting to be inconspicuous. Hergé used the Thom(p)sons’ disguises to poke some gentle fun at the simplistic views of far-off lands held by his contemporaries. The detective with the flat is Thompson and introduces himself as “Thompson, with a ‘P’, as in psychology” (or “Philadelphia”).
By Nova Ikfina Rosyada
THEY BOTH ARE KINGS OF linguistic gymnastic
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t is not often that the phrases of comic book characters end up as part of everyday language. However, the Thom(p)sons manage to do this in French. A couple of excellent examples, translated into English, are : “That’s my opinion, and I agree” and “Here we are on the Moon, where the hand of man has never set foot!”
“ This time we demand an Apology! ” “ Yes, we Apologise on demand! ”
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CUTHBERT CALCULUS The absent minded inventor of genius
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Calculus is very absent-minded, hard of hearing, intuitive and very sentimental.
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H
e is an outstanding scientist and a physicist. As already mentioned he has also some ability as a chemist. He has all the self-assurance and stubbornness of the scientist determined to see his idea through. In the late adventures, Calculus is keen on thinking on inventions less dangerous for human being such as the rose “Bianca”. Like other inventors, he is worried about the military use of his inventions. Another interest of the Professor is dowsing or divining, for which he carries a pendulum. The pendulum can be seen dangling out of Calculus’s pocket in the hotel scene at the start of Tintin in Tibet and he puts it to use once more in The Castafiore Emerald and Flight 714 for Sydney. He is also an experienced engineer, archaeologist, biologist and chemist. Calculus maintains a laboratory at Marlinspike Hall, in which he conducts various experiments. He is fairly protective of his work, on occasion hiding his scientific endeavours from Tintin and Haddock.
CALCULUS IS ABSURDLY DEAF and his deafness is a frequent source of humour
C
alculus’s deafness is a frequent source of humour in his interactions with other people, as he often repeats back what he thinks he has heard, usually in the most unlikely words possible. Additionally, he often diverts the subject of a conversation by responding to a misinterpreted remark. For example, “But I never knew you had....” leads Calculus to respond, “No, young man, I am not mad!” In the same book he believes that Tintin and Haddock are talking about his sister, before remembering a few moments later that he does not have a sister. He is not perturbed by his handicap, even if it is a source of deep frustration to his friends. He himself does not admit to being near-deaf and insists that he is “only a little hard of hearing in one ear.”
The World of Tin Tin : Tribute to Herge
THE LEGEND BEHIND TIN TIN G
eorges Prosper Remi known by the pen name Hergé. He was a Belgian cartoonist. He is best known for creating The Adventures of Tin Tin, the series of comic albums which are considered one of the most popular European comics of the 20th century. He was also responsible for two other well-known series, Quick & Flupke (1930–1940) and The Adventures of Jo, Zette and Jocko (1936–1957). His works were executed in his distinct ligne claire drawing style. orn to a lower-middle-class family in Etterbeek, Brussels, Hergé began his career by contributing illustrations to Scouting magazines, developing his first comic series, The Adventures of Totor, for Le Boy-Scout Belge in 1926. Working for the conservative Catholic newspaper Le Vingtième Siècle, he created The Adventures of Tintin in 1929. Revolving around the actions of boy reporter Tintin and his dog Snowy, were designed as conservative propaganda for children.
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FINDING TIN TIN
in Tin was created in 1929. He was like Totor’s (the first cartoon created by Hergé) young brother, a kind of Totor who had become a journalist but kept his boy scout’s spirit. He is aged between 16 and 18. He is definitely young and his face is not wrinkled even though he is officially 75 years old in 2004. “Since the Soviets, the character of Tin Tin has not evolved. From a graphic standpoint Tintin is still a sketch”. Tintin is created by his father Georges Remi, Hergé, the world renowned Belgian cartoonist. This spiritual heir is more than an adopted child! Herge has stressed the fact that he raised Tin Tin, protected him, fed him just like a father would.
By Nova Ikfina Rosyada
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“Tin tin is me wanting to be heroic and perfect!” “Tin tin is me. my eyes, my feelings, my lungs, my guts!... I believe I am the only person able to animate him, the only person able to give him a soul.” (HERGE)
O
ver the years and in the course of the Adventures, Tin Tin surrounds himself with friends who became part his family so to speak. Among all his friends, Snowy comes first. Admittedly he is a dog, but he is above all, the faithful friend of Tintin with a generous spirit. Secondly, Captain Haddock whose debut was to come a good ten years later is ready to sacrifice his own life for Tintin. Not forgetting all the others, Castafiore, Calculus, Thomson and Thompson who form Tin Tin’s family circle.
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