INTRODUCTION Do you love The Adventures of Tintin? I certainly do, having always been captivated by the series which Hergé created back in 1929. This book is a comprehensive guide to Tintin’s extraordinary adventures, which will (hopefully) uncover and explore some of the things you may have missed while reading the adventures. As I’m sure you’re aware, Hergé went to great lengths to fine tune and perfect his stories throughout the years. In some cases, entire new plots and concepts were devised due to the ever changing landscape of the twentieth century. With new technologies, political shifts, cultural changes and social events constantly unfolding, Hergé had to keep abreast of these factors - so the adventures would remain current within the period. Till the very end, Hergé was extraordinarily precise with his elaborate drawings, as well as in the actual plot of the adventures. I never cease to be amazed at his talents... It’s quite fascinating to think back to when I first began my research, I envisioned identifying around 10 to 15 key facts per adventure - but in most cases it ended up being double (even triple) this amount. This just highlights how meticulous Hergé was with his work and how he strived for perfection with The Adventures of Tintin. I was truly astonished at just how much information had escaped me prior to commencing my planning, solid proof that there is so much you can unravel from a story when you look close enough! This book will provide you with many enjoyable surprises and interesting facts, namely: • Detailed information behind the terminology and images from the adventures. Key references will be explained in greater detail for you. • The foreign language text, signs and expressions will be translated - essentially the stuff that you (and even I) simply didn’t understand when reading the stories. You’re in for a treat, especially with The Blue Lotus! • Running gags, jokes and puns Hergé used within the stories will be illustrated and explained for you. He included many subtle jokes into the adventures which can be difficult to detect. In some cases, Hergé also reused old jokes and gags from other stories he created and included them into Tintin’s adventures (e.g. - Quick and Flupke). • There will also be a segment dedicated to ‘The Big Questions’, which will essentially be the key to many of the answers you’ve always wanted to know about Tintin and the series, but just never uncovered. I hope that this book both entertains and educates you, but most of all I hope that it inspires you to re-read the adventures in a fresh light, now hopefully being more aware of the jokes, references and illustrations which you may have missed in prior readings. Who knows, there’s probably things that you yourself have spotted which even I’ve missed, because what seems obvious for some can often go unnoticed by others. I hope you enjoy the reading ...as much as I enjoyed the writing. Rodney Willis Cronulla January 2014
THE THINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED IN...
THE CALCULUS AFFAIR COVER TRIVIA
THINGS TO SPOT...
1
THE MANY MOUSTACHES (whiskers) OF BORDURIA
2
THE CAPTAIN, ALWAYS THIRSTY!
A MOON CONNECTION!
THE “BIG” QUESTIONS - WHAT YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW!
HOW DO YOU SAY “HERGE”? SOUNDS LIKE A STRANGE NAME!
WHICH IS HERGE’S FAVOURITE TINTIN STORY? OR DOES HE LIKE THEM ALL?
DOES THE LOCH LOMOND WHISKEY THAT THE CAPTAIN DRINKS ACTUALLY EXIST?
WHY DOESN’T TINTIN HAVE A GIRLFRIEND IN THE SERIES?
THE THINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED IN...
THE CASTAFIORE EMERALD COVER TRIVIA • Definitely one of the more intriguing covers with Tintin directly facing us telling us not to “spoil the surprise”... • Notice the Captain to the side of the page? As usual he can’t stand Bianca singing, Snowy doesn’t like it either! • Observe how Herge doesn’t want to give the game away by showing the Captain in his wheelchair. He’s obscured and it looks like a simple chair! • This drawing occupies most of the opening title page. It’s unusual as Herge only usually drew a small square drawing for the other adventures.
THE “VILLAN” OF THE ADVENTURE! The magpie, aka the “villain” of this adventure features on the very first and the very last page of “The Castafiore Emerald”!
pg1
pg62
SNOWY IN CONVERSATION This conversation is pretty ironic, considering Snowy’s earlier adventures with Tintin! But as the series progressed, Herge was trying to bring a sense of realism to the books. Especially after the intro of Captain Haddock, poor Snowy’s lead in the tales was somewhat dimished. See some more conversations between Snowy and Tintin below...
‘Soviets’ p112
‘Congo’ p51
p14
‘America’ p9
CUTTS HAS TWO JOBS... Notice Cutts the butcher as spokesperson for the Marlinspike band? Notice Mr Bolt also behind him? He finds time to play in the band but can’t get round to mending Marlinspike Hall’s staircase! pg5
pg30
THE UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE ADVENTURE... ‘And thanks for trying to help with the case’... Trying? Ha! The twins both made ‘the case’ much more difficult and proved to be no help at all! Tintin with all his modesty can only smile... He knows the truth! pg61
1
THE DREADED STEP! (and running gag for the adventure) Everyone who resides at Marlinspike in this adventure falls victim to it throughout the story... except Castafiore herself (to be fair she’s saved by the Captain!). Some are victims to it more than others as you’ll see...
Calculus was the first (p5)
Then came Nestor! (p6)
The fall that famously set his agony for the adventure... the Captain! (p7)
Luckily, Bianca is saved by the Captain! (p41)
...and again! (p11 & 12) ...yet again! (p26)
Irma also! (p35) Wagner (offscreen!) (p43)
Even Tintin doesn’t miss the step (p44)
In spectacular fashion, the Captain again! Did he cause another sprain? (p62)
So there you go - Nestor fell three times, the Captain fell twice and Castafiore none at all!
2
THE THINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED IN...
THE CRAB WITH THE GOLDEN CLAWS
COVER TRIVIA
SORRY SNOWY Snowy’s not liking the state of affairs that’s going on in ‘Flight 714’ - not at all! Poor Snowy… But Tintin gave him fair warning in ‘Crab with the Golden Claws’! pg2
‘Flight 714’ pg6
O CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN! p14
First frame of Tintin and the Captain speaking to one another - and it’s far from friendly!
The Captain’s debut in the adventures!
THE THOM(P)SON TWINS INCOMPETENCE!
it as shown on p56 – straight out asking if Omar Ben Salaad’s a drug smuggler!
p48
p56
1
CAN TINTIN FLY? YOU BET HE CAN! an aeroplane! But little does he know how skilled an aviator
p24
Tintin does plenty of p109
‘Cigars’ p32
Then a plane in
2
THE MANY SPILLS OF CAPTAIN HADDOCK!
3
This is a rare time where someone
4
apologises to the Captain!
Caused by Nestor and the step!