GEORGES REMI created the character of one of the most loved journalists in the world. This adventurous reporter became the inspiration for many across the world to take up journalism. The enterprising reporter travelled all over the world and opened new vistas of imagination for people who read about his exploits. In terms of popularity, there are few ‘real’ journalists who can beat the ‘graphic’ Tintin. Indeed, Tintin, the young boy with a tuft of hair created by Belgian artist Hergé (a pen name adopted by Georges Remi).
The legacy of the comic began in 1929, when Tintin first appeared in a supplement meant for children to the Belgian newspaper Le Vingtième Siècle. What began as serialised strips for a newspaper were soon collected into a magazine that has seen more than 200 million copies sold in the past 80 years. Apart from being one of the most popular European comics, Tintin’s adventures have been translated into almost 50 different languages.
So, what made ‘The Adventures of Tintin’ so different from say a Superman or Phantom? Tintin was perhaps the closest ‘real’ hero ever created – an entity the ordinary person could identify with. Every one of the characters in the series is well etched and seems to be ‘human’ with idiosyncrasies and endearing qualities. Whether it is the lovable Fox terrier Snowy or the grumpy alcoholic Captain Haddock, the lost-in-his-own-world-scientist Prof Calculus or the bumbling detectives Thomson and Thompson– each created a niche for himself.
Hergé created neat characters and his expressive drawings gave life to these fictionalised people. But Tintin wasn’t mere fantasy. It was a comment on society, politics, science and culture. For some children across the world, it was their window to the world. Hergé was very meticulous in his research and paid attention to every last detail. An example would be the care with which he drew the dresses of the Peruvians in ‘Prisoners of the Sun’ or the depiction of the lamas and Tibetan monasteries in ‘Tintin in Tibet’. In fact, Tintin was bestowed the International Campaign for Tibet’s Light of Truth Award by the Dalai Lama in 2006. The award came in recognition of the depiction of Tibet in the twentieth Tintin adventure.
Tintin’s first adventure in ‘The land of the Soviets’ is blotted with allegations of being anti-Bolshevik. Russia is depicted as a lawless land with impoverished people and a tyrannical government. Hergé himself admitted that his views were influenced by his bourgeois upbringing. The second adventure of Tintin is perhaps the most controversial. ‘Tintin in Congo’ came under a lot of flak for depiction of colonialist views, for racism and for cruelty against animals. It has been argued that in all of Tintin’s 24 adventures, Hergé has helped form stereotypes. In his defense, he argued that he generally represented the truth, perhaps in a slightly exaggerated sense.
Although Tintin is shown hunting in his second adventure, it cannot be argued that hunting for game was a practice rampant in the African colonies at that time. The result was that ‘Tintin in Congo’ was not published for many years and when it was, it was generally displayed in ‘Adult Graphic section’ of bookstores since its content was considered too violent and racist for young readers.
The creator of Tintin did indeed help in the formation of stereotypes. Two businessmen who feature prominently in the series– Rastapopulous and Laszlo Carriedas– are shown as ruthless and unethical. Taking the example of depiction of India, Tintin visits India in two of his adventures– ‘Cigars of the Pharaoh’ and ‘Tintin in Tibet’. Two categories of Indians are depicted– either royalty or the other class which consists of fakirs and snake charmers.
One may argue that showing the Indian rope trick and veneration of the cow in ‘Cigars of the Pharaoh’ may be stereotyping Indians to the extent that many Europeans today are of the belief that India still consists of snake charmers and fakirs. As an Indian myself, I understand how Europeans are fascinated by these vagaries of our society and they generally tend to typify us as mystical people. It does not absolve Hergé but one cannot accuse him of being racist and narrow minded. A conversation between Chang and Tintin in ‘The Blue Lotus’ brings out the European myopic view of the Orient, especially in the times Tintin first appeared.
“I thought all white devils were wicked, like those who killed my grandfather and grandmother long ago. During the war of Righteousness and Harmonious fists, my father said,” says Chang after Tintin rescues him from drowning in a river.
“Lots of Europeans still believe that all Chinese are cunning and cruel and wear pigtails, are always inventing tortures, and eat rotten eggs and swallow’s nests. The same stupid Europeans are also convinced that all Chinese have tiny feet, and even now little girls suffer agonies with bandages designed to prevent their feet developing normally. They are even convinced that Chinese rivers are full of unwanted babies, thrown in when they are born,” replies Tintin.
On the other hand, one cannot dismiss the meticulous nature of the research Hergé put in later stories. In ‘King Ottokar’s Sceptre’, Hergé actually goes on to include a brochure on the fictional country of Syldavia filled with precise and excruciating details of the culture and traditions of the country. Similarly, in the two adventures where Tintin visits the moon, Hergé is not stingy with his scientific and astronomical explanations. In essence, the Tintin series revolved around a fantasy world with one foot deeply entrenched in reality. Most of the situations are derived from real situations.
‘Tintin in America’ has a reference to dreaded gangster Al Capone and also the Gangster Syndicate of Chicago. For an eight year old picking up reading habits, it is an excellent method to introduce political situations in a subtle manner. Without sounding didactic, Hergé gently places the seed of what was happening in the world around World War II. ‘The Calculus Affair’ sees two rival European nations fight over possession of a weapon of mass destruction. And then there are references to the Himalayan Abominable Snowman, the lost city of the Incas, Egyptian mummies, sunken treasure, UFOs, Apocalypse, Missions to the moon, etc.
It seems like Hergé didn’t leave much to Britannica and Discovery Channel. As ‘fun and interactive’ form of learning, the Tintin series rate a clear ‘A’ grade. It is an excellent way to introduce children to the outside world. And why just children? Adults continue to read Tintin comics all around the world every day.
The splendid artistry, the wry sense of humour, the beautiful caricatures, the off-hand manner of dealing with earth- shattering issues –that is the true essence of Tintin comics. The untimely death of Hergé in 1983, left a deep impact in the literary world. Although shrouded in controversy, Tintin is still a source of inspiration to many. I began reading at the age of seven and Tintin was my first literary companion as is the case with millions of ‘Tintin fans’ like me. When asked in interviews, “Who inspired you to take up journalism as a profession?” I don’t hesitate before answering, ‘Tintin’.
There is a sense of sadness as Tintin aficionados realise after the last book that there will be no more editions. No wonder that when ‘Tintin and Alph Art’ was released posthumously in 2004, Tintin readers including myself, whooped with joy.
