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63-490: In King Ottokar's Sceptre , Tintin reads a Syldavian tourist pamphlet that reveals the early history of Syldavia and its relationship with Borduria. In 1195, Syldavia was annexed by neighbouring Borduria due to the weakness of King Muskar II, and was under its rule until 1275, when Baron Almaszout drove the Bordurians away and established himself as King Ottokar I. In the later Tintin stories, this ancient rivalry continues with

126-422: A Sartre -esque character", an " existentialist before the term had been coined", going on to observe that Tintin exists only through his actions, is just a narrative vehicle, having "no surname, no family, hardly anything of a face, and the mere semblance of a career." The image of Tintin—a round-faced young man running with a white fox terrier by his side—is easily one of the most recognisable visual icons of

189-447: A Young Vic adaptation of Tintin in Tibet . Shortly before Hergé's death in 1983, he came to admire the work of Steven Spielberg ; who he felt was the only director who could successfully bring his Tintin to the big screen. The result was the 2011 motion capture feature film The Adventures of Tintin , which merges plots from three Tintin books. ZIL-114 The ZIL-114 is

252-809: A limousine from the Soviet car manufacturer ZIL introduced in 1970 to replace the ZIL-111 series which was gradually becoming out of date. In almost all respects, the ZIL-114 improved on the 111, 111A and 111G models. The engine, a ZIL-built pushrod V8 , was increased in capacity from 5,980 cc (364.9 cu in) to 6,959 cc (424.7 cu in), resulting in an increase of power by 30 percent (to 300 hp SAE Gross at 4400 rpm and 559  N⋅m (57.0  kg⋅m ; 412  lb⋅ft ) at 2750 rpm) and of maximum speed from approximately 170 km/h (110 mph) to 200 km/h (120 mph). Transmission

315-502: A "narrative vehicle" for Hergé's plots. Hergé biographer Pierre Assouline notes that in the early Adventures , Tintin shows "little sympathy for humanity". Assouline describes the character as "obviously celibate, excessively virtuous, chivalrous, brave, a defender of the weak and oppressed, never looks for trouble but always finds it." Michael Farr deems Tintin to be an intrepid young man of high moral standing, with whom his audience can identify. His rather neutral personality permits

378-457: A balanced reflection of the evil, folly, and foolhardiness that surrounds him, allowing the reader to assume Tintin's position within the story rather than merely following the adventures of a strong protagonist. Tintin's representation enhances this aspect, with comics expert Scott McCloud noting that the combination of Tintin's iconic, neutral personality and Hergé's "unusually realistic", signature ligne claire ("clear line") style "allows

441-498: A boy and a little white dog. Abbe Wallez thought that these characters could be developed further, and asked Hergé to use characters like these for an adventure that could be serialised in Le Petit Vingtième . Hergé agreed, and an image of Tintin and Snowy first appeared in the youth supplement on 4 January 1929, in an advert for the upcoming series. Hergé would later insist that Tintin would only be "born" on 10 January 1929, in

504-537: A hero who embodied human qualities and virtues but no faults. The Adventures of Tintin mirror the past century while Tintin himself provides a beacon of excellence for the future." Thompson says Tintin is "almost featureless, ageless, sexless", and does not appear to be burdened with a personality. Yet this very anonymity remains the key to Tintin's gigantic international success. With so little to mark him out, anybody can identify with him and live out his adventures. Millions have done so, both adults and children, including

567-510: A recent theft. Sometimes Tintin is the one being interviewed, such as when a radio reporter presses him for details, "In your own words." But aside from these few examples, Tintin is never actually seen consulting with his editor or delivering a story. As his adventures continue. Tintin is less often seen reporting and is more often seen as a detective, pursuing his investigative journalism from his apartment at No. 26 Labrador Street. Other characters refer to him as Sherlock Holmes , as he has

630-490: A series of adventures in 1910 titled Tintin, le petit Parisien    [ fr ] . Hergé, an avid news reader, would have been aware of the activities of a number of popular journalists well known in Belgium, notably Joseph Kessel but especially Albert Londres , one of the creators of investigative journalism . Almost certainly another influence was Palle Huld , a 15-year-old Danish Boy Scout who travelled around

693-458: A sharp intellect, an eye for detail, and powers of deduction. Like Holmes, he is occasionally a master of disguise, and in Rastapopoulos even has an archenemy . Tintin's occupation drifts further in later adventures, abandoning all pretence of reporting news and instead making news in his role of explorer. Clearly unencumbered with financial preoccupations, after Red Rackham's Treasure he

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756-525: A small goblin boy named Tintin, who had a rounded face and quiff. Hergé agreed that Rabier's manner of drawing animals had influenced him, although he swore that he was unaware of the existence of Tintin-Lutin until one of his readers later informed him of the similarity. In 1907, Gaston Leroux (author of The Phantom of the Opera ) created the character Joseph Rouletabille , a young journalist and amateur detective. Marcel Priollet  [ fr ] wrote

819-462: A way of moving and a physical presence that must have inspired me without my knowing it. His gestures stayed in my mind. I copied them clumsily, without meaning to or even knowing I was doing it; it was him I was drawing." A few years after young Hergé joined Scouting , he became the unofficial artist for his Scout troop and drew a Boy Scout character for the national magazine Le Boy Scout Belge . This young man, whom he named Totor , travelled

882-490: A weekly youth supplement to the Belgian newspaper Le Vingtième Siècle . Appearing as a young man with a round face and quiff hairstyle, Tintin is depicted as a precocious, multitalented reporter who travels the world with his dog Snowy . Since his inception in the early 20th century, Tintin has remained a popular literary figure with statues and commemorative murals of the character seen throughout Belgium. In addition to

945-454: Is a quick thinker and an effective diplomat. He is simply an all-rounder, good at almost everything, which is what Hergé himself would have liked to be. Tintin's personality evolved as Hergé wrote the series. Peeters relates that in the early Adventures , Tintin's personality was "incoherent", in that he was "[s]ometimes foolish and sometimes omniscient, pious to the point of mockery and then unacceptably aggressive", ultimately just serving as

1008-542: Is also a skilled radio operator with knowledge of Morse code . He packs a solid punch to a villain's jaw when necessary, demonstrates impressive swimming skills, and is a crack shot. He proves himself a capable engineer and scientist during his adventure to the Moon. He is also an excellent athlete, in outstanding condition, able to walk, run, and swim long distances. Hergé summarized Tintin's abilities thusly: "a hero without fear and beyond reproach." More than anything else, Tintin

1071-534: Is depicted as technologically inept—unable to stop a stolen tank commandeered by Tintin and his companions as a result of defective mines and anti-tank guns. Professor Calculus is kidnapped by the Bordurians after developing an ultrasonic weapon but is rescued in the end. In Tintin and the Picaros (1976), the South American banana republic of San Theodoros , ruled by General Tapioca , has formed an alliance with

1134-457: Is ensconced as a permanent house guest in the stately Marlinspike Hall with retired mariner Captain Haddock and the scientist Professor Calculus . Tintin occupies all of his time with his friends, exploring the bottom of the sea, the tops of the mountains, and the surface of the Moon (sixteen years before astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin ). Through it all, Tintin finds himself cast in

1197-434: Is never far away from his stories." It is this sense of humour that makes the appeal of Tintin truly international. The Adventures of Tintin was one of the most popular European comics of the 20th century. Tintin remains popular today; by the time of the centenary of Hergé's birth in 2007, Tintin had been published in more than 70 languages with sales of more than 200 million copies. The study of Tintin has become

1260-526: Is never specified. Throughout the Adventures , published over 50 years, he remained youthful. "Tintin was born at fifteen", says Assouline. Hergé commented, "For me, Tintin hasn't aged. What age do I give him? I don't know ... 17? In my judgement, he was 14 or 15 when I created him, Boy Scout, and he has practically not moved on. Suppose he put on 3 or 4 years in 40 years ... Good, work out an average, 15 and 4 equals 19." From Tintin's first adventure, he lives

1323-576: The Balkan Mountains in Moesia . Therefore, it is possible that Borduria is set roughly in the present-day locations of Bulgaria and Serbia . The capital of Borduria is Szohôd, which is also the seat of government. Borduria is a fascist country with a totalitarian government. Several Central European countries such as Hungary , Croatia , Albania and Romania were ruled by fascist governments before or during World War II . All became client states of

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1386-488: The Soviet Union after the war; Borduria may be presumed to be in a similar situation. In Tintin post-war stories it is not depicted as a typical Eastern Bloc country, however, but as a fascist state. The fact that the president of state bears the military rank of Marshal is a reference to Soviet leader Joseph Stalin , Romania's wartime leader Ion Antonescu and Yugoslavia 's post-war president Josip Broz Tito . However,

1449-513: The 1991 Canadian -made The Adventures of Tintin animated TV series, which originally aired on HBO and subsequently on Nickelodeon . At the same time, actor Richard Pearce provided the voice of Tintin for a radio drama series of Tintin created by the BBC , which also starred Andrew Sachs as Snowy. In 2005, English actor Russell Tovey played the role at the London Barbican Theatre for

1512-673: The Blue Diamond and Mr. Boullock's Disappearance . She was later replaced by 11-year-old Roland Ravez, who also lent his voice to recordings of the Cigars of the Pharaoh and The Blue Lotus . Jean-Pierre Talbot played Tintin in two live-action movie adaptations: Tintin and the Golden Fleece (1961) and Tintin and the Blue Oranges (1964). Canadian actor Colin O'Meara voiced Tintin in

1575-512: The Bordurian government, which has sent him military advisors, including Colonel Sponsz. In an unpublished page drawn by Hergé for this book, a bust of Kûrvi-Tasch can even be seen in the office of a San Theodorean colonel. Eventually, Tapioca is deposed by Tintin's friend General Alcazar , and Sponsz is repatriated to Borduria. The Bordurian countryside is set in dramatic mountainous terrain. The craggy landscape and towering peaks are most similar to

1638-505: The Bordurians continually trying to invade or undermine Syldavia. King Ottokar's Sceptre (written in 1939 by Hergé) depicts an unsuccessful Bordurian attempt at staging a coup d'état against Syldavia, trying to remove the king and invade the country with the support from Syldavian sympathizers. The sceptre is stolen, which would force the King to abdicate, however Tintin returns it in time. The Bordurians then withdraw their troops 15 miles from

1701-506: The Catholic newspaper Le Vingtième Siècle (" The Twentieth Century "), where his director challenged him to create a new serialised comic for its Thursday supplement for young readers, Le Petit Vingtième (" The Little Twentieth "). In the edition 30 December 1928 of the satirical weekly newspaper Le Sifflet (a parallel publication to Le Vingtième Siècle ), Hergé included two cartoon gags with word balloons, in which he depicted

1764-514: The Congo . Later, Hergé made corrections to Tintin's actions, for example, replacing Tintin's dynamiting of a rhinoceros with an incident in which the rhino accidentally discharges Tintin's rifle, and called his earlier actions "a transgression of my youth." In the end, you know, my only international rival is Tintin! We are the small ones, who do not let themselves be had by the great ones. –Charles de Gaulle As Farr observes, "Hergé created

1827-528: The Latin alphabet exclusively, and makes heavy use of the digraph sz (possibly borrowed from Hungarian ), as well as ô . Tintin (character) Tintin ( / ˈ t ɪ n t ɪ n / ; French: [tɛ̃tɛ̃] ) is the titular protagonist of The Adventures of Tintin , the comic series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé . The character was created in 1929 and introduced in Le Petit Vingtième ,

1890-497: The Moon ). However, as Michael Farr observes, Tintin has "tremendous spirit" and, in Tintin in Tibet , is appropriately given the name Great Heart. By turns, Tintin is innocent, politically crusading, escapist, and finally cynical. If he has perhaps too much of the goody-goody about him, at least he is not priggish; Hergé admitting as much, saying, "If Tintin is a moralist, he's a moralist who doesn't take things too seriously, so humour

1953-503: The Nazi flag, and this was also worn as military armbands by the Bordurian military personnel. In King Ottokar's Sceptre , the Bordurian army uses the Gewehr 98 , vz. 24 and Karabiner 98k bolt-action rifles. In The Calculus Affair , Bordurian soldiers and agents were armed with Italian Beretta Model 38 Submachine Guns . Due to the nature of its government and its military's weaponry, Borduria

Borduria - Misplaced Pages Continue

2016-751: The World of Hergé in 1988. The reporter Michael Farr brought Tintin literary criticism to the English language with works such as Tintin, 60 Years of Adventure (1989), Tintin: The Complete Companion (2001), Tintin & Co. (2007) and The Adventures of Hergé (2007), as had English screenwriter Harry Thompson , the author of Tintin: Hergé and his Creation (1991). Tintin's earliest stories naively depicted controversial images, with Tintin engaging in racial stereotypes , animal cruelty , violence, colonialism , including ethnocentric caricatured portrayals of non-Europeans, most notably and notoriously in Tintin in

2079-450: The borders to prove their peaceful intentions. In The Calculus Affair (1956), Borduria is depicted as a stereotypical Eastern Bloc country with its own secret police (ZEP) (led by Colonel Sponsz ) and a military dictator, Marshal Kûrvi-Tasch . A statue of Kûrvi-Tasch appears in front of a government building, in which he wears a moustache similar to Joseph Stalin 's and gives a Nazi -like salute. The Bordurian military of this period

2142-416: The character Tintin developed; he replied, "He practically did not evolve. Graphically, he remained an outline. Look at his features: his face is a sketch, a formula." This view was echoed by Assouline: "Tintin was as uncomplicated as the story line". Hergé never explained why he chose Tintin as the character's name, stating that it has no inherent meaning . He had previously made use of alliteration with

2205-453: The famous quiff is plastered to Tintin's forehead, but during a particularly vigorous car chase in what became page 8 of the printed volume, his quiff is out and remains so. By the time he arrives in Chicago for his third adventure, both Hergé and his readers feel they know Tintin well, and he was to change little in either appearance or dress. Hergé was once asked by interviewer Numa Sadoul how

2268-522: The first episode of Tintin in the Land of the Soviets . Hergé admitted that he did not take Tintin seriously in the early Adventures , explaining simply that he "put the character to the test"; that he created Tintin "as a joke between friends, forgotten the next day." Hergé biographer Benoît Peeters noted that Tintin was "supremely Belgian" in his characteristics, a view echoed by Assouline, who deemed all of

2331-462: The globe and righted wrongs, all without ruffling his Scout honour. As was the format for European comics at the time, the early drawings of Totor merely illustrated the story; the text that appeared below the drawings is what propelled the action. Years later, Totor would be very much in Hergé's mind; his new comics character would be, Hergé himself later said, "the little brother of Totor ... keeping

2394-465: The government state limousine with Kurvi-Tasch's mustaches is inspired by the Soviet ZIL-114 . In King Ottokar's Sceptre , the Bordurian flag is black with a red circle and two black triangles, reminiscent of the stark, eye-catching symbols used by several Fascist movements. In The Calculus Affair , it is red, with the emblem of Kurvi-Tasch's mustache inside a white circle, resembling it closer to

2457-565: The leader's cult of personality most resembles Joseph Stalin . The army in pre-war King Ottokar's Sceptre is depicted as German-supplied, the main aircraft depicted being the Bf 109 . In post-war stories it has all the characteristics of the Soviet military. In Tintin and the Picaros the San Theodoros army is supplied by Borduria with Beretta AR70/90 assault-rifles and Mil Mi-1 helicopters. Also

2520-515: The lettering on signs and buildings to the logos of Bordurian companies and even certain characteristics and details on cars, including the car bumpers, include the shape in their designs. The Tintin books depict the country's language, Bordurian, only in fragments. Like Syldavian , the language seems to be based on the Dutch Brussels dialect Marols , such as mänhir for "mister" or "sir" (cf. Dutch mijnheer ). Unlike Syldavian, it uses

2583-632: The life of a campaigning reporter. He is sent to the Soviet Union , where he writes his editor a dispatch. He travels to the Belgian Congo , where he engages in photojournalism . When he travels to China in The Blue Lotus , the Shanghai News features the front-page headline, "Tintin's Own Story". In The Broken Ear , with notebook in hand, Tintin questions the director of the Museum of Ethnography over

Borduria - Misplaced Pages Continue

2646-439: The life work of many literary critics, observers sometimes referring to this study as "Tintinology". A prominent literary critic of Tintin is Philippe Goddin , "Belgium's leading authority on Hergé", author of numerous books on the subject, including Hergé and Tintin, Reporters and the biography Hergé: lignes de vie . In 1983, Benoît Peeters published Le Monde d'Hergé , subsequently published in English as Tintin and

2709-479: The likes of Steven Spielberg , Andy Warhol , Wim Wenders , Françoise Sagan , Harold Macmillan and General Charles de Gaulle , who considered Tintin his only international rival. While working on Tintin's next adventure, Tintin and the Alph'Art , Hergé died at 76 on 3 March 1983, and with him died the adventures of his most famous character. Several leading French and Belgian newspapers devoted their front pages to

2772-465: The midst of World War I , when Belgium was under German occupation , he had drawn pictures in the margins of his school workbooks of an unnamed young man battling the Boches (a slang term for Germans). He later commented that these drawings depicted a brave and adventurous character using his intelligence and ingenuity against opponents. None of these early drawings survive. Hergé was also influenced by

2835-451: The name of his previous character, Totor. Michael Farr believes that "Tintin" is probably the character's surname because other characters, such as his landlady , occasionally refer to him as Mr. Tintin (as printed on his doorbell). Assouline asserted that it cannot be his surname because he lacks a family, believing that Hergé had adopted it because "it sounded heroic, clear, and cheerful" as well as being easy to remember. Tintin's age

2898-514: The news, some illustrating it with a panel of Snowy grieving over his master's unconscious body. Tintin has appeared in real-life events staged by publishers for publicity stunts. Tintin's first live appearance was at the Gare du Nord station in Brussels on 8 May 1930, towards the end publication of the first adventure, Tintin in the Land of the Soviets . Fifteen-year-old Lucien Pepermans dressed to play

2961-473: The original comic series, Tintin has appeared in numerous plays, radio shows, television shows, and feature films, including the Steven Spielberg -directed film The Adventures of Tintin (2011). Hergé biographer Pierre Assouline noted that "Tintin had a prehistory", being influenced by a variety of sources that Hergé had encountered throughout his life. Hergé noted that during his early schooling in

3024-692: The part and travelled with Hergé to the station by train. They were expecting only a handful of readers but instead found themselves mobbed by a whole horde of fans. Fourteen-year-old Henri Dendoncker appeared as Tintin returning from Tintin in the Congo . Others have played Tintin returning from the adventures Tintin in America and The Blue Lotus . Actress Jane Rubens was the first to play Tintin on stage in April 1941. The plays, written by Jacques Van Melkebeke , included Tintin in India: The Mystery of

3087-503: The physical appearance and mannerisms of his younger brother Paul, who had a round face and a quiff hairstyle. In search of adventure, Paul later joined the Belgian Army , receiving jeers from fellow officers when the source of Hergé's visual inspiration became obvious. Hergé later stated that in his youth, "I watched him a lot; he entertained me and fascinated me... It makes sense that Tintin took on his character, gestures, poses. He had

3150-413: The protagonists of the early Adventures "very Belgian". Hergé himself commented: "my early works are books by a young Belgian filled with the prejudices and ideas of a Catholic, they are books that could have been written by any Belgian in my situation. They are not very intelligent, I know, and do me no honour: they are 'Belgian' books." Peeters ultimately considers the early Tintin to be "incoherent ...

3213-602: The reader to mask themselves in a character and safely enter a sensually stimulating world." To the other characters, Tintin is honest, decent, compassionate, and kind. He is also modest and self-effacing, which Hergé also was, and is the most loyal of friends, which Hergé strove to be. The reporter does have vices, becoming too tipsy before facing the firing squad (in The Broken Ear ) or too angry when informing Captain Haddock that he nearly cost them their lives (in Explorers on

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3276-403: The role of international social crusader, sticking up for the underdog and looking after those less fortunate than himself. From the first volume onward, Hergé depicted Tintin as being adept at driving or fixing any mechanical vehicle that he comes across. Given the opportunity, Tintin is at ease driving any automobile, has driven a moon tank, and is comfortable with every aspect of aviation. He

3339-433: The sort of adventures that would befall him came to me, I believe, in five minutes, the moment I first made a sketch of the figure of this hero: that is to say, he had not haunted my youth nor even my dreams. Although it's possible that as a child I imagined myself in the role of a sort of Tintin. Hergé, 15 November 1966. Tintin appeared after Hergé got his first job as a photographic reporter and cartoonist working at

3402-505: The spirit of a Boy Scout." Assouline would describe Totor as "a sort of trial run" for Tintin. Novelist and biographer Harry Thompson simply stated that Totor would "metamorphose" into Tintin. Literary influences have been observed. Benjamin Rabier and Fred Isly published an illustrated story in 1898 titled Tintin-Lutin  [ fr ] (" Tintin the Goblin "), in which they featured

3465-486: The twentieth century. Hergé created Tintin as a young, blonde Belgian who is a native of Brussels, visualizing Hergé's values of conservative values and traditional norms . Assouline deemed Tintin to be middle-class, which he considers one of the few traits that the character had in common with Hergé. In his first appearance, Tintin is dressed in a long travelling coat and hat, a few pages later adopting his plus fours , check suit, black socks, and Eton collar. At first,

3528-581: The world in 1928 and wrote about his adventures the following year. Robert Sexé , a French motorcycle photojournalist, travelled and wrote about the Soviet Union, the Belgian Congo, and the United States—immediately followed by Tintin's adventures. Years later, when Hergé was asked who inspired Tintin, he answered, "Tintin c'est moi." Hergé had seen the new style of American comics and

3591-423: Was also equipped with power steering . The styling was updated somewhat in 1971; with the front end looking similar to that of such cars as the 1966 Imperial but having different shapes and details. Small numbers of the 114K, with a cutaway roof to allow occupants to stand, were built. Two copies of an ambulance variant, the 114EA, with a sedan delivery body and higher roof, were also built. The ZiL-114N

3654-705: Was an official state car and transported only members of the Politburo of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the top leaders of the country, whereas the shorter ZIL-117 was used by secretaries of the Central Committee , as well as escort vehicles in the motorcade of heads of state, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the head of the Council of Ministers . In October 1971,

3717-555: Was most likely an affiliate of the Axis during World War II, although there is no explicit mention of that in the books. The post-war emblem of Borduria is similar to the circumflex symbol, and is modelled in the likeness of the mustache of Marshal Kûrvi-Tasch . In The Calculus Affair , evidence of the cult of personality surrounding the Marshal can be found in countless objects in Borduria, from

3780-454: Was ready to try it. Tintin's new comic would be a strip cartoon with dialogue in speech bubbles and drawings that carried the story. Young reporter Tintin would have the investigative acumen of Londres, the travelling abilities of Huld, and the high moral standing of Totor; the Boy Scout travelling reporter that Hergé would have liked to have been. The idea for the character of Tintin and

3843-529: Was reskinned with the body panels of its successor, the ZiL-4104. The 114 continued in limited production until the late 1970s when it was replaced by the even larger and heavier ZIL-4104 . About 150 ZiL-114s were produced. The ZIL-117 was a short-chassis sedan version with only five seats and a much shorter wheelbase. It was also available as an unusual four-door convertible (like the ZIL-111V). The ZIL-114

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3906-430: Was the first Soviet car with four-wheel disc brakes. It also had a pedal-operated handbrake. There were more luxury appointments than found on previous ZIL models, with such features as air conditioning added to the furnishings of the ZIL-111 . Power windows , power door locks , and a remote-control driver's mirror were standard. Measuring 630 cm (250 in) long and weighing 3,085 kg (6,801 lb), it

3969-402: Was two-speed automatic , with hydraulic torque converter . A three-speed gearbox was offered beginning in April 1975. Front suspension was by torsion bars . Although the rigid rear axle with leaf springs was retained, the ZIL-114 saw the replacement of drums by power-assisted disc brakes (with no fewer than three circuits ) on all four wheels to cope with the more powerful engine. It

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