Tintin and Contemporary Politics

Subhayan Mukerjee / blog.subhayan.com

Tintinand contemporary politics

Subhayan Mukerjee [email protected]

Tintin ConferenceUniversity College, London

10th January 2014


● A chronological look at 20th century politics through Tintin’s adventures ○ Before the Second World War○ During the Second World War○ After the Second World War

● A look at other “political” issues○ Tintin as an ideal European hero○ Tintin and human rights○ Tintin and sexism

Two objectives


Before thesecond world war

Tintin’s first appearance He boards a train to the Soviet Union in Le Petit Vingtième, the weekly youth supplement to Le Vingtième Siècle (Le XXe Le Siècle)


● The Bolshevik Revolution of 1917● The founding of the Soviet Union in 1922● Tintin in the Land of the Soviets published in 1930● Hergé worked for a right wing Belgian newspaper,

Le XXe Siècle ● The story was thus inherently and intentionally

biased against the Bolshevik government to instill anti-Marxist and anti-Socialist ideas into children

● Examples○ Bolsheviks rig elections○ The government steals the people’s grains

Communism in the Soviet Union1929-30


1929-30


Racism and animal cruelty in the Congo● Congo was a Belgian colony between 1908 - 1960● Tintin in the Congo was originally meant to educate

young Belgians about their country’s colonial regime

● Hergé’s most controversial story○ Racism - depiction of African natives as

subhuman, “monkey people”○ Animal cruelty - Tintin kills animals wantonly,

chimpanzees, antelope; in the original version he blows up a rhino with dynamite

● Immature, ill-researched story, when compared to the later ones.

1930-31


1930-31


1930-31


1930-31


Capitalism in the New World● A masterpiece of satire. ● Hergé mocks American capitalism

○ finding an oilfield in Red Indian country○ Gangsters’ Syndicate of Chicago○ widespread mechanisation of industries

● Original versions raised some controversies○ lynching of African Americans

1931-32


1931-32


1931-32


1931-32


Political insurgencies in the Far East● The Blue Lotus is one of Hergé’s pivotal works

○ attention to historical accuracy■ The Mukden incident■ Japanese invasion of Manchuria■ The League of Nations

○ realistic, less contrived storyline

● Tintin takes a stand against Asian stereotypes

1934-35


1934-35


1934-35


Politics in South America● In The Broken Ear, Hergé creates two fictitious

countries to draw parallels with his story and South American politics○ San Theodoros, a satirical version of a South

American nation under the yoke of military dictatorship

○ Historically similar to Bolivia or Argentina○ The Grand Chapo War○ The minor character of Basil Bazarov, and his

equivalent in real history - Basil Zaharoff

1935-37


1935-37


Balkan politics

● King Ottokar’s Sceptre is one of Hergé’s political masterpieces.

● Stunning parallels with Balkan politics leading to WW2○ Syldavia = Transylvania + Moldavia ?○ Borduria is a typical Eastern Bloc nation under a

totalitarian Fascist government○ Musstler = Mussolini + Hitler?○ Steel Guard and the Romanian Iron Guard

1938-39


1938-39


The Second World War● Belgium had been annexed by the Nazis● Hergé was now working for Le Soir, a pro-Nazi

newspaper● Subtle references to the World War in the earliest

(unfinished version) of The Land of Black Gold● Anti Semitism and Nazi bias in early editions of

The Shooting Star○ deleted panels showing Anti Semitic caricatures○ The “enemy” was originally sponsored by the

United States

1939-45


1941-42


after thesecond world war


The Space Race● The space race between the USSR and

the USA inspires the epic two-part lunar landing adventure

● Syldavia’s secretive atomic research center

● Borduria’s attempts at sabotage● Rise of a polar world, continued in The

Calculus Affair.

1950-53


The Cold War● The Calculus Affair is yet another political

thriller● Syldavia and Borduria are shown as two

superpowers, attempting to get their hands on a weapon of mass destruction.

● Professor Calculus’ visit to Geneva was possibly inspired by CERN.

1954-56


1954-56


Slave trading in the middle east● The Red Sea Sharks is a logical sequel to The

Land of Black Gold● Rampant slave trading in the Red Sea by Arabs● Tintin and Captain Haddock take a humanitarian

stand, in an attempt to help the African natives● Hergé’s way for making up for the controversies

in the Congo?

1956-58


1956-58


The politics of the media● The rise of the paparazzi culture forms the

backdrop of The Castafiore Emerald.

● Politics between rival media houses

● Ill treatment of gypsies

1961-62


Politics of a banana republic● Tintin and the Picaros, Hergé’s last complete

story is a political masterpiece.● Oppressive military dictatorships of South

America● San Theodoros as a satirical banana republic

○ Revolution sponsored by the International Banana company

○ stratified social classes● Human rights

○ Tintin insists that the revolution be completely non violent and bloodless

1975-76


1975-76


Tintin - the ideal comic book hero● Comics originally written in French.● A certain French law of 1949 banned all

children’s literature that showed cowardice and ignominy in favourable light. Probably why Tintin was shown to be○ noble, courageous, dignified○ like an overgrown boy scout, in

pursuit of a simple ethical code● Politically motivated legislation to curb

Superman in Europe?


Tintin and human rights● An overgrown boy scout in pursuit of a

simple ethical code○ What ethics?

● Early stories created many controversies○ Animal cruelty○ Racism○ Antisemitism

● Later however, Herge made amends○ Tintin and Captain Haddock against slave

trading○ Tintin enforcing that a revolution be

bloodless


Tintin and sexism● Terribly skewed sex ratio of

characters● Only ONE major female

character○ Bianca Castafiore

● Helpful, “good” person, but often shown in negative light○ melodramatic, comically foolish,

whimsical, absent-minded, talkative


Thank you

Particularly,

Professor Hari Nair for inspiring me to work on this topic.And, Tyler, for helping me present this from Calcutta.

Education

Tintin and Contemporary Politics