The Tintin Thread

[vandermolen]

I must say I really enjoy the Castafiore Emeralds for several reasons but primarily for the relative complexity of its plot.  I also believe it is the Tintin episode that is most taught in college level French courses in the U.S.

It is my favourite too as nothing much happens and there is considerable humour in it (Bianca Castafiore's parrot for example). I've always thought that the best scenes take place in Captain Haddock's ancestral home of Marlinspike Hall and here the whole story is based there. I enjoyed Professor Calculus's early experiments with Colour Television too. Also I like 'Mr Bolt' the builder who is 'much too busy' to fix the broken marble step in Markinspike Hall and yet he is shown relaxing in an armchair reading the newspaper.

[Spineur]

A colorized version of "Tintin au pays des soviets", the first album published by Hergé at the age of 21 will be published in jan 2017.

http://www.lemonde.fr/culture/article/2016/09/22/tintin-et-le-retour-colorise-des-soviets-en-librairie_5001956_3246.html

A christmas present for Vladimir Putin ?

[vandermolen]

A colorized version of "Tintin au pays des soviets", the first album published by Hergé at the age of 21 will be published in jan 2017.

http://www.lemonde.fr/culture/article/2016/09/22/tintin-et-le-retour-colorise-des-soviets-en-librairie_5001956_3246.html

A christmas present for Vladimir Putin ?

Interesting! Thanks for the info.

[Mister Sharpe]

It is my favourite too as nothing much happens and there is considerable humour in it (Bianca Castafiore's parrot for example). I've always thought that the best scenes take place in Captain Haddock's ancestral home of Marlinspike Hall and here the whole story is based there. I enjoyed Professor Calculus's early experiments with Colour Television too. Also I like 'Mr Bolt' the builder who is 'much too busy' to fix the broken marble step in Markinspike Hall and yet he is shown relaxing in an armchair reading the newspaper.

Total agreement here. The gypsy red herring aspect of it is also not w/o social interest. Mr. Bolt and the pratfalls that can be blamed on him are quintessential French humor. Btw, I am one of those vegetarians Cap. Haddock rails against.         

Met a guy at a jazz fest this past summer with a dog that was the spitting image of Snowy. Most unfriendly chap and weary of Tintin fans admiring his dog. "his name is Horatio" I was gruffly informed, but I know Snowy when I see him (he was undoubtedly working undercover).

[vandermolen]

Total agreement here. The gypsy red herring aspect of it is also not w/o social interest. Mr. Bolt and the pratfalls that can be blamed on him are quintessential French humor. Btw, I am one of those vegetarians Cap. Haddock rails against.         

Met a guy at a jazz fest this past summer with a dog that was the spitting image of Snowy. Most unfriendly chap and weary of Tintin fans admiring his dog. "his name is Horatio" I was gruffly informed, but I know Snowy when I see him (he was undoubtedly working undercover).

'Horatio' was clearly a pseudonym but you were right not to blow Snowy's cover when he was clearly working undercover on an important mission. 

[vandermolen]

Total agreement here. The gypsy red herring aspect of it is also not w/o social interest. Mr. Bolt and the pratfalls that can be blamed on him are quintessential French humor. Btw, I am one of those vegetarians Cap. Haddock rails against.         

Met a guy at a jazz fest this past summer with a dog that was the spitting image of Snowy. Most unfriendly chap and weary of Tintin fans admiring his dog. "his name is Horatio" I was gruffly informed, but I know Snowy when I see him (he was undoubtedly working undercover).

You are right about the Gypsy red herring episode having social interest. Tinting has had a bit of a political awakening since his days in the USSR, the Congo and on the Red Sea.

[Jo498]

The political awakening can be pinned on the acquaintance Hergé made with a young Chinese student and it shows already clearly in the "Blue Lotos". While the Japanese are still the "bad guys" (and frankly, that's correct in the historical situation in the 1930s) and look their part there is a section where Chang? enlightens Tintin about western prejudices wrt China.
I have never seen the "Tintin and the Soviets" but this was supposed to be propaganda in line with conservative (catholic) magazine it appeared in and this applies to the "Kongo" (Belgium as benevolent colonial power), "America" (hotbed of crime and unrestricted capitalism) stories as well, although to a lesser extent. This clearly changes with the "Blue Lotus"
Sure, there are some clichés as well all over several of the other books. But overall the later ones usually show that there are real power conflicts and "the West" is not better than (because usually involved and meddling with their politics) in the "Banana Republics", corrupt Balkan states or oil rich Emirates.

[Spineur]

There definitely was some biases in Tintin album, the most offensive to me were the pre-WWII antisemit cartoons.  Those were actually edited after the war, so the crooked nose jews became long bearded characters.
But some of the bias, sometimes corresponded to actual reality.  Like this one in Tintin aux pays des soviets.

[Spineur]

Some Tintin drawing were auctioned today at Artcurial and sold for the price of impressionist masterpieces:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/sale-tintin-drawings-set-break-records-064837342.html   

[vandermolen]

Some Tintin drawing were auctioned today at Artcurial and sold for the price of impressionist masterpieces:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/sale-tintin-drawings-set-break-records-064837342.html   

Yes, this was on the BBC News today and there was an interview with a Tintinologist which, unfortunately, I didn't hear.

[Spineur]

The french version is out.  English version is coming

[vandermolen]

The french version is out.  English version is coming

How very interesting - thanks for posting. For completionist purposes I shall have to get it but I bet that it will be very expensive as much Tintin stuff is.
It is rather crude anti-Soviet propaganda. I enjoyed going to the recent Tintin exhibition in London with my daughter. The book of the exhibition is great fun:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Tintin-Herges-Masterpiece-Pierre-Sterckx/0789329476/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1485445667&sr=1-1&keywords=tintin+herge%27s+masterpiece

[Spineur]

....but I bet that it will be very expensive as much Tintin stuff is...

14.95€ on A.fr (OK) but 49$ on A.com (outrageous).  There has been various changes from the original version to make it more "politically correct".  I dont know how much they have done with this one.

[lisa needs braces]

Pleased to hear it. 

To be more specific, I came to the USA in the mid-90s as a non-English speaking immigrant. In grade school Tintin books were the first works I read in English. I believe 70% of the written words went over my head...I had just arrived in the country one year prior. The pictures helped though!

[vandermolen]

To be more specific, I came to the USA in the mid-90s as a non-English speaking immigrant. In grade school Tintin books were the first works I read in English. I believe 70% of the written words went over my head...I had just arrived in the country one year prior. The pictures helped though!

I'm even more pleased to hear that you were helped in your studies by the Tintin books. I have a Tintin themed English-French dictionary at home.

[Jo498]

I thought about getting some Tintin in French to improve my (almost non-existent) French although I recall from my school days that comic books are often not all that great for language learning because they are often surprisingly difficult, i.e. often use idiomatic or very short condensed and context dependent phrases.

[vandermolen]

I thought about getting some Tintin in French to improve my (almost non-existent) French although I recall from my school days that comic books are often not all that great for language learning because they are often surprisingly difficult, i.e. often use idiomatic or very short condensed and context dependent phrases.

A good point as I thought of using them to improve my rubbish French too.

[Jo498]

My alternative idea is some stories from "Le petit Nicolas" children's books by the great Goscinny. My sister re-read the first three Harry Potter books in French to get back into the language but hers was better to begin with as she had had at least a few years French at school unlike me who is relying on rusty Latin and Duolingo to get a very tentative grasp of that language.

[Spineur]

Not quite Hergé magical universe, but Spielberg movie can be watched in French

https://www.youtube.com/v/-4kurNcO_-I

[vandermolen]

Thanks Jo498 and Spineur,
I've also thought of reading one of my favourite books (which was my mother's favourite too) 'Le Petit Prince' by Antoine de Saint-Exupery in the original French (of which I have a copy) alongside the English translation for when I get stuck.