I saw this on my phone and said “fuck, this needs the computer” and walked to my computer.
Tintin is a real land of contrasts. Herge was a reactionary, started writing for racist publications and how much he collaborated with the Nazis is a subject of debate from begrudgingly to enthusiastically. Tintin in the Land of the Soviets is anticommunist trash. Tintin in the Congo is racist trash. There’s a reason they didn’t translate it into English for decades because it was too fucked up even for Anglos. Those books are not worth reading.
So his works start off really racist but over time Herge shows a surprisingly level of nuance and respect for other cultures (for an early 20th century European). Like the Blue Lotus is very racist to Japanese (but they’re also the villains because it’s the 1930s) and it’s stereotypes the Chinese badly, but it also sincerely suggests the Chinese are the same as Europeans, a proud culture with a long history worthy of respect and friendship. Chang, Tintin’s Chinese sidekick is smart and heroic. Even returning much later in Tintin in Tibet.
Tintin in America straight up calls pretty much all Americans gangsters and irrational lynch mobs, who will swindle First Nations out of their lands to steal their oil at first opportunity. As the books progress non-European places (Peru, Tibet etc) get shown with at least more nuance and interest, even if there’s still problems.
Also the quality just gets so much better. Like the early stories are just dogshit. Barely readable. Tintin in America is one Deus Ex Macchina after another as Tintin bumbles from one situation to situation. Tintin in the land of the soviets is a series of shitty newspaper cartoons strung together. But later works like the Calculus Affair is a tense political thriller about a spy battle over new sonic super-weapons in fictionalized Balkan states, Tintin on the Moon is a sincere and realistic story of the challenges of lunar travel a decade before the moon landing.
Tintin also over time assembles his cast, Captain Haddock, Professors Calculus Thompson/Dupont and Thomson/Dupond, as well as recurring characters Bianca Castafiore, Spruk, Chang etc. Tintin truly doesn’t start until the Crab with the Golden Claw, when Captain Haddock storms on the scene “blistering blue barnacles” and all.
Chang, Tintin’s Chinese sidekick is smart and heroic. Even returning much later in Tintin in Tibet.
That’s because Chang is based on the real artist Zhang Chongren. Hergé and Zhang met in Brussels and became lifelong friends. Zhang taught him about Chinese culture and Japanese imperialism.
They lost contact, when Japan invaded. During the cultural revolution, Zhang was a street sweeper for a while but later went on to become the head of the Fine Arts Academy in Shanghai. Tintin met Chang again in “Tintin in Tibet” years before Hergé regained contact with Zhang.
There is nothing better than friendship to educate a racist. It’s not always practical, but still nice, when it happens.
I just assume that Herge was a normal Euro (racist af) until he actually started researching into cultures he was writing about and his racism somewhat toned down.
Like Destination Moon, Explorers on the Moon, The Calculus Affair, The Red Sea Sharks, Tintin in Tibet and the Castafiore Emerald are all back to back. That’s such a good run all in a ten year period.
I saw this on my phone and said “fuck, this needs the computer” and walked to my computer.
Tintin is a real land of contrasts. Herge was a reactionary, started writing for racist publications and how much he collaborated with the Nazis is a subject of debate from begrudgingly to enthusiastically. Tintin in the Land of the Soviets is anticommunist trash. Tintin in the Congo is racist trash. There’s a reason they didn’t translate it into English for decades because it was too fucked up even for Anglos. Those books are not worth reading.
So his works start off really racist but over time Herge shows a surprisingly level of nuance and respect for other cultures (for an early 20th century European). Like the Blue Lotus is very racist to Japanese (but they’re also the villains because it’s the 1930s) and it’s stereotypes the Chinese badly, but it also sincerely suggests the Chinese are the same as Europeans, a proud culture with a long history worthy of respect and friendship. Chang, Tintin’s Chinese sidekick is smart and heroic. Even returning much later in Tintin in Tibet.
Tintin in America straight up calls pretty much all Americans gangsters and irrational lynch mobs, who will swindle First Nations out of their lands to steal their oil at first opportunity. As the books progress non-European places (Peru, Tibet etc) get shown with at least more nuance and interest, even if there’s still problems.
Also the quality just gets so much better. Like the early stories are just dogshit. Barely readable. Tintin in America is one Deus Ex Macchina after another as Tintin bumbles from one situation to situation. Tintin in the land of the soviets is a series of shitty newspaper cartoons strung together. But later works like the Calculus Affair is a tense political thriller about a spy battle over new sonic super-weapons in fictionalized Balkan states, Tintin on the Moon is a sincere and realistic story of the challenges of lunar travel a decade before the moon landing.
Tintin also over time assembles his cast, Captain Haddock, Professors Calculus Thompson/Dupont and Thomson/Dupond, as well as recurring characters Bianca Castafiore, Spruk, Chang etc. Tintin truly doesn’t start until the Crab with the Golden Claw, when Captain Haddock storms on the scene “blistering blue barnacles” and all.
That’s because Chang is based on the real artist Zhang Chongren. Hergé and Zhang met in Brussels and became lifelong friends. Zhang taught him about Chinese culture and Japanese imperialism. They lost contact, when Japan invaded. During the cultural revolution, Zhang was a street sweeper for a while but later went on to become the head of the Fine Arts Academy in Shanghai. Tintin met Chang again in “Tintin in Tibet” years before Hergé regained contact with Zhang.
There is nothing better than friendship to educate a racist. It’s not always practical, but still nice, when it happens.
I just assume that Herge was a normal Euro (racist af) until he actually started researching into cultures he was writing about and his racism somewhat toned down.
Like Destination Moon, Explorers on the Moon, The Calculus Affair, The Red Sea Sharks, Tintin in Tibet and the Castafiore Emerald are all back to back. That’s such a good run all in a ten year period.