Subtropical sea-louse! It's the Tintinologist
January 1, 2008 12:02 AM Subscribe
Subtropical sea-louse! It's the Tintinologist, an encyclopedia of Tintin, including such treats as all 195 of Captain Haddock's curses and an interview with Tintin's longtime translators.
I have family in Belgium, and when I was a kid they sent me a TinTin book in Dutch. 30 years later I couldn't be prouder.
posted by Eekacat at 12:28 AM on January 1, 2008
posted by Eekacat at 12:28 AM on January 1, 2008
I used to pore over Tintin books when I was a kid. Then I would dry them off and read them.
posted by Henry C. Mabuse at 3:07 AM on January 1, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Henry C. Mabuse at 3:07 AM on January 1, 2008 [1 favorite]
Never heard of Tintin, until I met someone on IRC using that as a nick. A few months later, I was hitched to my own Tintin (ie, cute blond Belgian). Still am, 11 years latter. W00t!
posted by Goofyy at 5:04 AM on January 1, 2008
posted by Goofyy at 5:04 AM on January 1, 2008
Hung?
posted by Henry C. Mabuse at 5:40 AM on January 1, 2008
posted by Henry C. Mabuse at 5:40 AM on January 1, 2008
Is this the guy that can help me with the ringing in my ear?
posted by mr. creosote at 7:54 AM on January 1, 2008
posted by mr. creosote at 7:54 AM on January 1, 2008
Speaking of Tintin, there was a pretty big controversy last fall. A publisher was planning to put together a complete box set of the entire set of books, and one of the books caused quite an uproar. The book, Tintin in the Congo has some fairly nasty colonial ideas and negative portrayals of the people in the Congo and so people wanted the book pulled from the set.
It certainly is pretty offensive, but the question is whether we should just hide everything offensive or allow people to make decisions for themselves, particularly in a set targeted at adults. To date, the box is still unavailable in North America because of all this.
posted by aubin at 8:17 AM on January 1, 2008
It certainly is pretty offensive, but the question is whether we should just hide everything offensive or allow people to make decisions for themselves, particularly in a set targeted at adults. To date, the box is still unavailable in North America because of all this.
posted by aubin at 8:17 AM on January 1, 2008
I've never understood the fascination with Tin Tin, but I love the list of Captain Haddock's Curses. There are at least a few good band names in there.
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 8:52 AM on January 1, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 8:52 AM on January 1, 2008 [1 favorite]
I've got English-language copies of both Tintin in the Congo and its predecessor, Tintin in the Land of the Soviets. Both are unquestionably, almost laughably prejudiced and wrong in their depiction of the locals.
Yet it seems clear that (as he later explained1) Hergé was reflecting the local mood at the time -- and while that mindset may be abhorrent to us now, I think it's extremely important that we -- as a society -- study and understand it, so that we can recognize when it begins to reappear in our society or our own minds.
Perhaps the difference is that in later books, after Hergé began to do his own research1, the stereotypes became gentler, became part of the characterization of the Thom(p)sons -- and thus became part of the humor, rather than the apparently factual background.
1 I learned this from Tintin: The Complete Companion by Michael Farr (amazon), but unfortunately can't find the quotes online.
posted by jdfalk at 9:11 AM on January 1, 2008
Yet it seems clear that (as he later explained1) Hergé was reflecting the local mood at the time -- and while that mindset may be abhorrent to us now, I think it's extremely important that we -- as a society -- study and understand it, so that we can recognize when it begins to reappear in our society or our own minds.
Perhaps the difference is that in later books, after Hergé began to do his own research1, the stereotypes became gentler, became part of the characterization of the Thom(p)sons -- and thus became part of the humor, rather than the apparently factual background.
1 I learned this from Tintin: The Complete Companion by Michael Farr (amazon), but unfortunately can't find the quotes online.
posted by jdfalk at 9:11 AM on January 1, 2008
On the other hand, this is potentially offensive: "Auditions are now under way for the upcoming Tintin movie being created by Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg...Jackson and Spielberg will be directing one Tintin movie each...Spielberg recently said the Tintin movies would be shot completely with motion-capture technology similar to that used in The Lord of the Rings and King Kong."
posted by jdfalk at 9:18 AM on January 1, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by jdfalk at 9:18 AM on January 1, 2008 [1 favorite]
I love that site's favicon!
posted by interrobang at 10:35 AM on January 1, 2008
posted by interrobang at 10:35 AM on January 1, 2008
It certainly is pretty offensive, but the question is whether we should just hide everything offensive or allow people to make decisions for themselves, particularly in a set targeted at adults. To date, the box is still unavailable in North America because of all this.
The box set was recently (as in during last 2-3 months) solicited in Diamond Comics Distributor's Previews catalog, so we should see copies soon. They have chosen to excise Tintin In The Congo.
posted by beaucoupkevin at 10:50 AM on January 1, 2008
The box set was recently (as in during last 2-3 months) solicited in Diamond Comics Distributor's Previews catalog, so we should see copies soon. They have chosen to excise Tintin In The Congo.
posted by beaucoupkevin at 10:50 AM on January 1, 2008
Tintin and I is a thoughtful and moving documentary about Tintin and Hergé. It was up on google video, and here is a link to a torrent.
The documentary discusses Hergé's development as a cartoonist; he moved away from colonialist stereotypes after meeting Zhang Chongren, a Chinese artist and sculptor who was then studying in Brussels.
Highly recommended.
posted by sebastienbailard at 10:59 AM on January 1, 2008
The documentary discusses Hergé's development as a cartoonist; he moved away from colonialist stereotypes after meeting Zhang Chongren, a Chinese artist and sculptor who was then studying in Brussels.
Highly recommended.
posted by sebastienbailard at 10:59 AM on January 1, 2008
Blistering barnacles! What a fun post! I love Captain Haddock's curses, wish people were more imaginative with their expletives these days and invective could be so much more articulate.
This was an eye opener: HERGÉ, (Georges Remi) 1907-83
Belgian strip cartoonist, born in Etterbeek, near Brussels, the creator of Tintin the boy detective. He had an influence on the modern art world, with Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein citing him as a strong influence on their work.
That makes total sense. Always liked educating comic books of all kinds, with real stories and knowledge but not condescending. Like Asterix. And a fun cowboy parody, Lucky Luke, by the same author.
posted by nickyskye at 1:39 PM on January 1, 2008
This was an eye opener: HERGÉ, (Georges Remi) 1907-83
Belgian strip cartoonist, born in Etterbeek, near Brussels, the creator of Tintin the boy detective. He had an influence on the modern art world, with Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein citing him as a strong influence on their work.
That makes total sense. Always liked educating comic books of all kinds, with real stories and knowledge but not condescending. Like Asterix. And a fun cowboy parody, Lucky Luke, by the same author.
posted by nickyskye at 1:39 PM on January 1, 2008
I don't understand the fascination with Tin Tin. I find it utterly racist.
posted by liza at 2:57 PM on January 1, 2008
posted by liza at 2:57 PM on January 1, 2008
I love Tintin books, and like Henry C used to study them in great detail. As an example, in The Calculus Affair's Stalinist Borduria, Kurvi Tasch's mustache adorns almost every fixture.
The cars, planes, tanks and trains are all drawn with such precision, yet the faces are pure comic-strip.
posted by mattoxic at 3:01 PM on January 1, 2008
The cars, planes, tanks and trains are all drawn with such precision, yet the faces are pure comic-strip.
posted by mattoxic at 3:01 PM on January 1, 2008
I don't understand the fascination with Tin Tin. I find it utterly racist.
Liza, it's of the day, and catholic Belgium was a very racist society. Herge soon left that behind and developed into an internationalist.
True the early works, Congo, Cigars of the Pharos, and even the depiction of the Jewish banker in Shooting Star are squirm-worthy, but you could not say that Blue Lotus, Tintin in America or Tinitin in Tibet, Red Sea Sharks are racist at all- far from it- Herge either champions the repressed underdog, or revels in the culture (Tibet/America).
It isn't utterly racist at all, far from it. (unless by 'utterly' you mean 'a bit at the beginning')
posted by mattoxic at 4:21 PM on January 1, 2008 [2 favorites]
Liza, it's of the day, and catholic Belgium was a very racist society. Herge soon left that behind and developed into an internationalist.
True the early works, Congo, Cigars of the Pharos, and even the depiction of the Jewish banker in Shooting Star are squirm-worthy, but you could not say that Blue Lotus, Tintin in America or Tinitin in Tibet, Red Sea Sharks are racist at all- far from it- Herge either champions the repressed underdog, or revels in the culture (Tibet/America).
It isn't utterly racist at all, far from it. (unless by 'utterly' you mean 'a bit at the beginning')
posted by mattoxic at 4:21 PM on January 1, 2008 [2 favorites]
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posted by LeLiLo at 12:14 AM on January 1, 2008