Now Read This!

By Hergé, translated by Leslie Lonsdale-Cooper & Michael Turner (Egmont UK)
ISBN 13: 978-1-4052-2901-2

I’m going to break with format and discuss the last chapter first in this final collected volume of Hergé’s immortal classic. Tintin and Alph-Art was the story that the artist was working on at the time of his death, and reproduced at the end of this book are the sketches, layouts and translated scripts for the first two-thirds of the tale. In this fascinating raw form are incredible insights into the thoughts and working process of the creator as he crafted a mystery tale which gently lampooned modern art and its aficionados, and the growing trend of cults and new age mysticism. Even in this unshaped form it looks to be a wonderful yarn packed with social commentary, comedy and action, but will sadly remain tantalisingly incomplete.

Acting on his wishes his second wife (Fanny Vlaminck, whom he wed in 1977) closed Studio Hergé after he died on March 3rd 1983. He had been suffering from bone cancer for many years and finally passed due to complications arising from the anaemia it had caused. Since he had never wanted any other artist to draw the character, the 24th story simply ceased production. In 1986 the notes and sketches were published as they are seen here and the studio became the Hergé Foundation. In 1988 the periodical Tintin magazine ceased publication.

So the three epics here are the last full adventures from the master, although there was a book culled from the animated feature Tintin and the Lake of Sharks (directed by publisher Raymond Leblanc; the album is not strictly canonical and was produced by Greg a.k.a Michel Regnier, a friend of Hergé’s).

The Castafiore Emerald was quite a departure from the eerie and bleak thriller that preceded it (Tintin in Tibet: See Adventures of Tintin volume 7 – ISBN 13: 978-1-4052-2900-5). The resolution of that tale had seemed to purge much of the turmoil and trauma from the artist’s psyche. His production rate – but not quality – slowed to a leisurely crawl as he became a world traveller, visiting America, Taiwan and many other places he had featured in the globe-trotting exploits of his immortal boy reporter. Fans would wait fifteen years for these last three tales.

When the blithely unstoppable Bianca Castafiore imposes herself on Captain Haddock at Marlinspike Hall, complete with Operatic entourage and with reporters in hot pursuit she turns the place upside down, destroying the irascible mariner’s peace-of-mind. But when her fabulous jewels are stolen events take a surreal and particularly embarrassing turn before Tintin solves the case.

This tale is very like an Alfred Hitchcock sparkling thriller from the 1950s. Light, airy, even frothy, there are no real villains but plenty of action and comedy, and Herg̩ had plenty of opportunity to take pot-shots at the media, Society РHigh and low Рand even the growing phenomenon of Television itself. The tale was published in 1961. It would be five years until the next one.

Flight 714 To Sydney (1966) is a return to classic adventure. Whilst en route to Australia on the eponymous journey, Tintin, Captain Haddock and Professor Calculus are inveigled into joining the unconventional and somewhat unpleasant aviation tycoon Laszlo Carreidas on his personal supersonic prototype. But due to the type of coincidence that plagues heroes that plane has been targeted by the villainous Rastapopoulos whose gang hijack the aircraft and land it on a desolate island. After many dangers the prisoners escape and discover that the Island holds a fantastic ancient secret that dwarfs the threat of the villains and leads to a spectacular climax that no reader will ever forget.

Although full of Hergé’s trademark humour, this is primarily a suspenseful action thriller with science fiction roots as the author plays with the research that led to Erich von Däniken’s Chariots of the Gods. Once more the supernormal plays a large part but not as a malign force and this time science and rationality, not the supernatural, are the basis of the wonderment.

Tintin and the Picaros (1975) is in all ways the concluding adventure as many old characters and places from previous tales make one final appearance. A sequel to The Broken Ear (Adventures of Tintin volume 3 – ISBN13: 978-1-4052-2897-8) it finds Bianca Castafiore arrested for spying in San Theodoros with Tintin, Haddock and Calculus lured to her rescue.

Colonel Sponsz, last seen in The Calculus Affair (Adventures of Tintin volume 7 – ISBN13: 978-1-4052-2900-5) is the Bordurian Military Advisor to the Government of General Tapioca, and has used his position to exact revenge on the intrepid band who humiliated him. When the Tintin and company escape into the jungles during a murder attempt they reunite with their old comrade Alcazar, who leads a band of Picaro guerrillas dedicated to restoring him to power.

South American revolutions were all the rage in the 1970s – even Woody Allen made one the subject of a movie – and Hergé’s cast had been involved with this one on and off since 1935. With the welcome return of Doctor Ridgewell and the hysterical Arumbayas, and even the obnoxious insurance salesman Jolyon Wagg, they bring about the final downfall of Tapioca in a thrilling and bloodless coup during Carnival time, thanks to a comedy maguffin that turns out to be a brilliant piece of narrative misdirection by the author.

Sly, subtle, thrilling and warmly comforting this tale is the most fitting place to end the Adventures of Tintin, but only until you pick up another volume and read them again – as you indubitably will.

The Castafiore Emerald: artwork © 1963 by Editions Casterman, Paris & Tournai. Text © 1963 Egmont UK Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Flight 714 To Sydney: artwork © 1968 by Editions Casterman, Paris & Tournai.
Text © 1968 Egmont UK Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Tintin and the Picaros: artwork © 1976 by Editions Casterman, Paris & Tournai.
Text © 1976 Egmont UK Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Tintin and Alph-Art: artwork © 2004 by Editions Casterman, Paris & Tournai.
Text © 2004 Egmont UK Limited. All Rights Reserved.