An exclusive extract from Herge: The Man Who Created Tintin by Pierre Assouline.

Chapter 6: The Golden Age, 1940-1944

To Hergé, the king was the personification of Belgian resistance, and it was in that light he understood the speech given by Léopold III the day after the surrender. The war was over, the Germans occupied the country; horrible as it was, the situation could not last forever. In other words, let’s be practical and adapt while waiting for better times. “That was why,” Hergé said later in an interview, “I had no scruples about working with a newspaper such as Le Soir.”

This spirit of compromise also marked the first step on the path to passive collaboration. From the start Hergé had wanted to stay in print under the Occupation. The crisis of conscience that had led some of his colleagues to “break their pens,” so to speak, was alien to him. “I worked, period; that’s all. Just like a miner works, or a streetcar ticket taker, or a baker. While everyone found it normal that a mechanic made trains run, they thought that people of the press were supposedly traitors.” He objected to the very idea that writers and journalists should be more responsible. His attitude revealed denial, which in turn masked an unstated emotion. During the Occupation, a number of friends from his youth had attained positions of power in the press. From Hergé’s perspective, there was no reason he should deprive himself of working with them. Politically there was no great gap between them and him. The Germans had to leave someday. Le Vingtième Siècle was shut down for good. Remi waited four months before the Occupation Authority would lift the sequestration and he get at the money the paper owed him and settle his taxes. Fortunately for him, Casterman was late in settling its accounts and advanced him 10,000 francs (current equivalent, $3,300).

There were now three categories of newspapers: those that continued to publish under their own initiative (a total of eleven); those that appeared for the first time (nine); and those labeled “stolen” because they had been confiscated and published against the will of their owners or board of directors (thirteen).

By the end of summer 1940, Hergé had come to an agreement with the Flemish press of Belgium, Het Algemeen Nieuws, for exclusive rights to “Quick and Flupke,” and with Het Laatste Nieuws (a stolen paper) for exclusive rights to Tintin. Against the advice of Casterman, he chose to publish a volume of “Quick and Flupke” rather than Popol and Virginia in the Country of the Lapinos, which involved arms dealers—“innocuous in normal times,” as he put it, “but these days could cause us problems if not the outright refusal of permission to publish.” Hergé also approached Le Nouveau Journal, a new daily of questionable merit that was launched in October 1940 with the team from the weekly Cassandre. It was under the direction of Paul Colin, a collaborator, whom Hergé described as “a first rate man, very sympathetic.”

The Belgian press under the German Occupation was in a paradoxical position: it was read, but not believed. Although the papers were too servile to have any credibility, people nevertheless bought them and devoured every line. Despite the logistical problems of printing and distribution, newspapers had roughly the same circulation as before the war. The hardships of life transformed people into avid readers. They consumed everything, books or pamphlets, yet without surrendering judgment. The majority listened to the BBC, which reestablished the balance, corrected errors of point of view, and removed any doubts about the origin of specific information. A great mistake of the occupiers was not to have confiscated all radio sets, as they had in the Netherlands.

Herge: The Man Who Created Tintin by Pierre Assouline is a brand new biography being launched this week in the UK and in the USA in a couple of week’s times. Published by Oxford University Press. It is available on Amazon.co.uk and on Amazon.com.

Text (c) Pierre Assouline and used with permission.
Tintin is a registered trademark of Moulinsart, who are not associated with this book or this blog.

An exclusive extract from Herge: The Man Who Created Tintin by Pierre Assouline.

Chapter 3: The Many Births of Tintin, 1929-1934

Hergé came to comic illustration the year that silent films began to speak. In 1930, Charlie Chaplin had just screened City Lights, unanimously acclaimed as his masterpiece. Hergé had obviously been among his admirers. His “The Lovable Mr. Mops,” eight comic strips drawn for the Bon Marché Department Store in Brussels, were entirely conceived around gags dealing with romance and flirtation. The main character is a short mustachioed man, wearing a derby hat a size too small, a shabby jacket, pants abnormally short, and sometimes carrying a cane. He is touchingly awkward and luckless. The resemblance goes beyond coincidence.

For Walt Disney it was also a decisive year. Unlike Otto Messmer, the creator of “Felix the Cat,” in a partnership with Pat Sullivan, who took care of the business, Disney was both creator and entrepreneur. His third animated film starring Mickey Mouse, Steamboat Willie, was a success. But it was only the beginning. His new series of musical shorts, Silly Symphonies, would be received with popular enthusiasm and would have influence worldwide, ranging from the works of Hergé to those of Osamu Tesuka, the precursor of Japanese mangas.

In France, illustrated adventures would have an enormous impact on the press. Messmer’s Felix the Cat and Disney’s Mickey Mouse would be serialized in numerous newspapers. At the same time, three new publications for young readers made their appearance: Benjamin, edited by Jean Nohain; Rick and Rack, created by the publisher Fayard; and Coeurs Vaillants (Brave Hearts), launched by L’Union des Oeuvres. In 1930, Father Courtois, the editor of Coeurs Vaillants, traveled to Brussels to win the exclusive serial rights to Tintin in France.

In October, Coeurs Vaillants started publishing “Tintin in the Land of the Soviets.” The motto of this paper, whose roots were ecclesiastic, pleased Hergé: “For Brave Hearts Nothing Is Impossible.” However, there was an immediate conflict between the editors and Hergé, who would never tolerate anyone touching his illustrations. To better explain the action, the editors added a narrative caption beneath his drawings, a throwback to the old “Bécassine” format. Hergé protested vigorously, but the editors turned a deaf ear. The publication would prove decisive for the international career of Hergé.

Herge: The Man Who Created Tintin by Pierre Assouline is a brand new biography being launched this week in the UK and in the USA in a couple of week’s times. Published by Oxford University Press. It is available on Amazon.co.uk and on Amazon.com.

Text (c) Pierre Assouline and used with permission.
Tintin is a registered trademark of Moulinsart, who are not associated with this book or this blog.

Next week we will be running exclusive extracts from Herge: The Man Who Created Tintin which is being published on Thursday. I’ve spent the weekend doing little else but read the book in preparation for an interview I will be doing with the author Pierre Assouline next week. The book is full of interesting insights into Georges Herge Remi’s personality and life. To give you a flavour of the book here are some snippets from the extracts appearing next week.

Monday: The Many Births of Tintin

… there was an immediate conflict between the editors and Hergé, who would never tolerate anyone touching his illustrations.

Tuesday: Herge and the Nazis

… Hergé said later in an interview, “I had no scruples about working with a newspaper such as Le Soir.”

Wednesday: Herge the Collaborator?

Georges Remi would be arrested four times: by State Security, by the Judiciary Police, by the Belgian National Movement, and by the Front for Independence. Each time he was set free.

Thursday: Herge & Fanny – The First Kiss

In 1952, between two interims of crisis resulting from his depressive state, the Hergé couple went through a terrible year.

Friday: When Herge Met Spielberg

Spielberg’s demands were draconian. He wanted total control of the merchandising of the film, thus of the characters created by Hergé; he wanted to keep for himself the rights from the comic strips and any television series derived from them;

Herge: The Man Who Created Tintin is available on Amazon.co.uk and on Amazon.com. UK publication is on Thursday 29th October and the US release is a couple of weeks later.

Tintin is a registered trademark of Moulinsart, who are not associated the book or this blog.

I came across this picture of an interesting moment in Belgium history, the abdication of King Leopold III of Belgium.

It comes from the highly recommended Iconic Photos blog:

On July 16, 1951, King Leopold III of Belgium renounced the throne of Belgium, the throne he hadn’t occupied since the end of the WWII. Following the liberation of Belgium, the king was unable to return to Belgium due to a political controversy surrounding his actions during the conflict; many accused him of having betrayed the Allies by a premature surrender, and of collaborating with the Nazis.

King Leopold’s actions at the start of the war had a huge impact on Herge’s attitude to the occupation and lead to him being accused of collaboration. TintinMovie.org will have more details of this part in Herge’s life next Tuesday and Wednesday in extracts from Herge,: The Man who Created Tintin (American Edition) dealing with the war and its aftermath.

When considering Herge’s actions during the war, the historical context must always be considered. It is too easy to criticize him now given what we know of the Nazi regime but at the time, the situation was far from clear. The King had surrendered but did not flea the country. Instead he met with Hitler and tried to assert his position as monarch. Against such events, is it surprising that a young, pro-monarchy, cartoonist decided that there was no crime in working for German controlled newspapers?

Source: Leopold III abdicates

Next week sees the publication of Herge: The Man Who Created Tintin. This promises to be one of the most detailed examination’s of Georges Remi life available in English. TintinMovie.org will be running exclusive extracts from the book all week.

On Monday we examine the innocence of Herge’s early life and the many inspirations behind Tintin. Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s extracts focus on Herge’s relationship with the Nazis and the accusations of collaboration. The very personal story of Georges and Fanny, his second wife, is explored on Thursday and on Friday the story of the how plans for the first Spielberg / Tintin film fell apart.

The book promises to be an in-depth study of Herge. Author Pierre Assouline has had privileged access to personal papers and studies how the creator’s work and life intertwined. He does not shy away from such controversial matters as Hergé’s support for Belgian imperialism in the Congo or his relationship with the Nazis during the occupation of Belgium.

My review copy has yet to arrive but the extracts are fascinating and I cannot wait to read the book. We will be running a competition in a couple of weeks time where you can win you’re own copy. More details soon.

Herge: The Man Who Created Tintin is available on Amazon.co.uk and on Amazon.com. UK publication is on Thursday 29th October and the US release is a couple of weeks later.

Tintin is a registered trademark of Moulinsart, who are not associated the book or this blog.

The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum has released its entire collection of airline posters online. It features some 700 posters from the early days of flying including many from the 1920s and 1930s. Not only are many of them beautiful works of art but these are the posters that Herge would of seen as he started work on Tintin.

Aircraft play a significant role in many of Tintin’s adventure and flying was a very glamorous activity up until the 1950s. In these days of budget airlines and three hour check-in queues, it is very easy to forget just how enthralling the idea of flying was to Herge’s generation.

One of the problems I had in creating the Travels of a Boy Reporter map was working out how Tintin and Captain Haddock travelled from Belgium to Peru in between The Seven Crystal Balls and Prisoners of the Sun. At the end of book one we see them boarding a flying boat and at the start of Prisoners, they are in Peru. I hunted the web and aircraft forums for information on flying boat routes from Europe to South America but I could not find any. Consequently, I guessed at a route involving flying down to the Cape of Africa and across the South Pacific.

Now, thanks to the Smithsonian, I can update the map with a correct route. The poster above shows routes for Imperial Airlines (the main flying boat operator) in the late thirties and there is a route from Europe via the west coast of Africa to South America. This map also shows a similar route as does this airmail route map. These are the maps Herge would of seen as he planned Tintin’s adventures so I can confidently update my map.

Georges ‘Herge’ Remi 1934

Source: Haantje. Note, the original blog is in Dutch and I’m relying on Google Translate for the translation.

This week it was a Congolese accountant suing Moulinsart over the racist images in Tintin in the Congo. Last week it was Brooklyn Library’s decision to lock the book up. Before that is was the British Commission for Racial Equality who attacked the book.

With a high profile film on the way, Moulinsart must be wondering what to do about this never ending stream of bad publicity. There is a very real danger that Herge’s name and reputation will become tarnished by this 80 year old comic but their options are limited and none of them are ideal.

Publish and be Dammed

Ignoring the fuss and sticking to the line that Tintin Au Congo is a work of a young writer living in a very different time is certainly the most honest and intellectually sound idea but it all to easily could look like they are condoning racism.

The investors in the movie will be nervous about how this will play in America. At the moment, Tintin is almost unknown so no one really cares but in 18 months time, it will be a different story. Images of black protestors outside of cinemas would critically damage the film in the race conscious USA. With a reported $130 million invested we can be sure that the studios executives will be on the phone to the head of Moulinsart, Nick Rodwell, demanding that something is done.

Bury It

The simplest option is for Moulinsart to make an announcement saying that the book is out-dated and to stop publishing the book, removing all traces of it from their product line. Rather like the victim of a Stalinist purge, Tintin Au Congo will be airbrushed out of the official history, leaving behind an idealised image of Herge and his creation for public consumption. Certainly, real Tintin fans would know about the book and rumours would circulate in the general public but the charges of racism would be effectively blunted.

To an extent this has been done already, with its withdrawal from the US market but in order silence the critics, they need to withdraw it all languages and all editions, including the facsimile editions. This approach is the easiest option and will cost the company relatively little in lost sales.

The Sacred Cow

Herge left strict instructions that no one else should write or draw Tintin after his death and Moulinsart have devoutly stuck to this. The temptation of the millions a new Tintin book could make has been suppressed by the overwhelming desire to protect Herge’s legacy and honour his life work. But can this commitment stand up to the pressure of public opinion and the demands of studio executives? Would Moulinsart release a modified, updated version of Tintin in the Congo?

This would be a major step for Moulinsart and one that may open the floodgates to new Tintin material but it would have a number of advantages. It tackles the accusation of racism without creating the skeleton in the closet that simply burying the book might create. It would be profitable as well as millions of Tintin fans buy the new edition and it generates a huge amount of positive publicity.

No Right Answer

Each of these potential solutions create their own problems and picking between them is no easy task but it seem unlikely that doing nothing is a viable option. A constant stream of Tintin is Racist headlines will damage Herge’s reputation and the prospects for the film.

Personally I think they should publish and be dammed. Herge’ life story is complex but overall it is a positive one. Trying to hide or deny Europe’s colonial and racist past helps nobody in the long run. Tintin exemplified the boy scout idea of being honest and doing the right thing. Let’s be honest about Tintin’s past.

Herge and his first wife, Germaine, shortly after their marriage in 1931.

Source: L’amour, c’est compliqué

Why is it that comics and children’s books incite such stupidity?

The Brooklyn Public Library has moved Tintin in the Congo from its public shelves and placed it under lock-and-key as part of “a special collection of historic children’s literature that is available for viewing by appointment only”. This censorship was done after the library received just a single complaint. Yet, the library has received over two dozen complaints about other works in the last few years and not one other book has been moved off the shelves.

There is no denying the racist elements of Tintin in the Congo, a work by a naive and unenlightened creator but the nature of public libraries is that they will contain material that is offense to some, or indeed many, people. Obvious examples include Hitler’s anti-sematic Mein Kampf ( Brooklyn Library’s has 10 copies) and Vladimir Nabokov exploration of child sex Lolita (seven copies). So why has this one work been singled out?

The answer lies in the medium and the audience – Comics and Children.

Comics in America have always been seen as something only suitable for children and worthy of special treatment regardless of 1st Amendment Rights. In the 1950′s, the Comics Code Authority (CCA) was formed to regulate the content of comics. Though it had no legal authority, its used public opinion and panics over of juvenile delinquency to force major publishers to either go along with the code or go bankrupt. The strict rules the CCA imposed restricted the growth and development of the comics medium in the US and to a lesser extent in the UK. In Europe and Japan, where no such rules existed, the medium flourished and explored a wide range of themes for a wide range of age groups.

However it cannot be ignored that Tintin in the Congo is a children’s book and that the stereotype’s children are exposed to can have significant impact. Herge himself is a great example of this. The images he drew in Tintin in the Congo reflect the images of black people that he grew up with. There is a real case to be made that Herge’s first two books should not be in a children’s section or at least come with some sort of warning for parents but that is along way from locking a book up away from public view.

The debate about Tintin in the Congo is not an abstract discussion about censorship and civil liberties. It is a real problem having real impacts. Already, white supremacists are using the book as a rallying point for their vitriol (see Tintin on the Front Line of Racism).

By focusing on one aspect of Herge’s work we are losing the sight of how Herge’s life exemplifies the battle against racism. His is a story about how one man overcame his prejudices to become an ambassador for peace and understanding across cultures but to understand this story we must be able to read all of it.

Source: A Library’s Approach to Books That Offend, Image of original complaint, Brooklyn Public Library, Tintin au Congo’s library card ( 1 copy ).