Bartomeu Castell He recently read his doctoral thesis at the UIB: The historical development of the 20th century through the adventures of Tintin (1929-1983) by Hergé (Georges Remi), a work of five years and 461 pages which has been directed by Antoni Marimon and which culminates a book by the same author, published two years ago: From the Soviets to the Rogueswhich in turn had its origin in a final degree project.
Castell explains that “the thesis covers from the first publication of a Tintin comic strip, in 1929 in the youth weekly The Little Twentiethwhich depended on the Belgian ultra-Catholic newspaper The Twentieth Century, until Hergé’s death in 1983. The comics completed a general story and, when the end was reached, Hergé published an album. In the thesis I analyze the 24 official Tintin albums. The first nine were done in black and whitealthough later Hergé colored them with the exception of the first, Tintin’s adventures in the land of the Sovietsfrom 1930, because he considered that it was poorly prepared.
The doctor points out that “the idea of the thesis is to show how historical events and Hergé’s biographical context influenced his artistic experience and creativity. At first, Hergé was an illustrator of The Twentieth Centurybut what he wanted was to make comics. The editor of the newspaper, a priest, Norbert Wallezwas the one who marked the stories of the first two albums: Tintin’s adventures in the land of the Soviets y Tintin in the Congowhich was a Belgian colony. The first is a furious criticism of communism and the second, a justification of colonialism which also highlights the work of Belgian missionaries.
These first two albums were a great success in French-speaking countries. With the third album, Tintin in AmericaHergé already makes his own decisions. In 1938, just before World War II, in The black island A German spy already appears in the United Kingdom, and in 1939, in El cetro de Ottokarthe annexation of Austria by Germany is reflected in two invented countries: Borduria and Syldavia.
In 1940, when Germany invades Belgium, everything changes. Castell indicates that “the Nazis closed The Twentieth Century and Hergé finds work in The eveningwhich also creates its youth weekly: Youth Evening. In this publication, while World War II lasts, Hergé does not make references to the historical events of that time and is limited to publishing Tintin’s adventures in other parts of the world. The Nazis use The evening to make his own propaganda in Belgium and that will cost Hergé the accusation of collaborationist. When the war ended, The evening close and Hergé spends two years without publishing. However, along with Raymond Leblanc, one of the leaders of the Belgian resistance against the Nazis and his friend, creates the magazine Tintinwhich is weekly, is aimed at a youth audience and no longer depends on a newspaper.
From here, Hergé once again reflects the reality of the world around him. The space race, with Target: the Moon and Landing on the moonand the Cold War, in The Tornaso affairl.
The Tintin universe begins to expand and, In 1950, Hergé already had a team of collaborators, although he always reserved the writing of the script.. In 1960 he published Tintin in Tibet. According to Castell, «although the Chinese invasion had occurred a decade earlier, I consider that this album has more to do with his marital crisis and artistic creativity, and with the search for a Chinese friend he met in Belgium in the 1930s. made, the album is a song to friendship».
In the thesis, Castell specifies in each album how the following issues are treated: violence, the relationship with nature, the relationship with other ethnic groups, the role of women, Tintin as a Belgian and Catholic boy scout, and alcoholism.
In this sense, the doctor in History highlights that «Hergé is a genius in all aspects, he follows the same evolution as 20th century European society and his albums are products of their time.. There is more violence in the first albums and more pacifism after the war. At first, Tintin hunts wild animals and later his message is more protectionist. The colonialist vision is disappearing. At first there are no women and then the more or less permanent figure of Bianca Castafiorewhich can be ridiculed, but just as the Captain Haddockwhose alcoholism is shown in the end as a negative aspect and obstacles are put in place for him to drink.
