The Adventures of Tintin’ © Hergé/Moulinsart 2012 at the Singapore Philatelic Museum 16 | Bemuse | Nº 19 Museings
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14 | BEMUSE | Nº 19 MUSEINGS. | APR – JUN 2012 | 15 ABOUT A BOY TEXT BY LUCILLE YAP IMAGES: POUR TOUS LES VISUELS D’HERGÉ, ‘THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN’ © HERGÉ/MOULINSART 2012 AT THE SINGAPORE PHILATELIC MUSEUM 16 | BEMUSE | Nº 19 MUSEINGS. | APR – JUN 2012 | 17 Shown in this exhibition are stamps from SPM’s permanent collection. Also on display are a wide range of Tintin col- lectibles and rarely seen original stamp artworks on loan from the Museum Voor Communicatie in the Netherlands and L’Adresse Musée de La Poste in France. “TINTIN BROUGHT ME HAPPINESS. HERGÉ – CREATOR OF TINTIN It is difficult to separate Hergé’s life from “AS I WAS A BOY SCOUT, I STARTED I DID MY BEST AT WHAT I WAS DOING his work. As a child, his sketches lined TELLING THE STORY OF A LITTLE AND IT WASN’T ALWAYS EASY. the margins of his exercise books. During his teenage years, he was always with his BOY SCOUT TO OTHER LITTLE BUT I HAD A LOT OF FUN. sketchbook, and his adult life was spent BOY SCOUTS … THESE WERE NOT MOREOVER… I GOT PAID FOR DOING IT…” eternally stuck to his drawing board. His fictional creation was part of him, YET REAL COMIC STRIPS: THEY — hergé, 30 december 1975 — living within him and playing key roles in WERE MORE LIKE STORIES WITH his life. His life influenced his creation, and his creation influenced his life. ILLUSTRATIONS AND, FROM TIME TO from 5 november 2011 to 31 May 2012, From youth to adulthood, Hergé drew TIME, A SHY LITTLE EXCLAMATION the Singapore Philatelic Museum (SPM) alone, with the occasional one-off col- celebrates one of the most beloved comic laborations. His was the work of a master MARK OR QUESTION MARK.” characters worldwide, the boy reporter craftsman, and it came from his heart and — hergé, 1975 Tintin. Created by Belgian comic artist his technical expertise. But when Hergé Georges Remi (1907-1983) – also known reached the age of 40, he began to favour as Hergé, Tintin is a teenage journalist working within a team and set up Studios who began a series of exciting adventures Hergé in 1950. The scout’s honour he so strongly em- in 1929, accompanied by his faithful dog Hergé’s studio allowed many talented braced put him through traumatic night- Snowy; and later his faithful friends Cap- artists to flourish and develop their own mares when he was working on Tintin in tain Haddock and Professor Calculus. work. It became an institution dedicated to Tibet. During this time, he suffered from Tintin’s adventures, which spanned 24 the conservation and exhibition of the clear dreams of a white monster that represented comic books, took the young reporter and line style. Hergé was the artistic director of the personal conflict he had over whether Snowy to various places around the world. Tintin magazine and the managing direc- he should divorce his wife of three decades They ventured into India, Tibet and China tor of Studios Hergé. But he was more of a to be with a 22-year-old employee. in Asia; to the Congo in Africa; Arabia in mentor than the boss of a company. the Middle East; Russia in Europe; North HIS JOURNEY BEGAN and South America; and even the Moon! SCOUT’S HONOUR After completing his studies in 1925, Hergé HIS CREATIONS In 1921, the young Hergé joined the Saint- worked in the subscriptions department of Hergé’s first drawings appeared in 1921 Boniface College scout group. He was given the Belgian newspaper Le Vingtième Siècle in Jamais assez, a scout magazine for the nickname ‘Curious Fox’. (‘The Twentieth Century’). schools; and then in Le Boy-Scout Belge, He was talent spotted by Father Nor- the monthly magazine of the Belgian “It was with scouting that the world really bert Wallez, director of Le Vingtième Siècle. scouts. began to open up in front of me. It’s the • name: Georges Remi Noting Hergé’s abilities in lettering and From 1924 onwards, he signed his greatest memory of my youth. Being close to • date of birth: 22 May 1907 illustration, Father Wallez entrusted the drawings as Hergé, a phonetic transcrip- nature, respecting nature, resourcefulness. It • died: 3 March 1983 (age 75) young man with his first graphic design tion of his initials G.R. in the reverse was all very important to me and even if it all • nationality: Belgian assignment, such as the designing of head- (pronounced as ‘Air-Zhay’ in French). seems a bit old-fashioned today, I still hold • father: Alexis Remi (1882 -1970) ings, layout of newspaper columns and He created Totor, Patrol Leader of the dear the values we learned.” • mother: Elisabeth Dufour (1882 – 1946) creation of dropped initials, tailpieces and May Bugs, in Boy-Scout Belge in 1926. On – hergé, 1974 • sibling: Paul Remi illustrations. 10 January 1929, Tintin and Snowy made • spouse: First Wife – Germaine Kieckens, Three years later, Hergé was given his their debut in Le Petit Vingtième. In 1930, The budding artist was always with his secretary of Father Wallez, director first real responsibility as an illustrator Hergé introduced Quick and Flupke, street sketchbook and pencil, sketching scenes of Le Vingtième Siècle. Married in 1932, when he became the editor of Le Petit Ving- urchins from the backstreets of Brussels of daily scout-life, landscapes from his trav- separated in 1960, and divorced in 1977. tième (‘The Little Twentieth’), the children’s who starred in short stories in Le Petit els and life portraits. The teenager quickly • spouse: Second Wife – Fanny Vlamynck, supplement to Le Vingtième Siècle. The first Vingtième. Tintin in the Land of the So- built up a good reputation for drawing such colourist by profession. Married in 1977. issue was published on 1 November that viets was published by Editions du Petit subjects. • children: None year. Vingtième in the same year. 18 | BEMUSE | Nº 19 MUSEINGS. | APR – JUN 2012 | 19 WHO IS KNOW THE CAST Hergé’s world was occupied by sharply defined characters. They MAN OF LETTERS TINTIN’S TRADEMARKS TINTIN? were mostly inspired by real people who were either close to him, Hergé was a prolific writer. He was as historical figures or celebrities at that time. Their portraits and demanding of his writing as he was of Famous Hairstyle Tintin was definitely born of my unconscious psychological profiles had been meticulously composed, leaving his drawing and painting. He left behind His little blond quiff. This quiff was desire to be perfect, to be a hero. – hergé nothing to chance. approximately 40,000 letters. While the formed only on pages 7-8 of Tintin majority were about his work, there were in the Land of Soviets when he Hergé has never confirmed who inspired him many that touched on love, his emotions jumped into a car and raced away. to create the Tintin character, and it may never » SNOWY Some of Captain Haddock’s and social life. The sudden acceleration gave him be known who that was. But there are several Tintin’s constant companion distinctive features are his These writings bear witness to the the distinctive quiff which became claims. is an extraordinary white wire sailor outfit of black trousers, author’s character and taste. synonymous with Tintin. Since then fox terrier. He is known as sailor’s hat and blue pullover This is an extract of a letter he wrote to the little tuft of hair never droops. DANISH ACTOR PALLE HULD “Milou” in French. There are with the image of an anchor; a young girl, Anne le B., from Casablanca. (1912-2010) several stories on whom Snowy and a pipe in his mouth. His She had written to him about her teenage For decades he had claimed that his 44-day was named after. One version favourite exclamations are loneliness, thinking that she was writing to round-the-world trip, made in 1928 when he was that Snowy was named “Thundering Typhoons!” and Hergé’s grandfather! was a 15-year-old scout, was the inspiration to after Hergé’s girlfriend Marie- “Blistering Barnacles!” the appearance of Tintin a year later in Le Petit Louise Van Cutsem who was He is courageous but very “Dear Miss, Vingtième. called “Malou”. Another can- clumsy, adding much comic In response to your esteemed letter of 20 didate was René Milhoux, the relief to the stories. His main June, I have the honour of letting you FRENCH WAR AND TRAVEL best friend of French war and weakness is his excessive en- know: that I don’t have a beard, yet if I did PHOTOJOURNALIST ROBERT SEXE travel photojournalist Robert joyment of whisky and rum. have one, it would not be white, but just (1890-1986) Sexe, who was himself one of going grey; that as I don’t have a beard, my Like Tintin, he rode a motorbike and had a many speculated inspirations » CHANG CHONG-CHEN grandchildren can’t pull it; that further- best friend called René Milhoux (Tintin’s dog, of the Tintin character. This character was inspired more I’m not a true grandparent as I have Snowy, is called Milou in French). He also Snowy appeared right at by a young Chinese student CINEMA IN A COMIC STRIP neither beard nor grandchildren; that part toured the Soviet Union, the Congo and America the start, in the first draw- of similar name, ᴕɇȆ (1907- Hergé’s work drew inspiration from the art of the reason I’m not a grandparent may be in the same order as Tintin in the first three ing of the first adventure.