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| Hergé |
Hergé, first created Tin Tin in 1929 in Le Petit Vingtième, a publication for young people. Tin Tin would endure through many adventures till 1976 when Hergé produced his last album. Indeed Tin Tin would prevail and with many followers worldwide.
Hergé's fictional adventures of Tin Tin and Milou as they travelled the globe were portrayed within the framework of actual international events. In doing so he portrayed them in a context of his own social and political views, influenced by those he worked with.
In 1929 Belgium was a young nation, it was only formed in 1830. It had become a colonial nation during the 'Scramble for Africa' as European countries vied for possessions around the world. It had endured the horrors of the First World War, being invaded and occupied by the Germans from 1914-1918. Post War One saw the great depression of the 1930'sand the rise of Fascism.
Hergé's own views during the 1920's / 1930's were right wing, which was not unusual in the Belgian middle class of that time. Patriotism, catholicism, strict morality were the prevailing influences.
Views consistent with Norbert Wallez, a preist and editor of Le Vingtième Siècle, a catholic and conservative newspaper where Hergé was employed. Pro catholic and pro fascist views which would be reflected in Le Petit Vingtième which Norbert Wallez asked Hergé to create which was launched 1st November 1928. Tin Tin being first serialised in the Le Petit Vingtième edition of the 4th of January 1929.
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| Norbert Wallez and Hergé 1931 |
It would be published from 1929 to 1940 during a period when fascism emerges, which many of the Belgian middle class supported including Hergé.
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| Le Petit Vingtième June 1934 Mussolini and Hitler |
When Hitler invaded Belgium in May 1940, Hergé and his family fled to France. They returned to Brussels on 30th June to find that all of the Belgian press was under German control and Le Petit Vingtième closed down. He found employment with Belgium's largest daily newspaper Le Soir which was controlled by the Germans.
After the liberation of Belgium in September 1944, Le Soir, including Hergé, were accused of collaboration with the Nazis. They were sacked and the newspaper place under the control of allied forces.
Hergé expressed his views;
[During the occupation] I worked, just like a miner, a tram driver or baker! But, while one found it normal for an engineer to operate a train, members of the press were labelled as 'traitors'.
Hergé[124] Farr, Michael (2001). Tintin: The Complete Companion. London: John Murray. ISBN 978-0-7195-5522-0. p. 118.
His opinion on Fascism had changed;
I admit that I believed myself that the future of the West could depend on the New Order. For many people democracy had proven deceptive, and the New Order brought fresh hope. In Catholic circles such views were widely held. Given everything that happened, it was naturally a terrible error to have believed even for an instant in the New Order.
Peeters, Benoît (1989). Tintin and the World of Hergé. London: Methuen Children's Books. ISBN 978-0-416-14882-4. pp. 117.
“The fact is that while I was growing up, I was being fed the prejudices of the bourgeois society that surrounded me. It’s true that Soviets and Congo were youthful sins. I’m not rejecting them. However, if I were to do it again, they would be different.”
Indeed Hergé did do things differently. Earlier works that were serialised in Le Petit Vingtième and Le Soir were redrawn in later publications of albums to reflect the changing social and political views.
A scene depicted in Tin Tin in the Congo portrays Tin Tin teaching a class of children in a school. In the original version published in 1930, Tin Tin tells the pupils "My dear friends, today I'm going to talk to you about your fatherland: Belgium!" .
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| Tin Tin colonial attitudes Instructing Congolese children about the Fatherland |
A portrayal consistent with the prevailing nationalistic / imperialistic attitudes in Belgium in 1930.
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| 1930' Belgian colonialism viewpoint |
Attitudes on imperialism which would change as a result of being under occupation, a "colony in the Nazi Empire", for four years.
In a colour version published in 1946 Hergé redrew the scene as Tin Tin teaching maths. A portrayal consistent with more modern thoughts on nationalism / imperialism.
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| Tin Tin in Congo - 1930 version ... 1946 redrawn version |
In October 1950 Le Journal Tin Tin (Tin Tin Magazine) announced it would be subtitled Le Journal des Jeunes De 7 a 77 ans (The Magazine for the Youth from 7 to 77.).
With such a wide age range from those aged 77 who would have grown up in Belgium's colonial era, those who had fought through one or two world wars, and those aged 7 now growing up in an emerging Europe, the social and political views must have been wide ranging, and indeed conflicting.
Hergé created a world wide phenomenon with his adventures of Tin Tin over a period of nearly 50 years. To do so meant keeping Tin Tin popular and that would have meant changing and adapting to an ever changing world. It means that what was acceptable in 1930, may not be acceptable in later years or to day. It meant adapting to what ever was acceptable to the Germans during the occupation of Belgium.
Hergé modernised and redrew some of his earlier work, which to me reflects he was never driven by a particular dogma. He adapted to the prevailing needs to bring Tin Tins Adventures for for the Youth from 7 to 77.
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| Tin Tin Le Journal des Jeunes De 7 a 77 ans The Magazine for the Youth from 7 to 77 |
