Tin Tin: Hergé - Georges Remi

Hergé the creator of Adventures of Tin Tin was the pen name adopted by Belgian cartoonist Georges Prosper Remi.

He was born on the 27th May 1907 in Eterbeek , a suburb of Brussels, 4k m SE of the Grand-Place in Brussels. He devloped an interest in drawing from an early age and whilst at primary school would sketch German soldiers who occupied Brussels from 1914 to 1918.

Georges Remi and brother Paul 1918

German Army Grand-Place WW1

In 1919 Georges Remi joined the boy scouts which gave him the opportunity to travel to Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Spain during summer camps. His scoutmaster encouraged Georges' drawing talent and published his work in Le Boy-Scout Belge, the official Belgian scouts magazine.

Hergé 1922 aged 15

Hergé 1922 Boy Scouts

Georges left school in 1925 and joined the newspaper Le Vingtième Siècle (The Twentieth Century ) in the subscription department. In July 1926 Georges Remi began drawing a comic strip for Le Boy-Scout Belge, Les Aventures de Totor (The Adventures of Totor).

Le Boy-Scout Belge Les Aventures de Totor

Liable for national service in the Belgian Army, he enlisted before being called up serving from August 1926 to 1927.

Georges Remi Belgian Army

After military service he returned to Le Vingtième Siècle and was employed as a reporter / photographer / illustrator. His signature on his work RG (Remi George) transformed into Hergé.

Hergé married his first wife in 1928.

In 1928, Hergé was asked to create a weekly youth supplement to Le Vingtième Siècle titled Le Petit Vingtième, which was launched on 1 November 1928.

Le Petit Vingtième 1 November 1928

In 1929 Hergé created the character of Tin Tin, a Belgian boy reporter, who together with his fox terrier Milou would travel the world during their many adventures. The 4th January edition of Le Petit Vingtième announced "Next Thursday, we follow the Extraordinary Adventures of Tin Tin, reporter, and dog Snowy, in the Land of the Soviets."

Le Petit Vingtième 4th January 1929 announces Tin Tin

Earliest picture of Tin Tin printed on 4 January 1929

The first adventure, Tintin au pays des Soviets (Tin Tin in the Land of the Soviets) was serialised in Le Petit Vingtième from 10 January 1929 until 8 May 1930.

The opening of the serialisation otlining that "Le Petit XXe [Vingtième] are always eager to satisfy our readers and keep them up to date on foreign affairs. We have therefore sent Tintin, one of our top reporters, to Soviet Russia"

Tintin au Pays des Soviets
Le Petit Vingtième, 10 January 1929

The serialisation was collated into a collective album which was published in 1930.

Le Petit Vingtième, 12 June 1929

Tintin au Pays des Soviets published 1930

Tin Tin was a success and Hergé continued his serialisation of Tin Tin in the Le Petit Vingtième throughout the 1930's. Each of Tin Tins's adventures being collated into a collective albums.

Hergé working at Le Petit Vingtième

Tin Tin and Milou 1930's

Tin Tins Adventures serialised in Le Petit Vigntieme 1929 to 1939

Tintin at the Soviets: from January 10, 1929 to May 8, 1930
Tintin in the Congo: from June 5, 1930 to June 19, 1931
Tintin in America: from September 3, 1931 to October 20, 1932
Cigars of the Pharaoh: from December 8, 1932 to February 8, 1934
The Blue Lotus: from 9 August 1934 to 17 October 1935
The Broken Ear: from December 5, 1935 to February 23, 1937
The Black Island: from April 15, 1937 to June 16, 1938
King Ottokar's Sceptre: from August 4, 1938 to August 10, 1939

In September 1939, Hitler invaded Poland triggering the start of World War Two. After capturing Poland, Hitler turned his attentions west. On the 10th May 1940 he invaded Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

10th May 1940 Germany attacks Belgium

Within 18 days the Belgian Army had surrendered, the King and the Government in exile. Belgium was once again under German occupation.

German Army Grand-Place WW2

Hergé together with his family and tens of thousands of refugees fled Belgium for France. The serialisation of l'Or Noir (Black Gold) which had started on 26 September 1939 was left unfinished, the 9th May 1940 edition of Le Petit Vigntieme being the last episode published.

Hergé 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. There he was involved with the creation of a children's supplement, Soir-Jeunesse. Hergé was therefore able continue the serialisation of Tin Tin's adventures within Soir-Jeunesse, the first edition being published 17th October 1940.

Tin Tins adventures Soir-Jeunesse

A shortage of paper would curb the content of Soir-Jeunesse and ultimately lead to it's demise, the final edition being published on 23rd September 1941. The serialisation of Tin Tin moved to the main newspaper and continued throughout the war.

Tin Tins adventures Le Soir

On 6th June 1944, Allied forces landed in Normandy, the start of the Liberation of Europe from Nazi control. Brussels was liberated on September 4th 1944 by Free Belgian and British troops.

Liberation of Brussels 4th September 1944

Liberation September 1945

Tin Tin's Adventures 1939 to 1944

(1940–1941)

The Crab with the Golden Claws - (Le Crabe aux pinces d'or)

(1941–1942)

The Shooting Star - (L'Etoile mystérieuse)

(1942–1943)

The Secret of the Unicorn - (Le Secret de la Licorne)

(1943)

Red Rackham's Treasure - (Le Trésor de Rackam le Rouge) (1943)

The liberation of Belgium saw the staff of 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 would later be exonerated, however, he was without employment.

Hergé Collaboration WW2

In 1946 Raymond Leblanc and his business partner André Sinave founded a publishing company, Les Éditions du Lombard. Their plan was to create an illustrated youth magazine. They persuaded Hergé to join them in publishing a magazine with Tin Tin as the core offering. The first issue of Le Journal Tintin ( Tintin magazine) was published on 26 September 1946. A Dutch version was also published entitled Kuifje, Kuifje being Tintin in Dutch.

Le Journal du Tin Tin

The first edition was published 26th September 1946.

Tin Tin Magazine 26th September 1946

Hergé would form his own company, Hergé Studios in 1950. Tin Tin would be translated in to many languages, serialised on tv and radio, and screened in the cinema.