The Metamorphoses of Tintin

The Metamorphoses of Tintin

Jean-Marie Apostolides

Stanford University Press

1450 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304-1124

9780804760317, $24.95, www.sup.org

The Metamorphoses of Tintin
or Tintin for Adults
 Jean-Marie Apostolidès, Translated by Jocelyn Hoy (Stanford University Press, November 19, 2009) is a must read for all those interested in the series.

In The Metamorphoses of Tintin Jean-Marie Apostolidès tracks the evolution of Tintin’s character, tracing the many changes of Tintin chronologically as well as globally — viewing the adventures as a whole to examine Hergè’s overall vision and as a reflection of twentieth century life.

Tintin's evolution is seen moving from the strong semblance of Herge's own politics, to being more of a general, everyone can enjoy approach. These transformations, according to Apostolidès were both internal (having to do with the development of stories, changing relationships between the characters), and driven by changes in Herge’s political beliefs.

The chapters deal with the childhood of a leader [Tintin], discovering others, the primordial universe (snowy, the human world, the animal world, etc).

In the first four adventures published before the war, Tintin openly responds to the political conflicts of his time by trying to restore political order, which for Hergè meant the rule of colonial monarchies, such as those of England and Belgium.

The end of the second World War, and with it the liberation of Belgium and the rest of Europe, was a turning point in Herge’s portrayal of Tintin.  In the albums after the war, Tintin is no longer cast as the superman boy scout, he becomes transformed as Tintin the detective – Snow tells us “He thinks he is Sherlock Holmes!”.  

The racist references and political overtones are purged. And the politics that does exist takes place in imaginary countries.