Granted, Hergé legendary series of "Tintin" comic books wouldn't reach their true peak until the much loved Captain Haddock character was introduced in the glorious adventure stories published during and immediately after WWII, but "The Blue Lotus" (1936) was still an early example of Hergé reaching a high artistic peak. The book features well researched depictions of the effects of the Japanese Invasion of China in the 30s.
The earliest Tintin books (particularly the much ridiculed "Tintin in Congo", done by a very young Hergé) had featured naive semi-racist depictions of racial steretypes. But before he embarked on his announced China project, Hergé was contacted by Father Gosset, the chaplain to the Chinese students at the University of Leuven, who begged him to please do proper reseach this time, so his students wouldn't be shocked by racist prejudiced depictions of Chinese people in the book. When Hergé agreed, he was introduced to the student Chang Ch'ung-jen, a young sculpture student at the Brussels Académie des Beaux-Arts. The two young artists became close friends, and Zhang introduced Hergé to Chinese history, culture, and the techniques of Chinese art. The result was "The Blue Lotus", the first masterpiece of the Tintin series.
The book features well researched depictions of street scenes in China in the 30s:
It also features opium use and sinister threat of violence that's quite surprising in a series usually considered comics for all ages.
This picture is one of many that were used as visual reference for the book:
More info about the book and about Herge´s research methods can be found in this excellent book:
It also features opium use and sinister threat of violence that's quite surprising in a series usually considered comics for all ages.
This picture is one of many that were used as visual reference for the book:
More info about the book and about Herge´s research methods can be found in this excellent book:
4 comments:
I can't wait to see what they do with the movies by Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson.
Yeah, they've been planning it for so many years, or Spielberg has. I think he started talking about it back in the 80s. Also, from what I've heard of rumours about the forthcoming Indiana Jones movies, it sounds like they'll be ripping off the last couple of Tintin adventures for that one - UFOS and South American pyramids and stuff. I guess it's fair enough if they paid a lot of money for the rights to Tintin - using the stuff that wont fit into the 3 Tintin movies for the indiana jones movies. :D
(I meant Indiana JOnes movie, not movieS, obviously)
Tintin political thrillers of the 30ties is clearly my favorite Tintin period - and in this period The Blue Lotus is the best. Love "the insanity poison"!
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