Tintin in America and The Black Island: Two Classic Hergé Adventures of Gangsters and Counterfeiters
Two Tintin adventures from Hergé, reviewed together: in one, the young reporter takes on the gangsters of Chicago; in the other, he uncovers a gang of counterfeiters hiding behind a monstrous gorilla.
Author: Hergé (Georges Remi, 1907–1983)
Titles: Tintin in America and The Black Island
Format: English paperbacks (Farshore), 64 pages each
Genre: Comic albums, adventure
Amazon: www.amazon.es/dp/1405206144 (ASIN 1405206144)
Tintin in America
Tintin arrives in Chicago and takes on a nasty gang of American gangsters who decide to get rid of him. With Snowy at his side and relying on his wits, he escapes, sometimes by sheer luck, every challenge and trap the gang sets for him, and in the end he catches the bandits and celebrates his victory after nearly losing his life several times.
A Long Journey
His journey takes him from Chicago out to the reservations of the Native Americans, getting the better of several attacks along the way; there is an escape by train and, later, the kidnapping of his beloved Snowy. The many episodes show the courage of the famous reporter.
The Black Island
In The Black Island, Tintin uncovers a plot in which banknote forgers frighten a fishing community with a great gorilla that lives on the Black Island. Tintin solves the mystery, frees the ill-treated gorilla and puts the villains in prison, so that the island’s neighbours can finally sleep in peace after living for so long under the gang’s threat.
Hergé
Hergé was the pen name of the Belgian artist Georges Remi (1907–1983), formed from the French pronunciation of his reversed initials, R.G. Tintin first appeared in 1929 in Le Petit Vingtième, the children’s supplement of a Brussels newspaper, and over the following decades Hergé created twenty-four albums that have been translated into dozens of languages. His clear-line style, with precise outlines and flat colours, influenced generations of comic artists.
America in the 1930s
Tintin in America was first serialised in 1931–32, when Al Capone’s Chicago was famous around the world. Hergé had never been to the United States and drew on films, newspapers and books, and the album is full of the energy and exaggeration of that early period. One of its most pointed scenes shows a Native American tribe being driven off its land the moment oil is discovered, a sharp piece of satire for its time, even though other parts of the portrayal now look dated.
The Black Island Redrawn
The Black Island, first published in 1937–38 and set in England and Scotland, has an unusual history. Hergé redrew it in colour in the 1940s, and in the 1960s his British publisher asked for a thorough revision, because many details of British life had become outdated or inaccurate. Hergé’s studio sent an artist to Britain to sketch real places, and the modern version is full of carefully observed British scenery, from trains to Scottish villages.
Snowy, Thomson and Thompson
The Black Island also gives a starring role to the bumbling detectives Thomson and Thompson, whose mistakes and disguises provide much of the comedy, while Snowy’s weakness for whisky causes trouble at the worst possible moment. Ranko, the gorilla, became one of the series’ most memorable creatures.
Where to Go Next
Readers who enjoy these should continue with King Ottokar’s Sceptre and The Crab with the Golden Claws, in which Captain Haddock makes his first appearance, adding a new comic energy to the series that many fans consider its golden age.
Each album stands alone.
Most readers end up collecting the whole series.
Why Read Them
Classic, fast-moving comics that still entertain readers of every age. Either album is a good place to start with Tintin.
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Part of the reading recommendations featured on books.sapiensverbum.com.
