Difference between revisions 1457374 and 1459080 on enwiki

Comments about '''Hergé and ideology'''.

[[Herge|Hergé]] started making the comic strip series [[Tintin]] in 1929 for the children's section of the [[Belgium|Belgian]] newspaper ''[[Le Vingtième Siècle]]'', aligned with the [[Rexism|Rexist]] right-wing movement. He continued on other media until his death in 1983. 

As a young artist Hergé was influenced by his mentors, specifically the [[Abbé Wallez]]. This shows in his most important works, the Tintin series. As the artist develops ideologically, so does the series.

=== First albums === 

Tintin first albums, written and drawn during the [[1920s]], were anti-[[Soviet Union|Soviet]], pro-[[colonialism|colonialist]], and anti-[[USA|American]]. This is obvious from the first three albums, which mock the Soviets, the indigenous people of [[Belgian Congo]] and the white inhabitants of the US respectively. Hergé was young, Belgian and [[Catholic church|Catholic]] and published in a Catholic newspaper. He was naïve and under influence ''(of ???)'' and his comics were reflecting the dominant ideology in Belgium at that time.

=== Turn-around with ''The Blue Lotus'' ===

Things began to change with ''[[The Blue Lotus]]'' (his encounter with [[Tchang Tchong-Jen]] may have changed his mind): his vision of China is more subtle and the album can be read as anti-[[imperialism|imperialist]]. The album criticizes [[Japanese]] and [[Western]] involvement in [[China]], including the [[international concessions]] and the Japanese invasion of [[Manchuria]]. Some of the white characters portrayed express blatant [[racism|racist]] remarks and [[slur|slurs]].
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''(Some more about the political row this album caused)''
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=== The Second World War ===

Things got more complicated later. ''King Ottokar's Sceptre'' was obviously anti-[[nazi]]: Musstler (MUSSolini-hiTLER) the dictator of [[Borduria]] tried to oust king of [[Syldavia]] Muskar XII. The situation was very similar that of [[Anschluss]] in [[Austria]] in 1938. But some albums were more controversial. The early and unfinished version of ''Land of Black Gold'' is generally considered as pro-[[Arab]], anti-[[Zionist]] and (contracted; show full)
*''The Red Sea Sharks'' is of course a statement against the modern day [[slave trade]], although it is not clear if it is ideological in nature.