The mysterious Star

the mysterious Star ( adventures of Tintin: The mysterious Star , Hergé, 1942) is the tenth album of Cartoon of the adventures of Tintin .

Synopsis

Intrigued by the appearance of a news star, Tintin goes to the observatory where it meets the Professor Calys. This one reveals the nature of this star to him: it is gigantic a Météorite moving towards the Earth to cause the end of the world there. Finally, the meteorite does not touch fortunately the Earth, but it is learned that a fragment fell into the ocean Arctique. Having discovered the presence of an unknown element, Calys organizes a forwarding with Tintin, ordered by the Capitaine Haddock on the ship Aurore …

They make then vis-a-vis many the blow-low of a competitor boat seeking to stop them. For example, they are immobilized in Iceland, following an alleged gasoline shortage, but manage all the same to set out again thanks to the assistance of the Capitaine Chester, an old knowledge of the Haddock captain. Despite everything the difficulties, they in extremis reach the aerolite the first, and Tintin takes possession of it. The new element presents strange characteristics: all grows inordinately with its contact… But soon the aerolite is inserted in the ocean: Tintin escapes from it by saving a sample from the invaluable ore. Mission accomplished and return in Europe…

Around the album

the mysterious Star was the first album published color directly, in 1942. Light modifications will take place in 1954: the competitors will not beat any more American house (the album had been written under the German occupation of the Belgium) but that, more discrete, of imaginary the Sao Rico . However it remains, in the new editions, of the small details which show well that the competitors were American:

the names of the ships of the Sao Rico ( Peary and S.S. Kentucky Star ) are American names…
the henchman of Bohlwinkel names Johnson, that of the captain of the Peary , Douglas: rather anglophone names.
One can find elements unchanged or forgotten like the American flag of the Peary , page 35 boxes 4 and 8, and page 45 puts 13.

In the original version, the malicious one was a “powerful financier of New York” named “Blumenstein”, whose features correspond to the caricatures Antisémite S (large hooked nose, thick lips…) that one then found the every day in the press. In the new version, it preserves the same features but is with the Sao Rico and names “Bohlwinkel”. As inhabitant of Brussels, “bollewinkel” - that Hergé spelled “Bohlwinkel” to change a little - means “small shop of Confiserie”. However, the difference between the two names seems at the very least minor , because, just like “Blumenstein”, “Bohlwinkel” are a name Juif. Two weeks after the publication of the album the Jews of Belgium had to carry a star much less mysterious.

the forwarding of Tintin includes/understands only scientists originating in neutral countries or Axe Rome-Berlin.

forwarding is done under the flag of IRONS (European Funds of research scientist): FNRS (Funds national of the scientific research) is a Belgian organization founded in 1928.

the Hydravion of recognition in which Tintin take seat is a Arado 196 (a German plane).

Hergé took as a starting point no ship to draw the Dawn . It is always desired because, according to him, “This boat could not hold the sea. ”

the mysterious Star can be regarded as the first album of depending Tintin, so much is little, of the Science-fiction, before Objectif the Moon and One went on the Moon : in the last pages of this album, Tintin is on an island where phenomena of Mutation because of a metal coming from space occur: inordinately large mushrooms push there, Tintin is found with the catches with an enormous spider… In addition, the Ver which was in the Pomme of Tintin transforms into giant butterfly, but the worms do not transform themselves into butterfly, in fact the caterpillar S do it.

In the recent editions, Quick and Flupke make an appearance in company of Dupondt (page 20 puts 8).

Adaptations

Other versions of the album

the mysterious Star is republished in 1954 with light modifications.

Animated version

This album was adapted in the animated series of 1962 and in the animated series of 1992

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