Tintin in the Congo

by Hergé

Graphic novel, 64 pages

English language

Published Sept. 5, 2005 by EGMONT CHILDREN'S.

ISBN:: 978-1-4052-2098-9

(14 reviews)

The young reporter Tintin and his faithful dog Snowy set off on assignment to Africa. But a sinister stowaway follows their every move and seems set on ensuring they come to a sticky end. Tintin and Snowy encounter witch doctors, hostile tribesmen, crocodiles, boa constrictors and numerous other wild animals before solving the mystery and getting their story.

First published in book form in 1931 (in black & white only), Tintin in the Congo reflects the colonial attitudes of that period in its depiction of African people. Herge himself admitted that he was influenced by the bourgeois, paternalistic stereotypes of the period. This is also true of the treatment of big-game hunting and the attitude towards animals. All copies of the book will be displayed with a belly-band advertising its content.

28 editions

mothlight reviewed Tintin in the Congo (The Adventures of Tintin) by Hergé

Review of 'Tintin in the Congo (The Adventures of Tintin)' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

Wow, no wonder this one is usually left out of Herge's canon of works. Granted this was written towards the end of colonialism (1930s), it is still pretty embarrassing. The portrayal of people from the Congo is only a very tiny step away from drawing them as apes. However, mostly Tintin spends most of his visit to the Congo shooting any animal that moves (and even dynamiting a rhino). Fortunately, the world has come some way from then and all of this stuff looks as shocking as it actually is. In terms of plot and drawing, pretty average.