Tintin Forums

Tintin was possibly the first cartoon character to go to the Moon.
I can proudly say so. Other members may please confirm.
I think, to best of my knowledge, Tintin was the first ever cartoon character to explore the Moon and go beyond Earth!

I'd have to look through my collections, but I am positive Winsor McCay's Little Nemo went to the moon - and to Mars - a fair few years before Tintin was even a twinkly star in Hergé's eye...

When I get time I'll look (unless someone beats me to it!). Some of the earliest silent films (eg. Georges Meliés) included a moon journey, inspired by Verne.

Replying to myself: okay, Nemo's was a dream, so that probably doesn't count. Sorry - too enthusiastic there! But there was so much Verne-inspired and H. G. Wells-inspired moon travelling back then, I would be surprised if some cartoon character didn't go.

I'm afraid not. Just straight off the top of my head, Mighty Mouse dumped a whole load of cats who had been terrorising his city, on the Moon in The Mouse of Tomorrow (Terrytoons, October 16th 1942); and Popeye went there in Popeye Meets Hercules, released June 18, 1948.

I'm sure that, given there were also characters like Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon already on the scene, as well as the fact that generally the moon is a subject of stories, there must have been many others.

There were some near misses. With a little research through Google, I also found that much earlier, in the 25th October 1908 strip Windsor McKay's Little Nemo visited the Moon when his house was blown there - although as that was a dream, it may not count!
And Gardner Fox's 1948 Moon Girl isn't from the Moon, but carries a mystical moonstone. "Moon" Mullins was a singer, so he doesn't count either.

Perhaps you could suggest reasons why you think Tintin was the first? Maybe because it was such a meticulous creation of how it might be? That was definitely different.

Note: Garen's posts beat me to the punch! Funny we both remembered LN, and then let it go as a dream!

Although I've read few comic strips other than Tintin, I could guess that given the abundance of people fascinated with that great satellite, other cartoon characters have gone to the Moon. But none of them most likely would have come close to the accuracy displayed in the Tintin "Moon" series. So Tintin may not have been the first to go to the Moon, but he was probably the first to go to a Moon that was not a fantasy satellite.

I'm afraid not. Just straight off the top of my head, Mighty Mouse dumped a whole load of cats who had been terrorising his city,
By "First Cartoon Character", I meant "First Cartoon Human" (barring snowy). I am sorry to hurt and don't mind please.
Definitely it's Tintin and Captain Haddock who first set foot on the Moon and our Haddock had even dared to set f(loat)oot on space!

Moderator Note: Your confidence is admirable, but doesn't actually seem to be borne up by the facts, which weigh against you.
For example in the 1915 Essanay animated cartoon "He Resolves Not to Smoke", part of the Dreamy Dud series, Dud is carried up to the Moon and left there by a ghost/ smoke-creature, for having been caught with a stolen pipe. However this was to an anthropomorphic crescent moon, which wasn't much bigger than Dud, so you might not count that either.
In which case the 1917 Walter Lantz outing for his "Happy Hooligan" character, A Trip to the Moon is another early voyage off planet. The Moon is a full size satellite in this, and the Man in the Moon in this one isn't the Moon itself, but an old man who lives there.
Can't say that these are even the earliest cartoons, just ones which are certainly earlier than Tintin & Cº getting there!

The Astronomical Tintinologist Team

I still doubt Tintin was the fist cartoon human to set foot on the moon. But it is possible the Moon adventure was the first acurate portrayl of the moon in a comic.

I'd forgotten, but just now remembered, that Charlie Brown and Snoopy was the first cartoon characters to actually make it as far as the Moon, when they were the mascots/ names for the Apollo X lunar module (LM-4 "Snoopy") and command modules (CSM-106 "Charlie Brown").

They orbited rather than landed on the Moon, but it was a good effort!

"Charlie" is in the London Science Museum; "Snoopy" was discarded...

There's a publicity photo of Thomas Stafford, one of the astronauts, with Snoopy here. Snoopy has continued his NASA association, given this award they present.