Tintin Forums

While digging in my old collection of Swedish Tintin albums, I noticed something weird regarding the releases of the old Swedish Editions (now they are giving out new translations in association with the 75 anniversary). Anyway, here is how the releases go:

1. The Shooting Star
2. King Ottokar's Sceptre
3. The Seven Crystal Balls
4. Prisoners of the Sun
5. Cigars of the Pharaoh
6. Land of Black Gold
7. Destination Moon
8. Explorers of the Moon
9. Tintin in Tibet
10. The Calculus Affair
11. The Secret of the Unicorn
12. Red Rackham's Treasure
13. The Red Sea Sharks
14. The Castafiore Emerald
15. The Black Island
16. Flight 714
17. The Crab with the Golden Claws
18. Tintin and the Broken Ear
19. Tintin in America
20. Tintin and The Lake of Sharks
21. The Blue Lotus
22. Tintin in the Congo
23. Tintin and the Picaros

Anyway, my point is that the old releases of Tintin in Sweden are really messed up. First of all, Tintin and The Lake of Sharks isn't really a Tintin album, in my opinion. Secondly, Haddock appears for the first time in The Crab with the Golden Claws, yet all of the albums with Haddock, except Tintin and the Picaros, were released before The Crab with the Golden Claws.

But, before I go, I have a question: is there any other country that has this kind of messed up releases?

-Gustav

I think almost every other country released the books in a different order. The English translators, Michael Turner and Leslie Lonsdale-Cooper, explained that they didn't want Tintin's introduction to Britain to be the slightly more crude early books, so started with a couple that included the main characters in nicely self-contained stories that would appeal to a wide audience (predominantly children) straight away. The Black Island received special attention as it was basically Tintin in Britain (in fact it was redrawn), and even though an important book, The Blue Lotus was a late addition to the UK mainly because of its complicated and controversial political stance. It's the luxury of picking from the available works based on more commercial reasons.

Interesting to read the Swedish order.

The English translators, Michael Turner and Leslie Lonsdale-Cooper, explained that they didn't want Tintin's introduction to Britain to be the slightly more crude early books...

Yeah, I understand that. In a lot of countries Tintin in the Land of the Soviets and Tintin in the Congo weren't released at all. But I still think that messing the release order too much is not right. But, some countries do it more than others, and some less. Take America for example: Soviet and Congo were not released, Lotus was the first one, then America, then Cigars and then the proper order. But that doesn't really matter, as none of the important characters were introduced at the wrong time.

Just another question:

in fact it was redrawn

Do you mean redrawn as America, Congo, Cigars, etc. where, or a special redraw for England? Why I ask is that is because for Tintin in the Congo, Hergé had to redraw page 56 (I think, the Rhino sequence) because the Scandinavian publishers would not allow the Rhino to be blown up. But that was just one page, I highly doubt he would do a whole book...

-Gustav

Yes the modern "Black Island" actually dates from 1965 and is a completely new book - the original colour version was produced in 1943 but the English publishers felt that there were too many inaccuracies.

edcharlesadams: Yes the modern "Black Island" actually dates from 1965 and is a completely new book - the original colour version was produced in 1943 but the English publishers felt that there were too many inaccuracies.

So, does that mean that ALL of the "The Black Island" around the world that are published now are the remade 1965 version. So, when I go buy the newly translated Swedish edition tomorrow, it will be the 1965 version?

And another question: how much was changed? I'm guessing the story wasn't changed, but how much WAS changed?

-Gustav

P.S. Do they still give out the 1943 version?

[So, does that mean that ALL of the "The Black Island" around the world that are published now are the remade 1965 version. So, when I go buy the newly translated Swedish edition tomorrow, it will be the 1965 version?
]

That's right! As Ed correctly stated, the main reason the Black Island was redrawn was to better represent the correct look for the United Kingdom, and it is fascinating for Bob de Moor's pain-staking research details, everything from country road signs to rail uniforms to crofter's cottages in Scotland.

Aplogies for the self-plug, but may I point you to my Black Island article in the articles section? That points out a few of the differences, with a couple of comparison panels for good measure.

I have a hardback facsimilie version of the original black and white thirties book (in French), and the colour 40's version is basically just the same book coloured.

Aplogies for the self-plug, but may I point you to my Black Island article in the articles section? That points out a few of the differences, with a couple of comparison panels for good measure.


Yeah, I noticed that a couple of minutes ago. Anyway, thanks for the explanation.

On this site, you 'll see pictures of the first color edition of "The black Island" and you 'll see a small part of the changes.
http://homepages.cwi.nl/~dik/english/TINTIN.html#island

On the same site, you'll also find modified pictures of other books but, except for "the land of black gold", these changes are minor.

The 1943 coloured edition of "The Black Island" is available as a French facsimile from Casterman.

Actually there is a re-release of Tintin in Sweden right now, with a new translation and everything. This time all the 24 books (including Alph-Art) will be published in the correct order.