Tintin Forums

Hi
Looking at the titles of the adventures, I wondered if Herge (and Lonsdale and Turner) could have chosen better titles.
Tintin in the Land of the Soviets was a good one instead of just saying 'Tintin in Russia' but then why did the next two have such boring names - Tintin in the Congo and Tintin in America. 'America' is the name of 2 continents, north and south, so even Tintin in the U.S.A would have been better. Also 'Tintin in Tibet'- I thought Herge had got rid of the 'Tintin in...' formula. Any thoughts?

Tintin in the Congo sounds fine and in my opinion Tintin in the U.S.A sounds horrendous.

Tintin in the Congo sounds fine

Oh it sounds okay, but wouldn't it have been much better with a catchier title like 'the blue lotus'or the Secret of the Unicorn. It sort of gives away the plot - Tintin goes to the Congo.

I think the America-title well describes the atmosphere of the album and the mental structure in the late 19th/early 20th century. For Europeans America seemed to be the land of possibilities, an opportunity for the poor to start a new life. And I've understood that the immigrants were going to America, not to U.S.A. (there´s a difference imo), no matter if their ships we´re heading to New York.

Of course the album was made during the great depression and it´s dated in the twenties (Chicago/crime scene). But it also contains episodes of the immigration, colonization and the wars against native americans, which imply that much wider time-scale is covered in the adventure.

I hope I don´t simplify it too much if I say that in that sense the album is about America, and U.S.A certainly doesn´t have the same ring in it.

But yes, you´re right saying that in general Tintin in... isn't the most exciting formula for a name.

back to the u.s.a thing herge originally wanted to call tintin in america tintin and the red indians and at one stage in le petit vingtieme it was called tintin in chicago also about the tibet thing herge was thinking about calling it the bulls horn,the mooses horn,the deers horn etc

I think the most interesting-sounding titles are Flight 714, Blue Lotus, Cigars of the Pharaoh, and Seven Crystal Balls.
But if you count the "Tintin and..." format, then Tintin in the Land of the Soviets.

I think The Crab With The Golden Claws is my favourite title - so evocative and mysterious. And, even though it is not a direct translation, Prisoners Of The Sun is also very dramatic sounding.

Originally King Ottokar's Sceptre was going to be named Tintin in Syldavia.

That would be bad. I can't even pronounce the name Syldavia (but I spelled it right without looking at the entry above mine!).