Tintin Forums

Isn't Rastapopolous American? That's always what I imagined him, so it would make sense that they first met in Chicago. Does Tintin tell Rastapopolous that they had met in the French version of The Cigar of the Pharoh?

Greek-American, is my understanding.

No. After their first meeting on the cruise ship, Tintin simply remarks that Rastapopoulos "n'est pas le premier venu", which in English would be something like "not any old passer-by". There is no mention of their previous meeting in "America".

I dont think that he is Greek-American. His first name "Roberto" is a Spanish name, and his last name "Rastspopoulos" is Greek, which would most likely make him Greek-Spanish.

Born in America to a Greek father and Spanish mother?

And Portuguese, or Italian? And it’s also used in Panama, Bolivia, Chile, etc. It would be Rovértos in Greek, I think.

I’m with you, though in as far as it’s hard to see how we can know he’s American, be that Greek-American or otherwise. I know that the character guide on this site suggests Greek-American, I’m just not sure what the evidence is for it (that’s not to say there isn’t – I could easily have overlooked something which is obvious to others). I don’t think being a film-maker is strong enough, as it was an industry full of people from all corners of the world, plus it would have been very unusual for a film to be made on location in Europe for an American production, as they’d just have built sets on a Hollywood backlot, or gone to the desert in the States.

I’ve always assumed he was European, and the way he’s likened in some respects to Aristotle Onassis (his yacht the Scheherezade, according to The Complete Companion, is based on Onassis’s boat Christina) makes me think that he’s a likely to be from Europe as America.

The last name "Rastapopoulos" sounds very Greek, so that's enough to suggest a Greek heritage. The first name "Roberto" doesn't Greek though, but rather Spanish or Italian, so I don't really know how to explain that one. Maybe his first name really is "Rovertos", but he thought "Roberto" sounded better internationally, when he became a world-famous billionaire. Or maybe the good Hergé made a little mistake.

The English translation of Cigars was done after other albums in which Rastapopoulos had appeared so it was done for continuity's sake is my understanding, although of course it actually mucks up the continuity. Unless, of course, he's referring to the meeting at the dinner table in America. Except, the translation for that was done after Cigars....