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I understand Lake of Sharks is not considered canon by some, because Hergé did not actually write or draw the story.

However, as with all art, any fan can choose to include it in their personal continuity or canon, despite it not being part of Hergé's intended story collection for the character.

My question is, and in doing so in order to avoid making a new thread about it is, when is it set? Is it sequel to Flight 714? Or is it placed earlier in the Hergé time-line?

Personally, I'd put it right before Flight 714, so to allow Rastapopoulos' "death" to remain ambiguous and all. But what is your take?

Moderator Note: The only time to avoid creating a new thread is when it duplicates an existing topic; we actively encourage making a new thread when you introduce a new subject for discussion like this, as it is less likely to take a thread off topic, and also makes it easier for people to reply without causing confusion as to which question is being answered. So a new thread has been created…!

The Happy Tintinologist Team

Chronologically, I suppose it would belong in between Flight 714 (based purely on the last appearance of Tintin's plus-fours!) and Picaros; the only finished story published after it. Mind you, just checked my bookcase, and I've got it shelved after Picaros, so what do I know?

I don't mind Lake Of Sharks as a book - I'm glad it's there as one extra Tintin adventure. As a little Johnny in the 1970s, I actually read the book before I saw it on TV, and back then it seemed just as much part of the series to me as any of the others!

It's also interesting that Herge, whatever he thought of the film, has Tintin wear exactly the same sheepskin-collared jacket on the first page of Picaros as he wore three years earlier in the early stages of Lake of Sharks! At least, I don't think he wears it in an earlier album.

Of course, probably the biggest canon problem is how Rastapopoulos, after his alien encounter and failed attempt to get his filthy mitts on Carreidas's fortune, ended up with the resources, financial and otherwise, to build a vast underwater base with submarine docking pen, Blofeld-like control centre, nifty underwater tank and so on. I mean, if he can manage to get that lot constructed and maintained, why does he even need the Professor's machine in the first place? ;)

I don't have the book on me at the moment, but when he and Tintin come face-to-face, I seem to recall that he boasts about being "alive and well" as if he'd again faked his own death in their previous encounter - maybe "Red Sea Sharks".

I've always doubted that the aliens actually took Rastapopoulos and his associates to another planet in "Flight 714". It does look like Herge intended to use him again in "Alph-Art", we'll never know for sure. But how about this:

Like Krollspell, he is dropped off back on Earth but, being of a more tougher and forceful nature, he recovers his memories and starts stealing valuables museum exhibits from his underwater base - which he set up while he was the Marquis di Gorgonzola.

Rastapopoulos is a very active man. In the early books he is both a respected film producer and the leader of highly organised drug smugglers. In "Red Sea Sharks", he's involved in smuggling weapons, slaves and overthrowing foreign regimes. It figures that he has more than one enterprise, crooked or otherwise, running at the same time.


Sheer greed. He's been stealing valuable jewels and works of art and replacing them with fakes, but even fakes are expensive to create so Calculus' machine would save a lot of time and money.