Tintin Forums

Even though some critics have pointed out the war-like feeling of doom in "Shooting Star" - the damage caused to the city by the earthquake could reflect the aftermath of a bombing raid - I'm not entirely convinced that Herge set it specifically during the war or the Nazi occupation. The street scenes do not include soldiers or propaganda posters.

In any case, the original Blumenstein is based in America (in the 1940s version) and the renamed Bohlwinkel in Sao Rico (in the 1950s version). In either case, he would quite likely face prosecution in his country of residence rather than be extradited to Belgium - Nazi occupation or not.

That might have been beyond the pale, in the circumstances; he might be prepared to make a veiled reference about how bad things were when a catastrophe befalls the nation, but an overt reference to the tragedy being visible Nazi occupiers would have pushed him in to being censored (or worse) without doubt.

I hope Bohlwinkel was tried and jailed in Sao Rico; the alternative doesn't bear thinking about.