Q119: Find the Harlequin

Where does Tintin encounter a Harlequin?

A Harlequin features behind the scenes of the Music-Hall, in The Seven Crystal Balls (page 12-C3), and Tintin notices his presence.

His straw hat is rather unusual, though; a better hat can be spotted in The Red Sea Sharks(p.36-A2)

For a definition of Harlequin
see http://www.thefreedictionary.com/harlequin

About the origin of Harlequin
see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlequin

Sorry, Yamilah, but the clown backstage at the music hall in The Seven Crystal Balls isn't a Harlequin clown.
His costume and make-up are more typical of the circus-clown tradition, whereas a Harlequin clown is a specific character - with a lozenge-patterned costume - from the Commedia dell' Arte tradition of mimed clown theatre. (Arleccino in Italian) Type "Harlequin" into Wikipedia if you want a full explanation and some good pictures of this character.
(Edit: Oh, I see you've just added this link to your own answer while I was typing this reply!)
The costumed man you mention on page 36 frame A2 of The Red Sea Sharks is dressed as a Comedia dell'Arte character, but not Harlequin. His nose, chin and hump identify him as Pulcinella (the Commedia character who evolved into the English puppet character Mr Punch).

Time for some clues. The Harlequin that Tintin encounters isn't a clown at all, nor even a person. It's a specific variety of creature that's called a Harlequin due to it's patched pattern. (To avoid misleading anyone, I should point out that this creature's pattern doen't look anything like a brightly coloured and lozenged Harlequin costume, but apparently Harlequin's lozenged costume represented the torn patched clothing of a poor man). And the encounter with this creature is far from comedic for Tintin and Snowy. Hope that prevents anyone from barking up the wrong tree.

Mind you, a harlequin can be synonymous with a clown! (see link above)

I hesitated with the creature you might have in mind, but it couldn't be an Harlequin at the time!

It'd be a shame to see no one answer this question (I didn't mean it to be that hard!), so one last clue before the 48 hours expires and I have to reveal the answer:

This Harlequin has Nordic roots (with a "big Nordic" name you might say), though Tintin and Snowy encounter it in England. Go at it doggedly and you'll find the answer.

I'll give it a couple of hours longer, then reveal the answer if necessary.

Ah, that would be Mullers Great Dane guard dog in The Black Island? Harlequin is a specific colour pattern.

A nice example of the breed can be seen here:
http://www.almostafarm.com/aldad.jpg

My first thoughts were similar to yamilahs. I was convinced the chap in Red Sea Sharks was one.

Btw, Happy New Year all.

Ranko

That's it, Ranko - well done! Müller's dog is indeed a Harlequin great Dane. This kind of Harlequin is actually briefly mentioned in the Wikipedia page on Harlequins that Yamilah gave a link to above, so I thought someone might spot it from that.

Sorry to have you and yamilah looking for clowns. Yamilah's right to point out that the on-line dictionary to which she provides a link does suggest that "Harlequin" can also be a term for all clowns generally, but I'm pretty sure that professional non-Commedia clowns and Commedia dell'Arte specialists alike (and I've known a few) would dispute the accuracy of this particular dictionary definition.

Anyway, a point and the next question to Ranko.

Balthazar
Anyway, a point and the next question to Ranko.

I put it to you that yamilah gave a reasonable answer within the allocated time, and a point is given after 72h, i.e. widely after the 48h time limit mentioned in the rules.
And what about a penalty point for delay (rule 9)??

Maybe Yamilah's personal handicap 'no answer for 24 hours after the question is set' is not enough?

yamilah
I put it to you that yamilah gave a reasonable answer within the allocated time...

Sorry, yamilah. Whilst your answer was certainly an entirely reasonable guess, it wasn't correct. Whatever the compilers of that on-line dictionary may believe, I'm sure that that the circus-type clown back stage in The Seven Crystal Balls can't accurately be described as a Harlequin.
It'd be like describing a cricketer as a footballer and saying that "footballer" can be a term for all sportsmen. If you can produce a single professional circus-type clown (ie resembling that backstage clown in make-up and costume) who ever refers to himself or herself as a harlequin (at least one whose language is standard UK English), I'll be happy to eat my words and give you the point, I really will, but I don't think you'll be able to.
It's quite common to find inaccurate definitions in dictionaries - the academics who compile these things often seem a bit out of their depth on non-academic specialisms - so no criticism of your own intelligence is implied by my refusal to accept your answer as correct.

Yamilah
...and a point is given after 72h, i.e. widely after the 48h time limit mentioned in the rules.
And what about a penalty point for delay (rule 9)??

Sorry for inadvertantly losing track of the time and stretching the the 48 hour time limit. I sometimes find it hard to remember when I actually set a question, for which there's no excuse (although it would help us absent-minded UK Tintinologists if the forum's clock was set to GMT!).
If Ed had nudged me with a 'Time's up, Balthazar - give the answer," I'd have done so, but I thought that giving a final easier clue and giving someone a chance to actually win the point would be more fun. I'm happy to let the quizmaster or moderator adjudicate on that one, though.

Yamilah
Maybe Yamilah's personal handicap 'no answer for 24 hours after the question is set' is not enough?
I'm not sure why you've started refering to yourself in the third person, Yamilah, but ignoring that, I do actually agree with the point that I think your making here - namely that the handicap on players who are way out in the lead is a bit illogical and unfair, or at least too severe.

Also (since I'm questioning the rulebook!), I'm not sure the new rule about only one attempted answer per player is actually going to help keep the quiz rolling.
Keen quizzers coming back with a second or third attempted answer - each maybe a bit closer to the right answer than their last answer - sometimes seemed to help generate answers from other quizzers, and opened the thing out. I certainly never sensed this practice was ever a factor in putting more people off joining in.
Anyway, that's just my opinion for what it's worth!

yamilah
I put it to you that yamilah gave a reasonable answer within the allocated time...

I don't know enough about Harlequins to give an adjudication on their definition, but I must defer to Balthazar's judgement as he is the question-setter.

Balthazar
Sorry for inadvertantly losing track of the time and stretching the the 48 hour time limit.

No apology necessary. We're all busy people with a life outside of the forum - and as the quiz had more or less ground to a halt before your question I felt it would be in everyone's interest to keep it going, as no doubt you did.

(although it would help us absent-minded UK Tintinologists if the forum's clock was set to GMT!)

It certainly would make my job easier - perhaps the Mods could look into a facility for having the clock display local time depending on where you are in the world.

The new rules are still very new, not having had the opportunity to be really tested, so we ask for your patience. But any ideas regarding the rulebook are all duly considered , and we certainly welcome your opinions.

Congratulations on an excellent answer Ranko; over to you for the next question.

Ed