Tintin Forums

Taken from Simon Doyle’s The World of Tintin Conference article from this site...

What seems less well known is that Bob de Moor worked on an unpublished "Jo, Zette and Jocko" book, *also* called "Le ThermoZéro"…

Anyone got any information on this at all?

Was M. Tordeur basically saying there is a new Jocko book sitting in the archives somewhere?

Rik

Yes, in effect he was. Unfortunately what I wrote above was pretty much it: the book isn’t finished, as far as could be told, but the story would all be there.

Was it you who wrote that article then Jock123? Would you mind if I quoted some of your info on my site? (properly credited of course)

Running a Jo, Zette and Jocko site i feel it's my duty to find as much info as I can.

Does Le ThermoZéro mean anything?

Rik

Yes, it’s by me. As for your request, I’ll give it some thought, Rik.

Le ThermoZéro seems to be sort of zero heat; in Bernard Tordeur’s book on Bob de Moor there are a couple of pages of rough notes shown, and one of these has a note about “absolute zero” (0° Kelvin, –273.15°C), which is the lowest possible temperature.

My guess is that either this is Le ThermoZéro, or that there would have been some device or plot-device which would make it lower than that - what has been called a negative temperature (just my guess).

Ok, let me know.

I was figuring along the same lines for the title, the only place the word appears in google is to do with Tintin's adventure. Sadly the few pages of the Tintin sketches don't give much information either.

Do you reckon if I asked Moulinsart nicely they'd let me publish a limited run in the UK?

Rik

Going by Moulinsart's policies and public image, you'd well deserve one of these titles: The Luckiest Man on Earth, or the Most Persuasive. :P

Paul

I think I'll write Moulinsart a letter and see what they say.
They may allow a strictly limited run of say 1000 books, I have the contacts to get the book printed and would pay the proper commission to Moulinsart.

I'm a massive fan of Quick and Flupke as well and I've often thought that to get the complete lot published over here would mean I need to acquire the rights myself.

Rik

I’d repeat that there is probably a potential book there, not anything ready to go, off-the-shelf. If you are not yourself a publisher already, with the facilities and reputation to carry off such an undertaking, then I doubt that you would be entertained.

You would have to go through the process of getting permissions, which would no doubt involve Moulinsart, the Fondation, Mme. Rodwell, and possibly the estate of Bob de Moor.

Following that there would be the collating of the information, which may comprise notes, sketches, roughs, pencils etc. These would then need to be edited (and translated), and all the material no doubt approved by the above people. Remember that this would have to be done in Brussels (without besmirching your reputation, Rik, if Michael Farr had to go and sit in the archives to do his book, I doubt that the likes of you or I would get sent a jiffy-bag of material to sort through - you’d have to be on site).

A book would need to be designed to accommodate the material, and then reproductions of the artwork etc. prepared for it, and type-set.

After which no doubt lengthy period of time, it would be only a matter of getting film run, presses set, books printed, marketing it, etc. etc. etc.

Can’t really see it getting off the ground as a home project, myself…

If it is feasible, and can be done, then Casterman and the big boys will undoubtedly do it at some point...

I dunno about you but it's one of my lifelong dreams to sit in the Herge archives and read!

Rik

If I am wel informed, the project called Le ThermoZéro is a project for a Tintin book and not for a Jo, Zette and Jocko adventure. The scenario was written by Greg (Achille Talon and others) but Hergé didn't feel comfortable to have to work with someone else scenario.
More details here (in French).