Tintin Forums

Thanks for the link mondrian.
The story broke just over a week ago about the re-launching of the lawsuit in France. I have a google news search for Tintin-related stories and had more than a dozen emails from France, the US, India and the UK about it. In fact, for quite a while now all of the stories about Tintin have been concerning Tintin In The Congo. It's one that refuses to go away!

Here's another news item from Radio France Internationale (in English).
http://www.rfi.fr/actuen/articles/117/article_4992.asp

For some reason I can't quite see, the BBC have featured the Congo controversy once again (it may have reached a particular point in the court case to have it banned which might have brought it up again, but if so, they don't make that clear).

There is a video report here, and a text report here as well.

I believe the ruling is today.

See also The Telegraph.

The book is a historical document to the ignorance and thinking of the times.Herge himself has apologised for the depiction of the characters.Its always negative not positive like most people when they were learning to read they read Tintin and its been translated into over 50 languages.

That would explain it - I thought it must be something like that...

News just in that Michael Farr was interviewed on the following Radio shows:

There was a 5 minute segment about Congo on BBC Good Morning Scotland (It's 1 hour 20 minutes in).

BBC World Service Update which has a translated interview with Bienvenue Mbutu and Michael Farr is interviewed again in the studio (44 minutes 30 secs in).

And BBC Radio 5 Live - The Gabby Logan Show - between 1-2pm (it just finished, so it's not up yet)*

Apparently he was also interview on BBC America - Breakfast radio show.

* Edit: the Gabby Logan segment was dropped due to other news

Just heard the segment on Good Morning Scotland segment with Michael Farr who made a good point.However I wish the media would stop bashing this book it has been out for over 70 years now.I honestly cant see how so many people get offended by this. There's a simple answer for this If I dont like something I will not pay attention to it and I will not look at it its simple.Take for example today I had a flyer from the BNP I simply dis guarded it and put it in the bin it ain't going to ruin my day and it shouldn't ruin others.Honestly everyone needs to stop getting a bee in there bonnet about this.If something offends you dont look at it.
So is it to be banned its a bit late its been out since 2005 everyone who ever wanted it has it in 2005 it was the top selling book on Amazon for 2 weeks in a row.When I worked in the shop it was the most popular book to fly of the shelves its interesting as like everyone knows this book has only really become just available in the UK.To ban the book would be silly its good a note comes with the book telling readers about the time it was written.Shall we ban The Black Island because it portrays some of the British characters in there as twits I myself live in England so the depiction is pretty much true haha :).
You cant ban something because its not very nice.Its the same old race row I think at the end of the day.Moving off topic a tiny bit I was watching a programme the other day talking about a connection between video games and violence the same old debate children are playing video games and copying what they see im 21 I have been playing video games since I was 4 and so have hundreds of other people I know its not a proven fact Theres no real connection between video game violence and real life.Just with Tintin in the Congo if you read this book your not going to then think all the people who live in Africa are like they are in the book.Why exactly is this book going to be banned a couple of in sensitive pictures from the 1930's.Tintin went there to help the people in the Congo and even taught young Africans a maths class.
Tintin does good in the book well apart from bagging himself a whole lot of antelope and some rhino which the WWF Thats the world wildlife fund not WWF Wrestling took offence to Herge apologised by drawing up some stunning pictures for the WWF.He apologised for hes depiction of the Congo.I dont see how this book could get banned when Mein Kempf still sits on the shelves its an historical document

Here's a development:

Jeanette Kavira Mapera, the Congolese Minister for Art and Culture, has defended the book, declaring it a "masterpiece"!

She is quoted as saying that "This book in no way offends Congolese culture" and states that the government has no interest in the court proceedings against it which are due to begin again in Brussels later this month.

Here are some details on an English blog and the Le Soir site.

I fully agree with the Minister. Those were different times then and we tend to look at it with 21st Century vision. I had an uncle who was a missionary in the Belgian Congo from the late 40s to mid sixties and I recall many stories every time he came back home to Belgium about the simple daily the way people lived women giving birth in the fields and go back to work after and the general of the Congolese people. The missionary in Tintin au Congo reminds me of my Uncle. Lets take it all in good faith and enjoy it for what it was. Herge you have my total support.

A new article on the book, and the effect on comic-book artists in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, appeared in the Scottish Sunday Herald today.