Tintin Forums

I was convinced there would already be a topic for this, but I've done some searches and, so far as I can tell, there isn't. If there's already a topic indentical to this one, I'd be happy if you could let me know. :)

What, in your opinion, is the best-written (funniest, most suspensful, cleverest etc.) scene in the Tintin books? Hard to choose, I know. =3 My favourites are when Tintin and the Captain go to the music-hall in Seven Crystal Balls (the frames where they are caught in the blast of Bianca Castafiore's voice are simply too funny), all the scenes that take place aboard the moon rocket in Explorers on the Moon and the scene when Archie discovers a hoard of ancient Jamaica rum on the wreck of the Unicorn. X3 The dialogue and the drawings are all extraordinarily good, even for Tintin.

The recurring sticking-plaster gag in The Calculus Affair is very clever, and I think that The Red Sea Sharks has a very good suspenseful plot.

I think I like the suspensful scenes perhaps more than the straightforwardly funny ones, good though the comedy scenes in Tintin are too. And I like scenes where the action is told mostly visually. (I guess they would better be described as the best rendered scenes rather than just the best written, but maybe it's OK to stretch the definition of your question.)

One of my favourite scenes is the part of The Crab with the Golden Claws where Tintin escapes from the hold by slinging the planks in through Haddock's port hole and climbing up the rope. I guess that one combines some comedy with the action, along with Tintin's problem solving abilities too, so a good combination of all the great elements of the books.

Another great problem-solving scene is where Tintin makes the battering ram in The Secret of the Unicorn.

Once you start thinking about it, there are so many candidates for the best Tintin book scene: the railway bridge leap in Prisoners of the Sun; the underwater swim to sneak up on the baddies' floatplane in Crab; the mummified explorers tomb scene and subsequent floating coffin scene in Cigars of the Pharaoh, to name just a few more.

This is a good topic you've started, Voluma, but a hard question to answer!

The passage where Haddock relates to Tintin his ancestor's story in The Secret Of The Unicorn is, for me, one of the best written scenes within the books (if you can really call it a scene). We are told the story of Sir Francis and given the background to Red Rackham's treasure in a very clever and interesting way. We also learn much about life on a late 17th century ship and get to see pirates boarding and overpowering a vessel.

Of course, I'm not even mentioning the artwork; just look at the detail in the rigging in the frame where the man calls down from up in the crow's nest - and that's just one frame. And when you consider that due to wartime rationing it was originally presented as tiny four or five panel daily strips, it becomes even more amazing. I have a copy of Les Vrais Secrets De La Licorne which reproduces the original strips and I thoroughly recommend it to any Tintin fan.

I think it's genius how it cuts back and forth between the 'action' and I particularly love how the Captain re-enacts his ancestor's actions so dramatically, almost as if he were tapping into some kind of genetic code!

Hergé was a master of relating detailed information in a subtle way - like having the travel brochure in King Ottokar's Sceptre so that we learn about Syldavia - but the Sir Francis section for me is the best example.

Ah, I'd forgotten that scene! Yes, the wonders of storytelling. =) I must go back and read it now you've got me thinking of it!

Absolutely! I know that originally you said you wanted opinions on the best-written (funniest, most suspensful, cleverest etc.) scene in the Tintin books, but I thought I'd try to steer my contributuion more in the direction of 'best-written' (a difficult one, I know). Especially since we have some other threads on funniest, most disturbing, etc. Sometimes best-written might not necessarily mean favourite, funniest, etc, if you see what I mean.

With further regards to Unicorn; one thing I didn't mention is that Hergé was greatly influenced by Treasure Island (although I don't believe I've ever read anything about this!) Actually, R.L. Stevenson's book was the blueprint for every pirate/treasure story that came after it, right up to Pirates of the Caribbean today.

One thing which I think proves this is that Haddock says "Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!" which comes directly from Treasure Island. He says it in the original, before anybody asks!. The Dead Man's Chest sea shanty wasn't fully written until some years later (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Man's_Chest) by Young E. Allison, an expansion of Stevenson's original 'excerpt'.

Also, it's noteworthy that Marlinspike is mentioned in the first verse:
"The mate was fixed by the bosun's pike
The bosun brained with a marlinspike"
:-)

I think I do see what you mean, yes. And it's really fascinating about Herge being influenced by Treasure Island. It does make sense now I think about it; in Red Rackham's Treasure they do spend time on a desert island hunting for the treasure. Incidentally, that's another well-written scene. "He's gone west!" and all the fun with the pendulum, and the moment when Archie declares that he's got to let fly at something before swinging at a tree with his pickaxe and getting a shower of coconuts for his trouble. :) The whole scene was so important in the characterisation of Cuthbert, too.


XD That's somewhat alarming. The more I think about it, the more plausible it seems that the treasure adventures were insired by Treasure Island! Why did I not spot that...?

I love the reoccuring sticker gag in Calculus Affair, I think that's my favourite.

The opening of The Calculus Affair, the way it builds up the suspense and atmosphere under the thunderstorm, that and The Seven Crystal Balls where the ball lightning comes down.

The scene in Tibet where the Captain is about to cut his rope to save Tintin is a great scene, plus the ending of Destination Moon where the characters are basically S***ing themselves as the rocket takes off is excellently written/drawn aswell.

There's really too many great scenes to mention.