Tintin Forums

In the older Tintin comic "The Black Island" is mentioned "Johnnie Walker" on the Traincontainer at page 33. In the newer versions there is mentioned "Loch Lomond" ?
Any Idea why the name was changed?

Methuen asked Hergé to change it when he revised the book, presumably because they wanted to avoid any trade and copyright implications of using a real tradename in the book. Plus the thorny issue of what could be seen as 'advertising' a real alcoholic product in a book marketed primarily at children.

Ed

edcharlesadams
Methuen asked Herge (...)

I'm afraid the usual 'Methuen explanation' is no more valid, as of November 2005...

see https://www.tintinologist.org/forums/index.php?action=vthread&forum=1&t opic=1056&page=0#msg10821msg10821

sponsz
In the newer versions there is mentioned "Loch Lomond" ?
Any Idea why the name was changed?

What can such a change mean, in Tintin's totally unique world?

"Johnnie Walker" was likely weak when compared with Loch Lomond uisge's real-life geology*, that mirrors the Scots & Gaelic Borders* crossed by Tintin in this book, the remake of which was published just before Flight 714, the story that takes place in Sondonesia (East Indies).

For more details, please see 'a down-to-earth question' (Q109)
on https://www.tintinologist.org/forums/index.php?action=vthread&forum=13& topic=1803

and 'Languages spoken in Tintin'
on https://www.tintinologist.org/forums/index.php?action=vthread&forum=8&t opic=990&page=1

yamilah
I'm afraid the usual 'Methuen explanation' is no more valid, as of November 2005...

Yes, but my sole point was that Methuen asked Hergé to get rid of the tradename of 'Johnnie Walker', not to change the entire book, which (from newly-discovered evidence) he seems to have wanted to do of his own inclination.

Ed

"Johnnie Walker" was likely weak when compared with Loch Lomond uisge's real-life geology*, that mirrors the Scots & Gaelic Borders* crossed by Tintin in this book, the remake of which was published just before Flight 714, the story that takes place in Sondonesia (East Indies).

Is this basically to make the brand sound more Scottish and thus lend an air of more authenticity?

Ranko
Is this basically to make the brand sound more Scottish and thus lend an air of more authenticity?

Yes exactly, for real-life and dual 'Lake' Lomond does mirror:

- the dual geology* of Scotland, connected with the two dissimilar languages met by Tintin (Lowlands/Scots/Kiltoch vs Highlands/Gaelic/Craigh Dhui).

- the Borders* connected -by definition- with Scotland & Gaelic areas (see e.g. Collins dictionary) and likely with Tintin's Bordures* and their military* display of TEXT (see four symbols written on Bordurian planes and uniforms).

for Loch Lomond geology, see http://www.hydromod.de/Eurolakes/partner/uog.html

Just out of interest www.lochlomonddistillery.com is the web site for this delicious brew favoured by Haddock (and Snowy) - unfortunately the lochlomond brands are not easy to obtain down South (England). At the festival in Brussels last year there was a great opportunity to imbibe. The disillery keeps on promising to supply via the web but no luck yet (even though it will soon be Burns Night). Anyone able to detect a supplier?

For a picture of real-life Loch Lomond train container and history of Highlands' former distillery and Lowlands' new one, see

http://www.whisky-distilleries.info/Loch%20Lomond_EN.shtml

Ranko
Is this basically to make the brand sound more Scottish and thus lend an air of more authenticity?
I think, given that Johnnie Walker is the largest selling whisky in the world, and that it has been around since 1820, that it has sufficient Scottishness about it to be as redolent of Scotland as Loch Lomond for many people, so I would think that the name change was for exactly the reason ed states above.
While Loch Lomond is a fairly old whisky, it hasn’t ever really been a famous or popular one (certainly not on the scale of a JW), and I think therefore that Hergé probably had never heard of it when the name was selected, and that it was purely coincidental that there really was a whisky of that name.

Rexmilou
Just out of interest www.lochlomonddistillery.com is the web site for this delicious brew favoured by Haddock (and Snowy)
As suggested above, I think that the connection is an accident, and that the distillery has just adopted the connection as a (nice) advertising ploy. I’m not certain what they’d make of your assertion that they brew it though - that’s for beer!

yamilah
For a picture of real-life Loch Lomond train container
I would suspect that this is some sort of publicity container, modelled after the book as a gimmick; distilleries tend to keep their transport fairly low key for security purposes, so slapping your name on a bright yellow tanker is a most unlikely way of sending thousands of pounds-worth of valuable spirit. It probably makes a nice talking-point for tourists though!

(...) publicity container, modelled after the book as a gimmick; (...) It probably makes a nice talking-point for tourists though!

Hopefully 'Loch Lomond' distillery pays royalties to whom it may concern, then...