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Favorite Tintin book cover?

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Balthazar
Moderator
#51 · Posted: 15 Jan 2007 16:55
I think the Cigars of the Pharaoh cover is my favourite.

The design compositon is very strong. Like most of Hergé's covers it has a single, strong line of travel to the composition that matches the lines of perspective. The placing of that left-foreground pillar is brilliant, as is the way the Egyptian figure painted on it is facing away from Tintin but sort of glancing back, mysteriously and knowingly.

The complete lack of shadows - a notable aspect of Hergé's ligne claire style - somehow makes the tomb seem more wierd and dreamlike than a more traditionally drawn black and shadowy tomb would, as does the matter-of-fact tidiness of the mummified explorers. These mild-mannered-looking corpses, with their rather perturbed and regretful expressions, are surely more genuinely disturbing than any gruesomely realistic horror-comic corpses would be. This has to be the most surreal of Hergé's covers.

The colouring is expertly done and very effective. The cover has the same palate of earthy browns, reds and oranges, and bluey-greys as the book itself - colours which evoke a hot and dusty feel. And there's a very subtle "colour-perspective" effect on those coffins, each one getting a little duller in tone as they receed from the viewer; even if you don't consciously notice this, it creates the illusion of dusty air in the tomb.

The positioning and postures of Tintin and Snowy themselves is perfect, with Tintin rendered mid-stride, staring at those mysterious cigars on the ground.

All of Hergé's Tintin covers are design masterpieces but, for me, this one sums up everything that Tintin's about - mystery, exploration, understated comedy and the surreal mixing of the ordinary with the exotic.
Pushy
Member
#52 · Posted: 6 Feb 2007 12:12
Hmmm... very hard to pick.
Tintin In America is a "okay" cover, but hasn't got a "grab me" sort of look.
Cigars of the Pharaoh having always been interested in Egyptology I've a soft spot for this - that cover rates highly.
The Blue Lotus just cries boring... sorry.
Tintin and the Broken Ear I remember being a kid, seeing this and thinking; "How can someone break their ear?". An alright cover without being too exciting.
The Black Island Wow, this is one of my favourites, islands and castles interest me.
King Ottokar's Sceptre: Refer to "The Blue Lotus".
The Crab with the Golden Claws is good, sets the scene.
The Shooting Star is certainly not my favourite book and the cover isn't much to look at.
The Secret of The Unicorn is great, seeing Haddock, and The Unicorn in the periscope is awesome.
Red Rackham's Treasure cover is good but could have been done ALOT better.
The Seven Crystal Balls: what's with the cover? It's green, and, well, boring.
Prisoners of the Sun is a favourite, looks gloomy!!
Land of Black Gold has not much happening.
Destination Moon Wow, I love it! You certainly know what's happening here.
Explorers on the Moon: You really know what's happening here, I love space and the cover is very awesome.
The Calculus Affair used the shattered glass border which is one of the stand-out settings on any of the books, nearly could have been my favourite.
The Red Sea Sharks isn't too spectacular.
Tintin in Tibet is my favourite, not sure why but it cries "pick me up!!"
The Castafiore Emerald, Flight 714 and Tintin and the Picaros: refer to part B in my Tintin in Tibet rambling.
tintinboy
Member
#53 · Posted: 14 Feb 2007 19:33
I can only say which covers I like best. I can't say what is 'artistically'
1. Prisoners of the Sun
2. The Blue Lotus
3. The Broken Ear
4. The Cigars of the Pharaoh
ZGDK
Member
#54 · Posted: 7 Oct 2008 00:06
I've always loved the Tintin series for their original covers. I was wondering what you guy's favorites are? Personally I love Seven Crystal Balls, Tintin in Tibet and The Calculus Affair.
cigars of the beeper
Member
#55 · Posted: 8 Oct 2008 00:24
I like The Broken Ear's cover, but also The Castafiore Emerald. There are so many little things you can notice in there.
tintinagalog
Member
#56 · Posted: 8 Oct 2008 09:56
My favorite book cover? I prefer The Black Island. I love the sea.
robbo
Member
#57 · Posted: 8 Oct 2008 22:08
I have to agree with cigars, The Castafiore Emerald cover is masterful. The Film Noir/set feel of the lighting and shadow is beautifully conveyed with such economy, and the shadowed but close up depiction of Tintin communicating to the reader plays with differing levels of reality. The red green and blue patches of clothing also cleverly evoke the primary light colours of film.

My other favourite cover is The Crab with the Golden Claws, the original is much better with its white lettering over a darker more muted blue sky, which gives an amazing feeling of light using just simple flat printed colour.

regards,
mat
cigars of the beeper
Member
#58 · Posted: 9 Oct 2008 21:41
Oh, and I almost forgot...

I like the Flight 714 cover, too.
The Blue Lotus
Member
#59 · Posted: 9 Oct 2008 22:34
Favourite is probably The Blue Lotus...! Followed by Fligt 714, Red Rackham's Treasure and The Black Island. They're all pretty good though.
ZGDK
Member
#60 · Posted: 10 Oct 2008 17:08
I'm gonna rank them all:

The Blue Lotus
The Broken Ear
Prisoners of the Sun
Cigars of the Pharaoh
Flight 714
The Seven Crystal Balls
The Black Island
Red Rackham's Treasure
The Secret of the Unicorn
The Crab with the Golden Claws
King Ottokar's Sceptre
The Calculus Affair
The Red Sea Sharks
The Castafiore Emerald
Tintin in Tibet
Destination Moon
Explorers on the Moon
Land of Black Gold
Tintin and the Picaros
Tintin in America
Tintin in the Congo
Tintin in the Land of the Soviets

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