Haddock: a hindrance or help

I was watching the Tintin DVD's today with my brother and we got discussing this topic, it seems like Captain Haddock is more of a hinderance to Tintin than any sort of help.

Classic example would be almost killing them in Explorers on the Moon, by jumping out the rocket after drinking.

Anyone agree or disagree?

Rik

Hello. I am new to this site and this is my first posting as a member.
I can see your point about Captain Haddock being more of a hindrance than a help to Tintin. Yet on the other hand, he also serves as a positive foil to Tintin in the series, being upon his entry in The Crab With The Golden Claws, the most convincing major character. He provides an interesting comparison to Tintin; his temper, his mannerisms, his background, and his behavior are all very different, as is his weakness for the bottle. Indeed, his desire for whisky causes him to make careless and often dangerous blunders, as with the case you pointed out, and especially in The Crab With The Golden Claws. However, he often stands as an pillar to lean on whenever Tintin needs him. He also makes up for his errors by making Tintin his first priority. He stays with him and helps him when Snowy falls into the crevasse during the Moon adventure, which you talked about. He also, with the aid of Snowy, helps find and rescue Tintin from Dr. Muller's house in Land of Black Gold. He is the first, and the only person to go in search of Tintin after hearing gunshots at Marlinspike Hall in the last adventure, Tintin and Alph-Art. In my opinion, his concern and love for Tintin by far overshadows his mistakes, as in The Red Sea Sharks, when he drops his precious whisky bottle fearing for Tintin after the plane they were on blows up.

Or when he mourns for Tintin after he falls behind the waterfall in Prisoners of the Sun, of course. Haddock, although rough, serves as a fatherly figure to Tintin.

He's certainly a hindrance when he's drinking.

but captin haddock is one of the main foucuses in some of the books like the crab with the golden claws or the secret of the unicorn series

He is IMHO the funny person who teams up with a serious character (tintin). I think they go well together like peas and carrots*.

* from the movie, "Forrest Gump".

Peas and carrots? Ha, ha, that's a good one. The Captain is both a hinderance and a helping hand. Whatever you say, he is essential to the world wide popularity of the Tintin comics!

Captain Haddock is just good :-). Have you noticed that Herge has an amazing priority when it comes to putting characters in a single snap. When Tintin and Captain Haddock are together, captain almost thinks in a negative confidence and makes wrong moves. But when the captain is there without Tintin, or with others (Thomsons)... he makes a right move. Example "Prisoners of the Sun" [Page 11].

I can't say Captain Haddock is a hindrance. He is more of an alter ego of Tintin imo. He sees things in a different perspective to Tintin. Like Tintin in Tibet, he tries to explain Tintin that going for Chang is not sensible. However, he does not abandon him. Its more like Snowy's relationship with Tintin. Snowy always criticizes Tintin - his habit of poking nose in someone else's matter; and yet he is always there by his side.

Example: In "The Broken Ear" when Tintin forgives Pablo, Snowy tells him "You should't trust a rascal like that. You're far too gullible!" or in "King Ottokar's Sceptre" when Tintin decides to return the brief-case of Professor Alembick, Snowy says "You're making a mistake, Tintin!... No good ever comes of getting mixed up in other people's business."

It seems Haddock is more of a replacement to Snowy. Example in "Tintin and the Picaros", when Tintin again forgives Pablo, Haddock says "You made a mistake there, Tintin, and you'll live to regret it. You're making a rod for your own back..." and also says similar dialogues in "Explorers of the Moon" when Tintin says we should tie Jorgen and Wolff.

I can understand why you might see Archie as a hindrance. Yes, he causes trouble- mostly of his own making- but I would not have him otherwise.

Viva the Captain!