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Neil Hyslop: The original English-language Tintin "font"

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Sam Hyslop
Member
#11 · Posted: 14 Jun 2014 13:13
Hi all,

I have just stumbled across this forum post. Neil Hyslop is my grandfather. He is 90 years old this year.
I know this post is 10 years old, but if anyone still happens to follow it and would like any other info about my grandfather, please feel free to leave questions for me here.

Many Thanks.
Rocky
Member
#12 · Posted: 18 Jun 2014 12:37
Hi Sam,
That's very kind of you. There are so many questions, perhaps a senior forum member could do an interview, as happened with the translators?
For example:
Was that lettering style developed specifically for the Tintin books or had Neil used it before?
How did Michael Turner and Leslie Lonsdale-Cooper select Neil to do the lettering?
Did he ever meet Hergé or get feedback from him?

I'm sure your grandfather knows this, but the beauty of these books is not just Hergé's artwork, it's also Neil's lettering.
JoeHyslop
Member
#13 · Posted: 15 Aug 2021 19:42
I got here I'm sure the same way my brother Sam did above, by googling our grandad.

My grandad is no longer with us but if I can help with any questions please let me know. Feel free to email me on >joeliamhyslop< >at< >gmail< >dot< >com<
although I have turned on the option to be notified if anyone responds.

Rocky I have asked my dad the above questions. Hopefully between him and my uncles one of them may know.

Will response if and when.
jock123
Moderator
#14 · Posted: 16 Aug 2021 09:58
JoeHyslop:
I got here I'm sure the same way my brother Sam did above, by googling our grandad.

Hi, Joe, and welcome!
There are many readers of Hergé in English of a certain age, for whom your grandad's calligraphy was the "voice" of Tintin and Cº, so his contribution is greatly appreciated, and I know on the couple of occasions that I spoke to the Methuen translators Michael Turner and Leslie Lonsdale-Cooper that they remembered working with him very fondly.
Thank you so much for getting in touch!
Haitch
Member
#15 · Posted: 17 Aug 2021 08:37
JoeHyslop
Here are some answers to the questions: The lettering used in the Tintin books was not developed specifically for the books- Neil used the same font/typeface in books and publications for a variety of different publishers both before and after the Tintin books were published. Therefore, it was his own copyright font/typeface which is now owned by the Neil Hyslop Estate. There are numerous examples, but one is the maps in the book "1915, The Death of Innocence" by Lyn Macdonald, published by Headline Book Publishing in 1993. To the second question: Neil was employed as a freelance technical artist by Methuen and other publishers, so when Methuen were approached to see if they were interested in publishing Tintin, Neil was an obvious choice by Methuen to do the lettering because he was already working for them. And regarding Herge - yes indeed, Neil definitely did meet Herge at the Methuen offices in London at least once and possibly more than that. We can remember him talking about it, but sadly not much more can be recalled specifically about those meeting(s), especially as to any feedback etc.

Hope this helps.
The Neil Hyslop Estate.
Balthazar
Moderator
#16 · Posted: 20 Aug 2021 12:44
Haitch:
Hope this helps.
The Neil Hyslop Estate.

Yes indeed, that's all very helpful and interesting. Many thanks for taking the trouble to get in touch with that further info.

Haitch:
... one is the maps in the book "1915, The Death of Innocence" by Lyn Macdonald ...

From a quick google search, I was able to find an online image of one of those maps in a seller's listing on AbeBooks. Here's a link, if anyone's interested in seeing Neil's elegant lettering (and cartographry) in that non-Tintin context. (From further online searching, I also found his beautifully drawn and lettered maps in a biography of Air Marshall Sir Arthur Coningham.)

That's nice to hear that he met Hergé, who, from what I've read, enjoyed his visits to London.

Thanks again,
The Tintinologist Team
Rocky
Member
#17 · Posted: 27 Aug 2021 21:07
Thanks, Joe! I'm delighted that you've found and answered my questions.

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