Quick facts
In short: quick answers to the questions people ask most about Tintin, with links to the full guides when you want to know more.
Tintin
How old is Tintin?
The books never say, and even Hergé wasn't sure. In 1975 he said Tintin was “14 or 15” when he first drew him, and had “practically not moved on” since.
Fans discuss the ages of Tintin and his friends in the forum
How tall is Tintin?
There's no official height: Hergé never gave one. Our forum members have tried to work it out from the drawings.
See how they did it in the forum
Where is Tintin from?
Belgium, like Hergé. He's a young reporter from Brussels, and he lived at 26 Labrador Road before moving into Marlinspike Hall with Captain Haddock.
More about Tintin in our characters guide
What does the name “Tintin” mean?
Nothing in particular, as far as we know: Hergé never explained why he chose it. “Tintin !” is also French slang for “Don't count on it!”, but there's no sign that was the reason.
What Tintin is called in other languages
Snowy
What breed of dog is Snowy?
A white wire fox terrier. In French he's Milou, the nickname of Hergé's first girlfriend, Marie-Louise Van Cutsem.
More about Snowy in our characters guide
Captain Haddock
What is Captain Haddock's first name?
Archibald, but readers had to wait 35 years to find out. He first appeared in 1941, and his first name wasn't revealed until Tintin and the Picaros (1976), the last adventure Hergé finished.
More about Captain Haddock in our characters guide
How old is Captain Haddock?
We don't know. Hergé never said.
Blistering barnacles! All 219 of his curses, from A to Z
The books
How many Tintin books are there?
24 in all: 23 complete adventures published between 1930 and 1976, and Tintin and Alph-Art, which Hergé left unfinished when he died in 1983 (published 1986).
What order should I read the Tintin books in?
Start almost anywhere: most stories stand alone. We suggest beginning with The Secret of the Unicorn and Red Rackham's Treasure, a two-part adventure in which Tintin, Snowy, Captain Haddock and Professor Calculus first come together. Read the other two-part stories in order too: Cigars of the Pharaoh and The Blue Lotus; The Seven Crystal Balls and Prisoners of the Sun; Destination Moon and Explorers on the Moon.
All 24 books in the order they were published
The films
How many Tintin films are there?
We count six made for the cinema. The first was a 1947 puppet film of The Crab with the Golden Claws. Then came two live-action films, Tintin and the Golden Fleece (1961) and Tintin and the Blue Oranges (1964), two animated films, Prisoners of the Sun (1969) and Tintin and the Lake of Sharks (1972), and Steven Spielberg's The Adventures of Tintin (2011). Tintin has also starred on television many times, from 1950s cartoons to the 1991 animated series.
The full story in our Tintin movies timeline
Hergé
Who was Hergé, and how do you say his name?
Hergé was the pen name of Georges Remi (1907–1983), the Belgian artist who created Tintin. It's his initials the other way round, R.G., said the French way: “air-ZHAY”.
How did Hergé die?
He died of leukaemia in a Brussels clinic on 3 March 1983, aged 75.
Hergé's later years in our timeline
Did Hergé have a brother?
Yes: Paul Remi (1912–1986). He was five years younger than Hergé and became a cavalry officer. Hergé based Tintin on Paul as a boy. In Le Soir in December 1940, Hergé noted that Tintin “borrowed his character, his gestures and attitudes” from his brother.
Did you know?
- Tintin got his famous quiff during a car chase in Tintin in the Land of the Soviets. More about Tintin
- In the early books, Snowy chatted away to Tintin. More about Snowy
- Tintin may not even be his first name: his landlady calls him “Mr Tintin”.
- The Castafiore Emerald is the only adventure set entirely at Marlinspike Hall. About the book
- The 1980s pop group the Thompson Twins named themselves after the detectives. More about Thomson and Thompson
- In 1982, an asteroid between Mars and Jupiter was named after Hergé. Hergé's timeline
Credits
Compiled by Tintinologist.org staff Irene Mar.
Sources: Michael Farr, Tintin: The Complete Companion (Tintin's age, Snowy's name, “Mr Tintin”, Haddock's first name, The Castafiore Emerald); Michael Farr, The Adventures of Hergé, Creator of Tintin, p. 27 (Paul Remi); Numa Sadoul, Tintin et moi (1975, Hergé's interviews); Pierre Assouline, Hergé: The Man Who Created Tintin; Benoît Peeters, Hergé, Son of Tintin; Hergé in Le Soir, December 1940; tintin.com (Captain Haddock); Wikipedia; Larousse dictionary; Bédéthèque (Paul Remi); Authors and Artists for Young Adults (Hergé's death); Tintinologist.org's characters guide, Hergé timeline, book guides and movies timeline.
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