Tag Archives: 24 Days of Tintin

24 Days of Tintin: The Red Sea Sharks

Posted on December 9, 2009 | Leave a comment

Day 19

The Red Sea Sharks

A rollicking seafaring tale that only Hergé could dream up. Human trafficking, dastardly plots, and recurring villains abound in one of the later Hergé albums. A must-have for the Tintin collector.

24 Days of Tintin Special Merchandise!

Day Nineteen: The Red Sea Sharks Special Package. Regularly priced at $219.94. Available now at $131.96 with free shipping. That’s a savings of 40%. Expires 8:00 am December 10, 2009. Purchase it now.

Product details
Collectible statue: Famous scene from Coke en Stock – aka The Red Sea Sharks. The detail is truly amazing. Measures 11 x 8 x 6″.  Collectible car: The Jaguar from The Red Sea Sharks. Measures length 4.3 inches. Softcover book: In English and softcover.

The Tintin map was especially created by Chris Tregenza who run’s a Tintin blog on the forthcoming Tintin movie. A full map showing all of Tintin’s 23 journeys is available for purchase from his site.

FUN FACTS ABOUT THE RED SEA SHARKS

Brought to you by Tintinology

The French title for The Red Sea Sharks is Coke en Stock which translates as “coke in stock”, the term used by the slave traders to describe their black cargo. The book draws together many different minor characters from Tintin’s earlier adventures including: General Alcazar (The Broken Ear); Emir Ben Kalish Ezab and Abdullah (Land of Black Gold); Rastapopoulos and Oliveira da Figueira (Cigars of the Pharaoh); Dawson (The Blue Lotus); Allan (The Crab with the Golden Claws); Bianca Castafiore (King Ottokar’s Sceptre) and Dr. J.W. Müller (The Black Island).

→ Leave a comment

Posted in events

Tagged

24 Days of Tintin: The Calculus Affair

Posted on December 8, 2009 | Leave a comment

Day 18

The Calculus Affair

Of Hergé’s many Tintin adventures, The Calculus Affair is generally considered the crown jewel (at least by the TintinBlog). The intricate plot concerns Professor Calculus, who has stumbled upon an invention of devastating possibilities. Naturally the Bordurians will stop at nothing to shift the balance of power, so they kidnap the professor, sending Tintin and Captain Haddock on a dizzying chase. Also includes an extended set-piece involving a piece of sticky tape, and the first appearance by the insurance agent from hell, Jolyon Wagg.

24 Days of Tintin Special Merchandise!

Day Eighteen: The Calculus Affair Special Package. Regularly priced at $65.84. Available now at $46.08. That’s a savings of 30%. Expires 8:00 am December 9, 2009. Purchase it now.

Product details
Softcover Book: The Calculus Affair in English. Poster in French: L’Affaire Tournesol. In French. Measures approx. 20 x 28 inches. Figurine: The Professor. Measures approximately 3 inches tall. Tintin Guide Book: For those new to Tintin or veteran fans, this pocket book offers facts as well as expert opinions, all on Tintin. Paperback: 96 pages in English. Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.4 in.

The Tintin map was especially created by Chris Tregenza who run’s a Tintin blog on the forthcoming Tintin movie. A full map showing all of Tintin’s 23 journeys is available for purchase from his site.

FUN FACTS ABOUT THE CALCULUS AFFAIR

Brought to you by Tintinology

Written in 1956, The Calculus Affair is a classic cold war thriller. Whereas Borduria was stand-in for German aggression in King Ottakar’s Sceptre, it becomes a stand-in for Soviet aggression in this book. The picture of a German WWII sound machine that Tintin and Capt Haddock find in Professor Topolino’s house is real. It was one of a number of super-weapons that the Germans tried to develop during the war. See: http://crab.wordpress.com/2008/01/15/tintin-and-infrasound/

→ Leave a comment

Posted in events

Tagged

24 Days of Tintin: Explorers on the Moon

Posted on December 7, 2009 | Leave a comment

Day 17

Explorers on the Moon

Tintin blasts into outer space. Together with his faithful pooch, Snowy, the spunky boy reporter has joined an expedition “based at the Sprodj Atomic Center, high in the Zmyhlpathian Mountains, in the kingdom of Syldavia.” Following a perfect lift-off, the myriad misadventures begin, as the ubiquitous “certified detectives,” Thomson and Thompson, are discovered on board–inadvertent stowaways who threaten to monopolize the ship’s precious oxygen supply. All’s well that lands well, however, as Tintin and his colleagues return safely.

24 Days of Tintin Special Merchandise!

Day Seventeen: Explorers on Moon Special Collector’s Package. Regularly price at $390.00. Available now at $195.00. That’s a savings of 50%. Expires 8:00 am December 8, 2009. Purchase it now.

Product details
Resin Rocket: At almost 17 inches, this is not for the desktop. Extremely hard to get and very impressive in a cabinet or other safe spot. Comes with numbered certificate and lovely gift/display case. Size 16.5 inches in height. Rocket has extremely minor imperfection (see product details for more info.) Collectible Car and Scene: Special issue collectible car featuring Tintin, Snowy, Captain Haddock, medical staff, and an ambulance from Explorers on the Moon. Boxed, the car and figures measures 10 x 2.5 x 2.5 inches.

The Tintin map was especially created by Chris Tregenza who run’s a Tintin blog on the forthcoming Tintin movie. A full map showing all of Tintin’s 23 journeys is available for purchase from his site.

FUN FACTS ABOUT EXPLORERS ON THE MOON

Brought to you by Tintinology

On their trip to the moon, Tintin and friends encounter the asteroid Adonis. This is a real asteroid (discovered in 1936) but it would be impossible for Tintin to cross its path whilst going to the moon. Hipparchus, where Tintin lands on the moon is also real. It is a large crater named after an ancient Greek astronomer, geographer and mathematician from around 150BC. Whilst on the moon, Tintin finds water ice on the moon which for many years was considered impossible. However in 2009, the LCROSS probe and other research found ice on the moon.

Artist rendition of LCROSS probe. Source: NASA

→ Leave a comment

Posted in events

Tagged

24 Days of Tintin: Destination Moon

Posted on December 6, 2009 | Leave a comment

Day 16

Destination Moon

Tintin begins his greatest adventure when he and Captain Haddock are rather cryptically summoned to join Professor Calculus in Klow. It turns out that the professor has joined a consortium in order to build a rocket that will land a person on the moon (this was in 1953, well before Neil Armstrong). Unfortunately, the project attracted some unwanted attention from those who will resort to sabotage to steal the technology. Is the project successful? Well, it’s probably not that great of a spoiler to reveal that the story is continued in Explorers on the Moon.

24 Days of Tintin Special Merchandise!

Day Sixteen: Destination Moon Special Package. Regularly price at $156.90. Available now at $78.45. That’s a savings of 50%. Expires 8:00 am December 7, 2009. Purchase it now.

Product details
Resin Rocket: Limited edition, resin Moon Rocket. Includes storage case and numbered certificate. Size: 6 inches in height. Rocket Folder: Plastic filing folder from Explorers on the Moon. Fits sheets of 8.5×11″ nicely (format A4). Set of Three Moon Figurines: Tintin, Snowy, and the Captain ready for action. Fantastic detail. Each approx. 3″ tall.

The Tintin map was especially created by Chris Tregenza who run’s a Tintin blog on the forthcoming Tintin movie. A full map showing all of Tintin’s 23 journeys is available for purchase from his site.

FUN FACTS ABOUT DESTINATION MOON

Brought to you by Tintinology

It is hard to grasp just how forward thinking Hergé was with Destination Moon and Explorers on the Moon. They were written seven years before Sputnik-1 was launched and 17 years before the first moon landing. Ideas such as weightlessness and g-forces during launch were still theoretical problems known only to a few rocket scientists. To get the science in his book right, Hergé hired physicists and other specialists to help him design the craft and advise him on the science involved.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in events

Tagged

24 Days of Tintin: The Land of Black Gold

Posted on December 5, 2009 | Leave a comment

Day 15

The Land of Black Gold

With the completion of The Seven Crystal Balls and Prisoners of the Sun, Hergé finally saw an opportunity to resurrect The Land of Black Gold, a story he had originally concocted nine years before but was forced to abandon due to the wartime shutdown of Le Vingtieme Siecle. As Michael Farr points out in his formidable book “Tintin: The Complete Companion,” in 1948 German villains were no longer taboo; thus Hergé could introduce this tale complete with the nefarious Dr. Muller, last seen in The Black Island.

24 Days of Tintin Special Merchandise!

Day Fifteen: The Land of Black Gold Special Package. Regularly price at $154.90. Available now at $77.45. That’s a savings of 50%. Expires 8:00 am December 6, 2009. The Land of Black Gold is nothing without the hysterical antics surrounding Thompson and Thomson. Relive those moments with the following package. Purchase it now.

Product details
Collectible Studebaker: The Studebaker from The Land of Black Gold. Measures 4.7 inches in length. Metal Citroën Torpedo: from The Land of Black Gold. Scale 1/43. Driver: Thomson. Passenger: Thompson. Comes in handsome display case. Length 2.91 inches. Hardcover book: in French and in brilliant color. Measures: 9 x 12 inches/22.86 x 30.48 cm.

The Tintin map was especially created by Chris Tregenza who run’s a Tintin blog on the forthcoming Tintin movie. A full map showing all of Tintin’s 23 journeys is available for purchase from his site.

FUN FACTS ABOUT THE LAND OF BLACK GOLD

Brought to you by Tintinology

The Land of Black Gold was originally started in 1940, prior to the German invasion of Belgium. However, once Germany had occupied the country, Hergé felt it was not wise to continue the book and had stopped right in the middle of the story. It was redrawn and complete in 1948 but by then, Captain Haddock and Professor Calculus had been added to the cast of characters. To explain why Captain Haddock is missing from most of the story, Hergé added a few frames at the end explaining (or more precisely, failing to explain) where the Captain had been.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in events

Tagged