''The Seven Crystal Balls'' (french: link=no, Les Sept Boules de Cristal) is the thirteenth volume of ''
The Adventures of Tintin
''The Adventures of Tintin'' (french: Les Aventures de Tintin ) is a series of 24 bande dessinée#Formats, ''bande dessinée'' albums created by Belgians, Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi, who wrote under the pen name Hergé. The series was one ...
'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist
Hergé
Georges Prosper Remi (; 22 May 1907 – 3 March 1983), known by the pen name Hergé (; ), from the French pronunciation of his reversed initials ''RG'', was a Belgian cartoonist. He is best known for creating ''The Adventures of Tintin'', ...
. The story was serialised daily in ', Belgium's leading francophone newspaper, from December 1943 amidst the
German occupation of Belgium during World War II
The German occupation of Belgium (french: link=no, Occupation allemande, nl, Duitse bezetting) during World War II began on 28 May 1940, when the Belgian army surrendered to German forces, and lasted until Belgium's liberation by the Western ...
. The story was cancelled abruptly following the Allied liberation in September 1944, when Hergé was blacklisted after being accused of
collaborating
Collaboration (from Latin ''com-'' "with" + ''laborare'' "to labor", "to work") is the process of two or more people, entities or organizations working together to complete a task or achieve a goal. Collaboration is similar to cooperation. Mos ...
with the occupying Germans. After he was cleared two years later, the story and its follow-up ''
Prisoners of the Sun
''Prisoners of the Sun'' (french: link=no, Le Temple du Soleil) is the fourteenth volume of ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. The story was Serial (literature), serialised weekly in the newly establ ...
'' were then serialised weekly in the new ''
Tintin
Tintin or Tin Tin may refer to:
''The Adventures of Tintin''
* ''The Adventures of Tintin'', a comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé
** Tintin (character), a fictional character in the series
** ''The Adventures of Tintin'' (film), 2011, ...
'' magazine from September 1946 to April 1948. The story revolves around the investigations of a young reporter
Tintin
Tintin or Tin Tin may refer to:
''The Adventures of Tintin''
* ''The Adventures of Tintin'', a comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé
** Tintin (character), a fictional character in the series
** ''The Adventures of Tintin'' (film), 2011, ...
and his friend
Captain Haddock
Captain Archibald Haddock (french: Capitaine Archibald Haddock, link=no, ) is a fictional character in ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. He is one of Tintin's best friends, a seafaring pipe-smoking ...
into the abduction of their friend
Professor Calculus
Professor Cuthbert Calculus (french: Professeur Tryphon Tournesol , meaning "Professor Tryphon Sunflower") is a fictional character in ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. He is Tintin's friend, an abse ...
and its connection to a mysterious illness which has afflicted the members of an archaeological expedition to Peru.
''The Seven Crystal Balls'' was a commercial success and was published in book form by
Casterman
Casterman is a publisher of Franco-Belgian comics, specializing in comic books and children's literature. The company is based in Brussels, Belgium.
History
The company was founded in 1780 by Donat-Joseph Casterman, an editor and bookseller or ...
shortly after its conclusion, while the series itself became a defining part of the
Franco-Belgian comics tradition. Critics have ranked ''The Seven Crystal Balls'' as one of the best ''Adventures of Tintin'', describing it as the most frightening instalment in the series. The story was adapted for the 1969
Belvision
Raymond Leblanc (born 22 May 1915 – 21 March 2008) was a Belgian comic book publisher, film director and film producer, best known for publishing works such as ''The Adventures of Tintin'' by Hergé and ''Blake and Mortimer'' by Edgar P. Jac ...
film ''
Tintin and the Temple of the Sun
''Tintin and the Temple of the Sun'' (original title ''Tintin et le temple du soleil'') is a 1969 animated film produced by Belvision Studios. A co-production between Belgium, France and Switzerland, it is an adaptation of Hergé's two-part Tin ...
'', the 1991
Ellipse
In mathematics, an ellipse is a plane curve surrounding two focus (geometry), focal points, such that for all points on the curve, the sum of the two distances to the focal points is a constant. It generalizes a circle, which is the special ty ...
/
Nelvana
Nelvana Enterprises, Inc. (; previously known as Nelvana Limited, sometimes known as Nelvana Animation and simply Nelvana or Nelvana Communications) is a Canadian animation studio and entertainment company owned by Corus Entertainment. Founded ...
animated series ''
The Adventures of Tintin
''The Adventures of Tintin'' (french: Les Aventures de Tintin ) is a series of 24 bande dessinée#Formats, ''bande dessinée'' albums created by Belgians, Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi, who wrote under the pen name Hergé. The series was one ...
'', the 1992-3
BBC Radio 5 dramatisation of the ''Adventures'', the 1997 video game ''
Prisoners of the Sun
''Prisoners of the Sun'' (french: link=no, Le Temple du Soleil) is the fourteenth volume of ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. The story was Serial (literature), serialised weekly in the newly establ ...
'', and a 2001 musical in
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
and
French versions.
Synopsis
Young reporter
Tintin
Tintin or Tin Tin may refer to:
''The Adventures of Tintin''
* ''The Adventures of Tintin'', a comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé
** Tintin (character), a fictional character in the series
** ''The Adventures of Tintin'' (film), 2011, ...
and his dog
Snowy, meet with their old friend
Captain Haddock
Captain Archibald Haddock (french: Capitaine Archibald Haddock, link=no, ) is a fictional character in ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. He is one of Tintin's best friends, a seafaring pipe-smoking ...
at his country estate. The naturally humble Haddock is attempting to fit the role at his newfound family château, becoming a socialite and dressing formally. The three spend an evening at a
music hall
Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Bri ...
, where they witness the performance of a
clairvoyant
Clairvoyance (; ) is the magical ability to gain information about an object, person, location, or physical event through extrasensory perception. Any person who is claimed to have such ability is said to be a clairvoyant () ("one who sees cl ...
, Madame Yamilah, who predicts the illness of one of the
Sanders-Hardiman expedition members; this expedition has recently returned from an archaeological venture to the
Andes
The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...
mountains. The evening's entertainment also includes the act of a knife thrower whom Tintin recognises as
General Alcazar
This is the list of fictional characters in '' The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. The characters are listed alphabetically, grouped by the Main characters, the Antagonists, and the Supporting characters ...
, former President of
San Theodoros
These are the settings, both real and imagined, in ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé.
Europe
*
** Brussels: Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, Tintin in the Congo, Tintin in America, Cigars of the ...
. Having befriended Alcazar during
one of his previous adventures, Tintin reunites with him backstage after the show. Alcazar introduces Tintin and Haddock to his
Quechua
Quechua may refer to:
*Quechua people, several indigenous ethnic groups in South America, especially in Peru
*Quechuan languages, a Native South American language family spoken primarily in the Andes, derived from a common ancestral language
**So ...
assistant,
Chiquito, and explains that he is in
exile
Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...
after being deposed (once again) by his rival,
General Tapioca
This is the list of fictional characters in ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. The characters are listed alphabetically, grouped by the Main characters, the Antagonists, and the Supporting characters. ...
.
The next day, Tintin and Haddock learn that members of the Sanders-Hardiman expedition are falling into comas, with fragments of a shattered
crystal ball
A crystal ball, also known as an orbuculum or crystal sphere, is a crystal or glass ball and common fortune-telling object. It is generally associated with the performance of clairvoyance and scrying in particular.
In more recent times, the cry ...
found near each victim. Tintin, Haddock, and their friend
Professor Calculus
Professor Cuthbert Calculus (french: Professeur Tryphon Tournesol , meaning "Professor Tryphon Sunflower") is a fictional character in ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. He is Tintin's friend, an abse ...
visit the only expedition member yet to be affected,
Professor Hercules Tarragon, who is an old friend and former classmate of Calculus'. Under police guard, Professor Tarragon shows his visitors one of the expedition's discoveries from Peru: the mummified body of Inca king
Rascar Capac. That evening, a lightning storm strikes the house and sends
ball lightning
Ball lightning is a rare and unexplained phenomenon described as luminescent, spherical objects that vary from pea-sized to several meters in diameter. Though usually associated with thunderstorms, the observed phenomenon is reported to last c ...
down the chimney and onto the mummy—which evaporates. Worried, Tarragon states that this reflects the culmination of Capac's prophecy, which declares that punishment will descend upon those who desecrate his tomb. Spending the stormy night at Tarragon's house, Tintin, Haddock, and Calculus are each awoken by a dream involving Capac's mummy throwing a crystal ball to the floor. They find Tarragon comatose in his bed, with the accompanying crystal shards nearby; the attacker had bypassed the guards by climbing in via the chimney. The next day, Calculus is walking on the grounds of Tarragon's house when he discovers one of the mummy's bracelets, which he places on himself.
Tintin and Haddock later realise that Calculus has gone missing, and surmise that he has been kidnapped by the same individual who placed Tarragon in a coma. The police set up road blocks, but the kidnappers switch cars and are able to evade them. Tintin visits a hospital where the seven stricken members of the Sanders-Hardiman expedition are housed; he is astonished that at a precise time of day, all awaken and scream about figures attacking them before slipping back into their comas. Haddock is dejected by Calculus' abduction, but upon learning that police have spotted the kidnapper's car at a port, he and Tintin race there, believing that the abductors seek to board a boat with Calculus and take him abroad. At the docks, they spot Alcazar boarding a ship to South America; he reveals that Chiquito was one of the last descendants of the Inca and has disappeared. Tintin surmises that Chiquito must be one of Calculus' captors.
Having lost Calculus' trail, Tintin and Haddock decide to pay a visit to Haddock's old friend
Chester
Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
, who has docked at another nearby port. They miss Chester, but instead discover Calculus' hat on the docks, indicating that he was taken to sea from here. Investigating, they realise that Calculus must be aboard the ''Pachacamac'', a ship headed to Peru, and board a flight, intent on intercepting its arrival.
History
Background
''The Seven Crystal Balls'' began serialization amidst the
German occupation of Belgium during World War II
The German occupation of Belgium (french: link=no, Occupation allemande, nl, Duitse bezetting) during World War II began on 28 May 1940, when the Belgian army surrendered to German forces, and lasted until Belgium's liberation by the Western ...
. Hergé had accepted a position working for ', Belgium's largest Francophone daily newspaper. Confiscated from its original owners, ' was permitted by the German authorities to reopen under the directorship of Belgian editor
Raymond de Becker, although it remained firmly under Nazi control, supporting the German war effort and espousing
anti-Semitism
Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism.
Antis ...
. Joining ' on 15 October 1940, Hergé was aided by old friend Paul Jamin and the cartoonist
Jacques Van Melkebeke
Jacques Van Melkebeke (12 December 1904 – 8 June 1983) was a Belgian painter, journalist, writer, and comic strip writer. He was the first chief editor of Tintin magazine and wrote scripts and articles anonymously for many of their publicati ...
. Some Belgians were upset that Hergé was willing to work for a newspaper controlled by the occupying Nazi administration, although he was heavily enticed by the size of ''s readership, which reached 600,000. Faced with the reality of Nazi oversight, Hergé abandoned the overt political themes that had pervaded much of his earlier work, instead adopting a policy of neutrality. Without the need to satirise political types, entertainment producer and author
Harry Thompson
Harry William Thompson (6 February 1960 – 7 November 2005) was an English radio and television producer, comedy writer, novelist and biographer. He was the creator of the dark humour television series '' Monkey Dust'', screened between 2003 ...
observed that "Hergé was now concentrating more on plot and on developing a new style of character comedy. The public reacted positively".
Following the culmination of his previous ''Tintin'' adventure, ''
Red Rackham's Treasure
''Red Rackham's Treasure'' (french: link=no, Le Trésor de Rackham le Rouge) is the twelfth volume of ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. The story was serialised daily in , Belgium's leading francophon ...
'', Hergé had agreed to a proposal that would allow the newspaper to include a detective story revolving around his characters,
Thomson and Thompson
Thomson and Thompson (french: Dupont et Dupond ) are fictional characters in ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. They are two incompetent detectives who provide much of the comic relief throughout the s ...
. Titled ''Dupont et Dupond, détectives'' ("Thomson and Thompson, Detectives"), Hergé provided the illustrations, and the story was authored by ' crime writer Paul Kinnet. While this was being serialised, Hergé began contemplating ideas for his new ''Tintin'' adventure, toying with the idea of a story surrounding a dangerous invention that Calculus had developed. The story was probably inspired by an article authored by ' science correspondent,
Bernard Heuvelmans
Bernard Heuvelmans (10 October 1916 – 22 August 2001) was a Belgian-French scientist, explorer, researcher, and writer probably best known, along with Scottish-American biologist Ivan T. Sanderson, as a founding figure in the pseudoscienc ...
, and while Hergé did not use this idea at the time, he revived it a decade later as the basis for ''
The Calculus Affair
''The Calculus Affair'' (french: link=no, L'Affaire Tournesol) is the eighteenth volume of ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by the Belgian cartoonist Hergé. It was serialised weekly in Belgium's ''Tintin'' magazine from Decemb ...
''.
![Momie inca](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Momie_inca.JPG)
As with Hergé's two previous stories, ''
The Secret of the Unicorn
''The Secret of the Unicorn'' (french: link=no, Le Secret de La Licorne) is the eleventh volume of ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. The story was serialised daily in , Belgium's leading francophon ...
'' and ''Red Rackham's Treasure'', ''The Seven Crystal Balls'' was designed as part of a twofold story arc, to be concluded with the then yet unnamed ''
Prisoners of the Sun
''Prisoners of the Sun'' (french: link=no, Le Temple du Soleil) is the fourteenth volume of ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. The story was Serial (literature), serialised weekly in the newly establ ...
''. Hergé planned for the former story to outline a mystery, while the latter would see his characters undertake an expedition to solve it. His use of an ancient mummy's curse around which the narrative revolved was inspired by tales of a
curse of the pharaohs
The curse of the pharaohs or the mummy's curse is a curse alleged to be cast upon anyone who disturbs the mummy of an ancient Egyptian, especially a pharaoh. This curse, which does not differentiate between thieves and archaeologists, is claime ...
which had been unearthed during the archaeologist
Howard Carter
Howard Carter (9 May 18742 March 1939) was a British archaeologist and Egyptologist who discovered the intact tomb of the 18th Dynasty Pharaoh Tutankhamun in November 1922, the best-preserved pharaonic tomb ever found in the Valley of the K ...
's 1922 discovery of Pharaoh
Tutankhamun
Tutankhamun (, egy, twt-ꜥnḫ-jmn), Egyptological pronunciation Tutankhamen () (), sometimes referred to as King Tut, was an Egyptian pharaoh who was the last of his royal family to rule during the end of the Eighteenth Dynasty (ruled ...
's tomb. This was not the first time that Hergé had been inspired by this tabloid story, having previously drawn from it when authoring ''
Cigars of the Pharaoh
''Cigars of the Pharaoh'' (french: link=no, Les Cigares du pharaon) is the fourth volume of ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the series of comic albums by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. Commissioned by the conservative Belgian newspaper '' Le Vingtià ...
''.
In autumn 1943, Hergé decided that he wanted
Edgar P. Jacobs, a fellow cartoonist, to collaborate with him on ''The Adventures of Tintin''. Although initially hesitant, Jacobs eventually agreed, adopting the paid position in January 1944. The two became close friends and artistic collaborators, as Jacobs aided Hergé in developing various aspects of the plot, such as the idea of the crystal balls and the story's title. Although stylistically the two men were different both in forms of illustration and narrative, they influenced each other greatly. Hergé used Jacobs as a life model from whom he drew various poses that characters adopt in the story. He also used Jacobs as a researcher, sending him to the
Cinquantenaire Museum
The Art & History Museum (french: Musée Art & Histoire, nl, Museum Kunst & Geschiedenis) is a public museum of antiquities and ethnographic art, ethnographic and decorative arts located at the Cinquantenaire, Parc du Cinquantenaire/Jubelpark ...
to study its collections of Incan material, and it was the mummified Incan corpse in their collection that was used as the basis for the mummy of Rascar Capac.
The museum's director, Professor Capart, exhibited similarities with Professor Tarragon, a new character that Hergé had developed for the story. Hergé also included a number of characters who had previously appeared in earlier adventures, among them
Professor Cantonneau
This is the list of fictional characters in ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. The characters are listed alphabetically, grouped by the Main characters, the Antagonists, and the Supporting characters. ...
from ''
The Shooting Star
''The Shooting Star'' (french: link=no, L'Étoile mystérieuse) is the tenth volume of ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. The story was serialised daily in , Belgium's leading francophone newspaper, ...
'', General Alcazar from ''
The Broken Ear
''The Broken Ear'' (french: link=no, L'Oreille cassée, originally published in English as ''Tintin and the Broken Ear'') is the sixth volume of ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by the Belgian cartoonist Hergé. Commissioned by ...
'', and
Bianca Castafiore
Bianca Castafiore (), nicknamed the "Milanese Nightingale" (), is a fictional character in ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. She is an opera singer who frequently pops up in adventure after adventure. ...
from ''
King Ottokar's Sceptre
''King Ottokar's Sceptre'' (french: link=no, Le Sceptre d'Ottokar) is the eighth volume of ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. Commissioned by the conservative Belgian newspaper for its children's sup ...
''.
The scenery and background of the story was meticulously copied from existing sources; car model types like the
Opel Olympia 38 in which Calculus' abductors escaped the police were drawn from real examples, while Hergé closely adhered to the reality of the port and docks at
Saint-Nazaire
Saint-Nazaire (; ; Gallo: ''Saint-Nazère/Saint-Nazaer'') is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France, in traditional Brittany.
The town has a major harbour on the right bank of the Loire estuary, near the Atlantic Ocean ...
. Professor Tarragon's house was drawn from a real house in Avenue Delleur,
Boitsfort, which Jacobs had identified for Hergé's purposes. Hergé and Jacobs stationed themselves outside the house and completed a sketch of the building. Immediately after, two grey cars containing German soldiers pulled up; the house had been requisitioned by the
Schutzstaffel
The ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS; also stylized as ''ᛋᛋ'' with Armanen runes; ; "Protection Squadron") was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany, and later throughout German-occupied Europe d ...
(SS). Hergé realised that, had he and Jacobs been discovered sketching, they would have been interrogated.
Publication
The story began serialisation in ' under the title of ' on 16 December 1943. However, Hergé's health declined, as he was afflicted with
flu
Influenza, commonly known as "the flu", is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These symptom ...
,
sinusitis
Sinusitis, also known as rhinosinusitis, is inflammation of the nasal mucosa, mucous membranes that line the paranasal sinuses, sinuses resulting in symptoms that may include thick Mucus#Respiratory system, nasal mucus, a nasal congestion, plugg ...
, and
ear ache
Ear pain, also known as earache or otalgia, is pain in the ear. Primary ear pain is pain that originates from the ear. Secondary ear pain is a type of referred pain, meaning that the source of the pain differs from the location where the pain i ...
. This was accompanied by general exhaustion, depression, and fear that upon the imminent collapse of German administration, he would face retribution as a collaborator; many accused of being collaborators had already been killed by the
Belgian Resistance
The Belgian Resistance (french: Résistance belge, nl, Belgisch verzet) collectively refers to the resistance movements opposed to the German occupation of Belgium during World War II, German occupation of Belgium during World War II. Within Be ...
. Experiencing a breakdown, he took a hiatus from producing ''The Seven Crystal Balls'' between 6 May and 6 July 1944, during which a message was posted in ' stating:
![The British Army in North-west Europe 1944-45 BU769](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/The_British_Army_in_North-west_Europe_1944-45_BU769.jpg)
:They're coming! Who? Why, Tintin and Snowy, of course! Perhaps, since you have not heard anything about them lately, you have been afraid, dear readers, that something bad had happened to them? Nothing of the sort! Tintin and Snowy were simply waiting for our excellent associate and friend Hergé to return to better health, as he was sick for a few weeks.
The story returned to its serialisation in ' on 7 July, starting with a summary of the story so far.
However, it would be interrupted again on 2 September 1944. Brussels was liberated from German occupation by the Allied forces on 3 September, upon which ' immediately ceased publication. Hergé had been forced to abandon the story after 152 strips, equivalent to fifty pages of the later published book volume. The story had been left unfinished after the scene in which Tintin leaves the hospital where he sees the seven members of the expedition enduring a simultaneous fit. Three days later the entire staff were fired and a new editorial team introduced.
Hergé was arrested on 3 September, having been named as a
collaborator in a Resistance document known as the "Gallery of Traitors". This would be the first of four incidents in which Hergé was arrested and freed: by the State Security, the Judiciary Police, the
Belgian National Movement
The Belgian National Movement (french: Mouvement national belge or MNB, nl, Belgisch Nationale Beweging, BNB) was a major group in the resistance in German-occupied Belgium during World War II with politically centre-right leanings.
The MNB w ...
, and the
Front for Independence, during which he spent one night in jail.
On 8 September the
Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force
Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF; ) was the headquarters of the Commander of Allied forces in north west Europe, from late 1943 until the end of World War II. U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was the commander in SHAEF th ...
issued a proclamation announcing that "any journalist who had helped produce a newspaper during the occupation was for the time being barred from practising his profession". Blacklisted, Hergé was now unemployed. A newspaper closely associated with the Belgian Resistance, ''La Patrie'', issued a strip titled ''The Adventures of Tintin in the Land of the Nazis'', in which Hergé was lampooned as a collaborator.
The period witnessed widespread allegations against accused collaborators, with military courts condemning 30,000 on minor charges and 25,000 on more serious charges; of those, 5,500 were sentenced to life imprisonment or capital punishment. A judiciary inquiry into Hergé's case was launched by the deputy public prosecutor, Mr Vinçotte, although in his report he urged lenience, stating that "I am inclined to close the case. I believe it would bring ridicule on the judicial system to go after an inoffensive children's book author and illustrator. On the other hand, Hergé worked for ' during the war, and his illustrations are what made people buy the newspaper". Unable to work for the press, Hergé worked from home re-drawing, and Jacobs colouring, the older ''Adventures of Tintin'' for publication by his book publisher
Casterman
Casterman is a publisher of Franco-Belgian comics, specializing in comic books and children's literature. The company is based in Brussels, Belgium.
History
The company was founded in 1780 by Donat-Joseph Casterman, an editor and bookseller or ...
, completing the second version of ''Tintin in the Congo'' and starting on ''King Ottokar's Sceptre''. Casterman supported Hergé throughout his ordeal, for which he always remained grateful. He and Jacobs produced a comic strip under the pseudonym of "Olav", although no publishers accepted it. Although this period allowed him an escape from the pressure of daily production which had affected most of his working life, he also had family problems to deal with; his brother Paul returned to Brussels
from a German prisoner-of-war camp and their mother had become highly delusional and was moved to a psychiatric hospital.
![Galerie de Traitres - Hergé](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/Galerie_de_Traitres_-_Herg%C3%A9.JPG)
In October 1945, Hergé was approached by
Raymond Leblanc
Raymond Leblanc (born 22 May 1915 – 21 March 2008) was a Belgian comic book publisher, film director and film producer, best known for publishing works such as ''The Adventures of Tintin'' by Hergé and '' Blake and Mortimer'' by Edgar P. Ja ...
, a former member of a conservative Resistance group, the
National Royalist Movement
The National Royalist Movement (french: Mouvement national royaliste or MNR, nl, Nationale Koninklijke Beweging, NKB) was a group within the Belgian Resistance in German-occupied Belgium during World War II. It was active chiefly in Brussels and ...
(MNR), and his associates André Sinave and Albert Debaty. The trio were planning on launching a weekly magazine for children. Leblanc, who had fond childhood memories of ''Tintin in the Land of the Soviets'', thought Hergé would be ideal for it. Hergé agreed, and Leblanc obtained clearance papers for him, allowing him to work. Concerned about the judicial investigation into Hergé's wartime affiliations, Leblanc convinced
William Ugeux, a leader of the Belgian Resistance who was now in charge of censorship and certificates of good citizenship, to look into the comic creator's file. Ugeux concluded that Hergé had been "a blunderer rather than a traitor" for his work at '. The decision whether Hergé would stand trial belonged to the general auditor of the Military Tribunal,
Walter Ganshof van der Meersch
Walter Jean Ganshof van der Meersch (18 May 1900 – 12 September 1993) was a Belgian jurist and lawyer. He competed in the four-man bobsledding event at the 1928 Winter Olympics
The 1928 Winter Olympics, officially known as the II Olymp ...
. He closed the case on 22 December, declaring that "in regard to the particularly inoffensive character of the drawings published by Remi, bringing him before a war tribunal would be inappropriate and risky".
Now free from threat of prosecution, he continued to support his colleagues at ' who were being charged as collaborators; six of them were sentenced to death, and others to lengthy prison sentences. Among those sentenced to death was Hergé's friend, Paul Jamin, although his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. In May 1946, Hergé was issued a certificate of good citizenship, which became largely necessary to obtain employment in post-war Belgium. Celebrations were marred by his mother's death at age 60 in April 1946.
Harry Thompson has described this post-war period as the "greatest upheaval" of Hergé's life. Hergé later described it as "an experience of absolute intolerance. It was horrible, horrible!" He considered the post-war trials of collaborators a great injustice inflicted upon many innocent people, and never forgave Belgian society for the way that he had been treated, although he hid this from his public persona.
Leblanc's new magazine was titled ''
Tintin
Tintin or Tin Tin may refer to:
''The Adventures of Tintin''
* ''The Adventures of Tintin'', a comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé
** Tintin (character), a fictional character in the series
** ''The Adventures of Tintin'' (film), 2011, ...
'' at the advice of Sinave, who believed that this would help attract a wide audience. Adopting the slogan of "The Newspaper for the Young Aged 7 to 77", the magazine's logo featured the Tintin character himself. Inspired by the example set by ''
Le Petit Vingtième
''Le Petit Vingtième'' (, ''The Little Twentieth'') was the weekly youth supplement to the Belgium, Belgian newspaper ''Le Vingtième Siècle'' ("The Twentieth Century") from 1928 to 1940. The comics series ''The Adventures of Tintin'' first app ...
'', ''Tintin'' magazine was to be a weekly, centred on the eponymous hero. ''The Adventures of Tintin'' would be serialised two pages per week, accompanied by other
Franco-Belgian comics. For the first time, the ''Adventures'' would be in colour from the outset. Hergé assembled a team of artists for the purpose, including Edgar P. Jacobs and
Jacques Van Melkebeke
Jacques Van Melkebeke (12 December 1904 – 8 June 1983) was a Belgian painter, journalist, writer, and comic strip writer. He was the first chief editor of Tintin magazine and wrote scripts and articles anonymously for many of their publicati ...
, who became the magazine's first editor.
Hergé continued at the point where he had left ''The Seven Crystal Balls'', prior to embarking on ''Prisoners of the Sun'', although both were published under the title of ' (''The Temple of the Sun''). Rather than re-serialising the story from its beginning, he began the new magazine with a summary of the story so far, presented as a press clipping. The magazine was an instant success, soon gaining a weekly circulation of 100,000 in Belgium and the Netherlands. ''The Seven Crystal Balls'' serialisation finally concluded on 22 April 1948, four and a half years after it had begun.
Republication
As with previous adventures, it then began serialisation in the French Catholic newspaper ''
CÅ“urs Vaillants'', from 19 May 1946. After the story had finished serialisation, the publishing company
Casterman
Casterman is a publisher of Franco-Belgian comics, specializing in comic books and children's literature. The company is based in Brussels, Belgium.
History
The company was founded in 1780 by Donat-Joseph Casterman, an editor and bookseller or ...
divided it into two volumes, ' and ', which they released in 1948 and 1949 respectively.
One of the scenes that had been found in ', in which Haddock is humiliated by the clairvoyant at the theatre, was removed from the story when it was being reformatted in book form.
The book contained additional backgrounds not found in the original serialised story which had been drawn by Jacobs.
When translated into English for a publication by
Methuen in 1963, a number of Francophone place-names were changed; for instance, the port of Saint-Nazaire was renamed Westermouth, which, according to author
Michael Farr
Michael Farr (born 1953) is a British expert on the comic series ''The Adventures of Tintin'' and its creator, Hergé. He has written several books on the subject as well as translating several others into English. A former reporter, he has also ...
, was probably inspired by the real English coastal town of
Weymouth. As the English-language translation was published after the English translation of other ''Tintin'' adventures, which had actually been authored later than ''The Seven Crystal Balls'', in the English version, references are made to events that would occur in ''
The Calculus Affair
''The Calculus Affair'' (french: link=no, L'Affaire Tournesol) is the eighteenth volume of ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by the Belgian cartoonist Hergé. It was serialised weekly in Belgium's ''Tintin'' magazine from Decemb ...
'' and ''
The Red Sea Sharks
''The Red Sea Sharks'' (french: link=no, Coke en stock) is the nineteenth volume of ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comic series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. The story was initially serialised weekly in Belgium's ''Tintin'' magazine from ...
''.
Critical analysis
![Benoit Peeters 20100329 Salon du livre de Paris 3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Benoit_Peeters_20100329_Salon_du_livre_de_Paris_3.jpg)
Biographer
Benoît Peeters
Benoît Peeters (; born 1956) is a French comics writer, novelist, and comics studies scholar.
Biography
After a degree in Philosophy at Université de Paris I, Peeters prepared his Master's at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales ...
described ''The Seven Crystal Balls'' as "the most terrifying of ''The Adventures of Tintin''". He believed that in this story, Hergé had come under the clear influence of Jacobs, in that the "décor grows more lush; the details clearer. No more streets suggested by a few lines, monochromatic posters, or characters walking on the edge of the frame". Elsewhere, he noted that in this story, Hergé "produced a gripping tale that went further than any other in the direction of the supernatural".
Fellow biographer
Pierre Assouline
Pierre Assouline (born 17 April 1953) is a French writer and journalist. He was born in Casablanca, Morocco to a Jewish family. He has published several novels and biographies, and also contributes articles for the print media and broadcasts for ...
believed that ''The Seven Crystal Balls'' achieved "a more complete integration of narrative and illustrations" than previous adventures, and that from that point on, his books "begin to form a coherent body of work, an oeuvre".
Harry Thompson stated that the "overriding theme" of ''The Seven Crystal Balls'' was "fear of the unknown", adding that while it did blend humour with menace, it remained "Hergé's most frightening book". He noted that the story marks the complete transition of Captain Haddock from the "pitiable drunk" which he was introduced as in ''
The Crab with the Golden Claws
''The Crab with the Golden Claws'' (french: link=no, Le Crabe aux pinces d'or) is the ninth volume of ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. The story was serialised weekly in , the children's supplement ...
'' to the position of "chief sidekick and comic attraction", with Snowy being relegated to the position of "normal dog".
Michael Farr described both ''The Seven Crystal Balls'' and ''Prisoners of the Sun'' as "classic middle-period Tintin", commenting on their "surprisingly well-balanced narrative" and noting that they exhibited scant evidence of Hergé's turbulent personal life. He felt that ''The Seven Crystal Balls'' encapsulated the "air of doom" which pervaded the mood of Europe at the time to an even greater extent than Hergé had done in his earlier work, ''
The Shooting Star
''The Shooting Star'' (french: link=no, L'Étoile mystérieuse) is the tenth volume of ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. The story was serialised daily in , Belgium's leading francophone newspaper, ...
''. At the same time, Farr thought it to be "a simple detective story", comparing Tintin's hunt for clues regarding Calculus' disappearance to
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Ho ...
's stories of fictional detective
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...
. He thought that the story was "truly
Hitchcockian
Hitchcockian films are those made by various filmmakers, with the styles and themes similar to those of Alfred Hitchcock.
Characteristics
Elements considered Hitchcockian include:
*Climactic plot twist.
*The cool platinum blonde.
*The presence ...
in its suspense and quite cinematic in its presentation", comparing the use of the music hall in the story with its use in Hitchcock's film, ''
The 39 Steps'' (1935). Farr suggested that in the scene in which Haddock dejectedly sits around Marlinspike awaiting news of Calculus, "Hergé had allowed himself to step for a moment into Haddock's shoes and to be autobiographical".
Jean-Marc Lofficier
Jean-Marc Lofficier (; born June 22, 1954) is a French author of books about films and television programs, as well as numerous comics and translations of a number of animation screenplays. He usually collaborates with his wife, Randy Lofficier ( ...
and Randy Lofficier believed that the two-story arc represents "one more leap forward in Hergé's graphic and narrative skills" as a result of the transition to full colour double pages as the initial means of publication. They noted that ''The Seven Crystal Balls'' is "bathed in the surreal atmosphere that Hergé knew how to create so well", with Tintin confronting "a dark and oppressive force" that was "worthy of a
Hammer
A hammer is a tool, most often a hand tool, consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nails into wood, to shape metal (as w ...
film". They particularly praised the characters of Professor Tarragon and Mark Falconer (Marc Chalet), describing the former as "to archaeology what Haddock is to the sea", and that the latter resembled an older Tintin with darker hair, noting that "one regrets that their appearances are all too brief, and wonders what the adventures of Falconer and Tarragon would be like". Ultimately, the Lofficiers awarded both halves of the story arc five out of five.
Literary critic
Tom McCarthy Thomas McCarthy (also Tom and Tommy) may refer to:
Academia
*Thomas A. McCarthy (born 1940), American professor of philosophy
*Thomas J. McCarthy (born 1956), American professor of polymer chemistry at the University of Massachusetts
*J. Thomas Mc ...
also praised Tarragon, stating that he exudes a presence "far beyond what we might expect from a novelist, let alone a cartoonist". He then compared the scenario in which Tarragon was trapped within his home to that in ''The Calculus Affair'' in which
Professor Topolino was tied up in his house. He also identified elements within the story that he believed reflected recurring themes within ''The Adventures of Tintin''. He argued that the way in which Alcazar was presented as Tintin's friend in this story was a manifestation of the recurring theme of friendship. He thought that the appearance of Rascar Capac's jewels reflected Hergé's use of jewels as a theme throughout the series, while the mummy's removal from its tomb was a manifestation of the recurring concept of the tomb.
In his
psychoanalytical
PsychoanalysisFrom Greek: + . is a set of theories and therapeutic techniques"What is psychoanalysis? Of course, one is supposed to answer that it is many things — a theory, a research method, a therapy, a body of knowledge. In what might be ...
study of the ''Adventures of Tintin'', the academic Jean-Marie Apostolidès believed that ''The Seven Crystal Balls''-''Prisoners of the Sun'' arc reflects a confrontation between civilisations, and between the sacred and the secular.
He also discussed Haddock's position in the story, noting that the scene at the theatre in which a bull's head mask falls onto Haddock's head reflects "one of Hergé's most constant themes: the union of human and animal". He further added the opinion that Haddock's transformation from seaman to country gentleman was not believable.
He suggested that the appearance of Yamila and Castafiore at the start of the story injected "a feminine element" into the story, which represented an attempt to "round out Haddock's family", which was dominated by the male figures of Tintin, Calculus, and Snowy. He further argued that Calculus' kidnapping represented a "rite of passage" that would allow him to join Tintin and Haddock's family.
Adaptations
In 1969, the animation company
Belvision Studios
Raymond Leblanc (born 22 May 1915 – 21 March 2008) was a Belgian comic book publisher, film director and film producer, best known for publishing works such as ''The Adventures of Tintin'' by Hergé and ''Blake and Mortimer'' by Edgar P. Jaco ...
, which had produced the 1956–57 television series ''
Hergé's Adventures of Tintin
''Hergé's Adventures of Tintin'' (french: Les Aventures de Tintin, d'après Hergé) is the first animated television series based on Hergé's popular comic book series, ''The Adventures of Tintin''. The series was produced by Belvision Studi ...
'', released its first feature-length animated film, ''
Tintin and the Temple of the Sun
''Tintin and the Temple of the Sun'' (original title ''Tintin et le temple du soleil'') is a 1969 animated film produced by Belvision Studios. A co-production between Belgium, France and Switzerland, it is an adaptation of Hergé's two-part Tin ...
'', adapted from the ''Seven Crystal Balls''-''Prisoners of the Sun'' story arc. Produced by Raymond Leblanc and directed by Eddie Lateste, it was written by Lateste, the cartoonist
Greg Greg is a masculine given name, and often a shortened form of the given name Gregory. Greg (more commonly spelled " Gregg") is also a surname.
People with the name
*Greg Abbott (disambiguation), multiple people
*Greg Abel (born 1961/1962), Canadi ...
, Jos Marissen, and Laszló Molnár. Music was by
François Rauber
François Rauber (19 January 1933 – 14 December 2003) was a French pianist, composer, arranger and conductor known for his works with chansonnier Jacques Brel. He served as the music director for the 1975 film '' Jacques Brel Is Alive and ...
and Zorrino's song was composed by
Jacques Brel
Jacques Romain Georges Brel (, ; 8 April 1929 – 9 October 1978) was a Belgian singer and actor who composed and performed literate, thoughtful, and theatrical songs that generated a large, devoted following—initially in Belgium and France, l ...
. Lofficier and Lofficier commented that the part of the film based on ''The Seven Crystal Balls'' "suffers from being overly condensed for timing reasons".
In 1991, a
second animated series based upon ''The Adventures of Tintin'' was produced, this time as a collaboration between the French studio
Ellipse
In mathematics, an ellipse is a plane curve surrounding two focus (geometry), focal points, such that for all points on the curve, the sum of the two distances to the focal points is a constant. It generalizes a circle, which is the special ty ...
and the Canadian animation company
Nelvana
Nelvana Enterprises, Inc. (; previously known as Nelvana Limited, sometimes known as Nelvana Animation and simply Nelvana or Nelvana Communications) is a Canadian animation studio and entertainment company owned by Corus Entertainment. Founded ...
. ''The Seven Crystal Balls'' was the eleventh story to be adapted and was divided into two thirty-minute episodes. Directed by Stéphane Bernasconi, the series has been praised for being "generally faithful" to the original comics, to the extent that the animation was directly adopted from Hergé's original panels.
The video game ''
Prisoners of the Sun
''Prisoners of the Sun'' (french: link=no, Le Temple du Soleil) is the fourteenth volume of ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. The story was Serial (literature), serialised weekly in the newly establ ...
'' was developed and published by the French company
Infogrames
Atari SA (formerly Infogrames Entertainment SA) is a French video game holding company headquartered in Paris. Its subsidiaries include Atari Interactive and Atari, Inc. It is the current owner of the Atari brand through Atari Interactive. Bec ...
in 1997, based on ''The Seven Crystal Balls'' and ''Prisoners of the Sun''.
At the turn of the new century, ''Tintin'' remained popular. In 2001, ''The Seven Crystal Balls'' and ''Prisoners of the Sun'' were adapted into a theatrical musical, ''
Kuifje – De Zonnetempel'' (''Tintin – The Temple of the Sun''), which premiered at the Stadsschouwburg in
Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504, in the Dutch language on 15 September. The production, directed by Dirk de Caluwé, adapted by
Seth Gaaikema
Seth Gaaikema (11 July 1939 – 21 October 2014) was a Dutch cabaret artist, writer, and lyricist.
Gaaikema was born in Uithuizen, Netherlands, as the son of a Mennonite minister. After studying Dutch and founding the student cabaret at the Unive ...
and Frank Van Laecke with music by
Dirk Brossé
Dirk, Knight BrosséEtat présent de la noblesse belge 2015, p. 20 (born 18 February 1960, Ghent) is a Belgian conductor and composer. He has composed over 200 works, including concerti, oratorios, lieder, chamber music and symphonic works. ...
, featured Tom Van Landuyt as Tintin. The musical was adapted by
Didier Van Cauwelaert
Didier Van Cauwelaert (born 29 July 1960) is a French author of Belgian descent who was born in Nice. In 1994 his novel '' Un Aller simple'' won the Prix Goncourt.
In 1997 he was awarded the Grand prix du théâtre de l’Académie française. ...
into French and premiered a year later in
Charleroi
Charleroi ( , , ; wa, Tchålerwè ) is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. By 1 January 2008, the total population of Charleroi was 201,593. as ''
Tintin – Le Temple du Soleil''. From there, the production was scheduled for
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
in 2003 but was cancelled. It returned for a brief run in Antwerp on 18 October 2007.
References
Notes
Footnotes
Bibliography
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External links
''The Seven Crystal Balls''at the Official Tintin Website
at Tintinologist.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Seven Crystal Balls, The
1948 graphic novels
Comics set in Brussels
Literature first published in serial form
Methuen Publishing books
Tintin books
Works originally published in Le Soir