Characters

Just as Alfred Hitchcock made furtive appearances in his films, Hergé couldn’t resist joining in the adventures of his characters. He discreetly drew himself into the scenery, appearing as a reporter dutifully taking notes when Tintin embarks for the Congo, or interviewing a local in front of the gates to Marlinspike Hall, in hope of gaining the latest on the story of the broken glass in The Calculus Affair. In Hergé’s universe, it’s hard to find a character that has been created from scratch: most were inspired by real people who were either close to the author in some way, historical figures or celebrities at the time.

Coco

Name : Coco
Status : Tintin's boy servant

In Tintin in the Congo, he is not the parrot that appears in The Castafiore Emerald, but Coco is a young boy who accompanies our hero throughout the Congolese story. ‘Boy’ is the term used to describe a domestic servant in French-speaking Africa. A boy is responsible for various tasks, from housekeeping to preparing meals. In Tintin in the Congo, he is also a bit of a travelling companion, but not really a guide or interpreter. He isn’t brave. He makes two appearances in the story, one of which saves Tintin's life.

Tintin et Coco autour du feu — *Tintin in the Congo* - page 18

The campfire scene depicting Tintin, Snowy and Coco sitting around a roaring fire in the evening stands out from the stereotypes and prejudices about Africa and Black people of the period when Hergé drew this adventure and especially when he coloured it. The viewpoint of the scene is consistently at ground level, and the characters in the foreground, seen in profile, stand out in silhouette, illuminated by the blaze just behind them. With the darkness, the colour of the skins has disappeared (as if by magic Coco was the equal of Tintin).

Characters

From Abdullah to Zorrino

Coco