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.

Igor Wagner

Last name: Wagner
First name: Igor
Occupation: Pianist

*King Ottokar’s Sceptre* - page 38 vignette A

Because of his professional obligations, Igor Wagner lives in the shadow of Bianca Castafiore, for whom he is her exclusive accompanist. This small, discreet and taciturn man, constantly overshadowed by the excessive personality of the loud soprano, nevertheless, leads a double life. Wagner is a gambler! In The Castafiore Emerald, his passion for gambling leads him to resort to a cunning ploy to enable him to place his bets by telephone during working hours. His astonishingly naive boss never discovers that a tape recorder gives her pianist a few hours' rest a day. Bianca Castafiore's tour of the San-Theodoros (Tintin and the Picaros) almost turned out badly for the little pianist and the maid, Irma, who were nearly executed by a firing squad.

Characters

From Abdullah to Zorrino

Igor Wagner