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.

From Abdullah to Zorrino

Mogador

Name: Mogador
Occupation: General and Head of State of Nuevo Rico

He symbolises the militarisation of Latin American society, which gave rise to the phenomenon of the Caudillo: a political leader, often from the army, who took power in certain regions after the independence of Latin American countries. General Mogador was the leader of Nuevo Rico and met Basil Bazarov to buy military equipment. ‘Mogador’ is the former name of the town of Essaouira in Morocco.