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.

Thomson and Thompson Captain Haddock Tintin Snowy Jolyon Wagg Bianca Castafiore The Professor Calculus Rastapopoulos General Alcazar Professor Tarragon Rascar Capac Tchang

From Abdullah to Zorrino

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Ridgewell

Surname: Ridgewell
Occupation: Explorer
The Broken Ear - page 49 vignette D3
Ridgewell is an explorer fleeing from civilisation. Why did he choose exile from civilisation to embrace the primitive life of the Arumbayas, Indians who live in adobe huts in the heart of the jungle? Hergé remains discreet on the subject. But it's clear that the explorer harbours a disdain for the modern world: "Too bad! Or rather, so much the better, because I've decided never to return to the civilised world. I'm happy here, among the Arumbayas whose lives I share...‘ a state of mind contrary to that of the ’civilising" colonisation in vogue in the 1930’s. Better still, he blended in with the local way of life by adopting local survival techniques: he uses the blowpipe. Hergé was inspired by Percival Harrison Fawcett, a former colonel artilleryman in the Indian Army who disappeared in 1925, aged 57, in the company of his eldest son Jack and a friend of Jack's, Raleigh Rimmel, both aged 22, in the Brazilian Amazon, north of the state of Mato Grosso.
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