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.

Tapioca

Surname:Tapioca
Status: Dictator

*Tintin and the Picaros* - page 55 vignette A3

He is of San-Theodorian nationality. His name has already been mentioned in The Broken Ear. He is known to be a cruel and vain tyrant. He is General Alcazar's eternal rival. He fits the image of a dictator pretty well. An unusual fervour and a very Meso-American bad faith, colour the general's personality without making him sympathetic. Haddock paints a marvellous portrait of Tapioca, describing him as ‘the Mussolini of carnival’. We are astonished by the unexpected heroism of this sinister character, who prefers death to dishonour. In the end, he was not shot. Sadly, we no longer respect anything.

Tapioca is a starch used in cooking, produced from the roots of bitter manioc (toxic before processing), dried and then processed. It has a neutral taste

Characters

From Abdullah to Zorrino

Tapioca