Kiss a Ginger Day

In truth, Tintin’s hair color is a real old chestnut in the realm of unruly locks and wayward strands.

From the very cover of Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, the shade varies from one edition to another between the two extremes mentioned above, before taking on increasingly coppery highlights in later adventures.

Off the cuff, many readers would be ready to answer « redhead » as quickly as Captain Haddock unleashes a string of curses. After all, for a hero so singular, it seems fitting to belong to such a rare category. Worldwide, red hair accounts for only 1 to 2 percent of the population, a stable genetic frequency that is not on the verge of disappearing, despite persistent misconceptions.

The figure rises significantly in certain regions: up to 10 percent in Ireland and 13 percent in Scotland. A happy coincidence, considering Tintin’s turbulent stopover there in The Black Island!

This rare trait has inspired highly contrasting representations over the centuries. In medieval Europe, redheads were sometimes associated with magic, storms, or even the devil in certain strands of folklore, an outlook rooted far more in prejudice than in fact. Even today, despite greater cultural acceptance, red hair can still be the target of stereotypes (about temperament or sensuality) and, at times, discrimination.

So, is Tintin essentially a redhead, case closed? You’re still hesitating… and rightly so. For the answer may lie neither in myth nor in genetics, but in the printing presses themselves: in print, yellow tends to fade, while orange « pops » and catches the light.

Whether you favor Venetian blond, ashen red, or a shade somewhere in between depending on the albums or the quality of the printing, one thing is certain: Tintin’s colorful quiff has never ceased to capture both the light and the imagination of his readers.

Now it’s your turn to decide: in your view, is Tintin blond… or resolutely redheaded?