Tintin is involved in nearly endless events of catastrophic violence, accidents, explosions, etc as a child journalist across the country. He seems to live the dream life of every 12 year old boy (and girl), including one major point: he has no parents to answer to. While I'm vehemently against helicopter parenting, it does make me wonder where Tintin's parents fit into the boy's endless action-packed journey. Why would Hergé leave out any and all mentions of Tintin's parents? There's no origin story, no phone calls home, and, as we learned in class today, barely any interaction with women of any kind.
Even beyond parents, Tintin doesn't seem to have any relationship that resembles something concrete and long-lasting. Sure, police help him out often when he runs into trouble, and he is something of a celebrity thanks to his antics--in fact, everyone seems to know him by name. I think that the lack of relationships is A) a function of this being a newspaper comic and therefor saves space and time by cutting out familial and relationship-based scenarios and sticking to action; and B) a way for the reader to connect to Tintin on a deeper, more personal level. Taking McCloud's analysis of cartoon faces much further (and maybe stretching it too far), I think that without any friends or family, the reader can imagine him or herself as Tintin, as the character is completely untethered. No matter what the reason, parents don't seem to be any problem for Tintin, as they'd probably just get in the way of him foiling that next gangster plot or discovering the next mummy anyway.
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ReplyDeleteI agree that the absence of Tintin’s parents is likely a strategy employed by Herge in order to save time and space, maintaining the focus on Tintin and his many adventures. I’d also argue that the lack of parental figures is a way to attract young readers. Reading comic books provides children with a vehicle of escape from their parents as well as a source of independence, and the absence of parents in the story subtly emphasizes this fact. In newer comics like Peanuts and Calvin and Hobbes parents or guiding adults are present in the story but they are often depicted as not understanding of the trials faced by the main characters, emphasizing the youth of the protagonists and a distinct separation between children and adults. Although Tintin’s age is ambiguous the absence of his parent’s in the story highlights his independence and appeals to a child’s desire for autonomy and the ability to do something on his/her own, such as reading a comic book.
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