This week on Totally Tintin, it’s a revolution with involuntary abstinence and terrible trousers as Ian and David take a very long look at Tintin and the Picaros. Will they enjoy the last, finished Tintin book?
As we head into our last shows, Ian and Dave would like to hear if you have any questions or anything you’d like them to talk about on the final show of Totally Tintin. You can post questions or comments below!
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One thing I will not miss when this is done is that damned theme music…
Again, not one of my favourite albums. Spends much of the adventure without Tintin and even when he is there he remains for much of it, as you say, passive.
There are no Admirals or Commodores in the army, those are naval ranks.
In army rankings a Brigadier-General is above a Colonel.
I think Pablo turning on Tintin is just an example of Herge’s world-weary pessimism making it harder for him to see the good in people. I actually liked the political satire of this book but I must admit the ending took my breathe away when I first read it… Tintin’s suppose to make everything good, right?
I think you guys are shortchanging Erma, she is more than a figure in the background but a real character, albeit a minor one.
Oh, those pants!
Agreed – not one of the best. I always liked the CND logo on Tintin’s bike helmet; seems appropriate for him. And Calculus’ comment as he’s waxing lyrical on Peggy’s ‘feminity’: “And as for that poor man” suggests he’s not being entirely sincere…
Hate to nitpick (actually, I love it) on an unrelated Asterix note, but the pun on the bard’s name is that he makes a ‘cacophony’, which also tells you how it’s pronounced. Mind you, I read Asterix for years before I worked that out.
One thing I love to hear you talk about in the next episode would be the influence of Herge on comics, particularly the whole Ligne Claire movement. Yves Chaland, Chris Ware, Charles Burns etc . .
Details, details: Yes, Loch Lomond does show up in Flight 714, in a small bottle on the beach near the radio on pages 42 and again on 59.
Hotuatabotl Pyramid = Hot water bottle. (A pun more familiar to the UK English audience than us in North America, I expect)
Not one of my favorite Tintin adventures, for many of the same reasons that Dave and Ian have already mentioned. Nevertheless as a kid I enjoyed the story as it returns to the familiar setting of San Theodoros, but this time with some delicious background drawings. While I found the occasional close-ups a bit unsettling, it’s nowhere as unpleasant or relentless as the character drawings in the second half of Flight 714.
Once again, great job on this series of podcasts. Great work.
I would have liked it if you mentioned that the pyramid was inspired by Chichén Itzá in Yucatan, Mexico. There’s a great story around that too.