The Adventures Of Tintin Animated Series

[Berenguer Miramontes]

TheAdventures of Tintin is an animated television series co-produced and animated by French animation studio Ellipse Programme and Canadian studio Nelvana Limited. The series is based on the comic book series of the same name by Belgian cartoonist Herg (.mw-parser-output .IPA-label-smallfont-size:85%.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-smallfont-size:100%French pronunciation: [ɛʁʒe]).[1] 39 half-hour episodes were produced over the course of three seasons, originally airing in France, Canada, and the United States between 1991 and 1992.[2]

The television series was directed by French director Stphane Bernasconi, with Peter Hudecki as the Canadian unit director. Hudecki was the primary director but could not be credited due to co-production restrictions. It was produced by Ellipse (France) and Nelvana (Canada) on behalf of the Herg Foundation.[3] The series' writers included Toby Mullally, Eric Rondeaux, Martin Brossolet, Amelie Aubert, Dennise Fordham, and Alex Boon. It was the second television adaptation of Herg's books, following the Belgian animation company Belvision's Herg's Adventures of Tintin.

Artistically, the series chose a constant style, unlike in the books. In the books, the images had been drawn over the course of 47 years, during which Herg's style developed considerably. However, later televised episodes, such as the "Moon" stories and "Tintin in America", clearly demonstrate the artists' development throughout the production of the television series. The series' original production language was English, but all visuals (road signs, posters, and settings) remained in French. Backgrounds in the show were more detailed and more cinematic shots were featured than in the original books.

Herg, the creator of Tintin, makes cameo appearances reminiscent of Stan Lee and Alfred Hitchcock in each episode of the cartoon series, as he often did in the original books. Most of the time, he is just a passing figure in the street, such as when he is a passerby checking his watch in "The Blue Lotus", a reporter in "The Broken Ear", or a technician in "Explorers on the Moon". His letterbox can be seen next to Tintin in "The Crab with the Golden Claws". He also appeared as a gangster in "Tintin in America" and an asylum inmate at the in "Cigars of the Pharaoh", along with his fellow artist and collaborator Edgar P. Jacobs.[7]

The underscore music and the main title theme for the series were written by Ray Parker and Tom Szczesniak, and recorded by engineer James Morgan. Excerpts from the score were released by L Studio Ellipse on CD and cassette in conjunction with Universal Music Group on the StudioCanal label. It is now out of print in both formats.

The Adventures of Tintin is an animated television series based on the Franco-Belgian comic book series The Adventures of Tintin, drawn and written by Herg. Produced by Ellipse-Nelvana. It debuted in 1991, and all 39 half-hour episodes were produced over the course of three seasons.

The series was directed by Stphane Bernasconi, with Peter Hudecki as the Canadian unit director, and produced by Ellipse in France, and Nelvana in Canada, on behalf of the Herg Foundation. It was the first television adaptation of Herg's books for over twenty years, earlier, the Belgian animation company Belvision had been responsible for some loose prior adaptations; Herg's Adventures of Tintin. The vast majority of the books were adapted for this series, except for Tintin in the Land of the Soviets and Tintin in the Congo, along with the incomplete Tintin and Alph-Art. Philippe Goddin, an expert on Herg and Tintin acted as an adviser to the shows producers. Writers for the series included Toby Mullally, Eric Rondeaux, Martin Brossolet, Amelie Aubert, Dennise Fordham and Alex Boon.

Certain areas of the stories posed significant challenges for the producers who had to adapt features of the books to a younger and more modern audience. Nevertheless, this series was a much more faithful retelling of the books than the previous television adaptation. The frequent instances of violence, death, and the use of firearms were toned down or removed completely. The use of text as a major part of the plot, such as the use of newspaper articles or writing on the wall, was largely cut so these scenes would not have to be reanimated for every language in which Tintin was aired. The radio and television are both used more frequently in the TV series to make up for the omission. The newspaper parts in the TV series are shown either in French or the articles are read aloud.

Captain Haddock's penchant for whisky posed a problem for audience sensitivities. While the original books did not promote alcohol, they featured it heavily, with much humor based on drinking. However, in many countries where the producers hoped to sell the series, alcoholism was a sensitive issue. Therefore, international versions of the series had some alterations. "The Crab with the Golden Claws" is the only episode where Haddock's drinking is not significantly downplayed though it still played a pivotal role in several other episodes. In "Tintin in Tibet", Haddock is seen taking a sip from a flask of whisky to set up a scene in which Snowy, Tintin's dog, is tempted to lap up some spilled whisky and subsequently falls over a cliff. In "Tintin and the Picaros", Haddock is the only person taking wine with dinner, foreshadowing the use of Professor Calculus' tablets to "cure" the drunken Picaros. Haddock is also seen drinking in "The Calculus Affair" and "Explorers on the Moon", setting up the scene where he leaves the rocket in a drunken state. He does not hide the bottle in an astronomy book, as he does in the book, but keeps it in the refrigerator, making it less obvious for young viewers that it is alcohol.

Throughout the books, Snowy is frequently seen to be "talking". It is understood that his voice is only heard through the fourth wall, but this verbal commentary is completely absent in the television series. The only time it is maintained is in the ending of "Flight 714", when he "speaks" with Tintin's voice.[citation needed]

The series was received well enough to attain several awards on its part. It won a Sept d'Or Award in 1993 for the Best Children's Program category. In the same year the show was also awarded the Best animated series prize at the Gemini Awards.

The underscore music and the main title theme for the show was composed by musicians Ray Parker and Tom Szczesniak. The music was recorded by engineer James Morgan. Extracts from the score were released by Ellipse on CD and cassette in conjunction with Universal, on the StudioCanal label. It is now out of print in both formats.

The series has also been released twice on Region 2 DVD by Anchor Bay, but unfortunately with no subtitles or extra features. The first was as an exclusive 5-disc DVD release for HMV with soundtracks in English, French and Spanish. The second was a general 10-disc release but with the soundtrack only in English. The limited edition 5-disc set places The Blue Lotus first (presumably from looking at the back of one of the books), however, the 10-disc set is in the canonical order. On 10 October 2011, Anchor Bay re-released the series in a 5 disc DVD set and released it for the first time on Blu-ray, also in a 5-disc set. The Blu-ray features a 16:9 transfer that has been cropped from the 4:3 image.

The Crab with the Golden Claws The Secret of the Unicorn Red Rackham's Treasure Cigars of the Pharaoh The Blue Lotus The Black Island The Calculus Affair The Shooting Star The Broken Ear King Ottokar's Sceptre Tintin in Tibet Tintin and the Picaros Land of Black Gold Flight 714 The Red Sea Sharks The Seven Crystal Balls Prisoners of the Sun The Castafiore Emerald Destination Moon Explorers on the Moon Tintin in America

One of the show's supporting characters is partially defined by an ongoing drinking problem. Overconsumption of alcohol occasionally plays a role in the show's plotlines and is sometimes played for laughs. Characters are shown smoking cigars or pipes recreationally.

Parents need to know that this animated adventure series reflects the values of the time in which the source material was created. Though there is no harsh language and the violence is relatively mild, there is occasional use of firearms and fisticuffs. The show's handling of alcohol and its abuses also reflects older values, with one recurring character who is defined in a few episodes by his alcoholism and drunken behavior occasionally played for comedy. Those parents familiar with the classic comic book series by artist Herge will find themselves intimately familiar with the content of the TV series as it acts as a faithful adaptation.

Based on the worldwide comic book phenomenon created by artist Herge, THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN adapts most of the intrepid Belgian reporter's escapades in an animated format. With his dog Snowy constantly at his side, Tintin constantly finds himself wrapped up in criminal intrigue, often with the aid of his friends Captain Hadock, Professor Calculus, and the laughable detectives Thomson and Thompson. Somehow good usually seems to triumph and the bad guys typically end up meeting the fate they deserve.

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The global phenomenon that is Tintin finds a mostly faithful adaptation in the lovingly animated series The Adventures of Tintin, which originally aired in the US on HBO during the late '80s. For European audiences, Tintin is perhaps as popular as Mickey Mouse in the states, a beloved icon whose history has stretched over decades and whose books have sold hundreds of millions of copies.

American audiences may find a bit of culture shock in trying to understand the appeal of the brave reporter and his faithful canine sidekick, Snowy. Tintin himself is almost a blank slate, moving through his adventures with bravery but more often than not enlivened by the presence of eccentric villains and a creative cast of supporting characters. For kids, this may not prove an issue, as the momentum of the action will be enough to engage their imaginations. Teens and adults, however, will have to adapt expectations to fit the show's more esoteric storytelling and characterizations. It's a worthwhile series, but definitely a faithful adaptation of a bygone era in children's books.

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