6 - HERGÉ

HERGÉ The Adventures of Tintin The Castafiore Emerald Graphite pencil on paper for the preliminary sketch of the central section of page 27 of this album, published in 1958 by Casterman. First published in the magazine Tintin No. 1, January 2, 1962. Sketches on the reverse depicting Castafiore (“Oh my goodness, Coco!”), the parrot (“Oh my goodness, my jewels!”), Professor Calculus reading *Paris-Flash*, Haddock, and Tintin. In the margin, Hergé had jotted down another title: “Imminent Wedding. The Nightingale (from Milan) and the Wolf (of the Sea).” For the occasion, the tabloid press gave this sailor —who was understandably annoyed—a new last name (Hadok) just as far-fetched as the rest; he is even called an “old pearl diver,” while Moulinsart is renamed “Moulinsabre” or “Moulinsoir.” An amusing scene, with the opera singer doting on her dear friend, whom she renames, on a whim, Mastock, Cosack, or Kolback. Captain Haddock (“a connoisseur of music,” something he himself was unaware of!) and his smiling fiancée make the cover of a magazine willing to do anything to sell copies. Here again, there are obvious communication problems. “Hello-o-o-o, I’m li-istening…” 28 x 36 cm. Captain Haddock’s entourage, who had no idea that Bianca Castafiore was such a seductress, is stunned: she is reportedly about to marry a retired admiral—if one is to believe *Paris-Flash*, a weekly known and respected for the reliability of its articles. The famous journalists Jean-Loup de la Batellerie and Walter Rizotto are certain they’ve landed a scoop. This information of the utmost importance has, in fact, been confirmed to them by Professor Calculus. The opera singer from La Scala in Milan, accustomed to rumors, finds this misunderstanding very amusing; Haddock, on the other hand, finds it much less so—this “magnificent article,” which is nothing but pure fabrication, drives him up the wall. The poor man, already immobilized due to a nasty sprain (when will the stonemason, who’s playing hide-and-seek, come to fix that damned step that everyone keeps tripping over?), really has no luck: between the infernal island parrot that chatters incessantly (it even manages to imitate the phone ringing!), Igor Wagner practicing his scales from morning till night, and a wasp that stung him on the nose, he’d rather be in Peru with the Incas, in Marshal Plekszy-Gladz’s Borduria, or in Tibet chasing the yeti, than have to put up with one more minute of all those damned invaders who showed up unannounced in Moulinsart with weapons, luggage, extravagant jewels, an aria from *Faust*, and a grand piano! Unfortunately for him, the party isn’t over yet: the terrifying Moulinsart Moulinsart will soon arrive and liven up the park; the Duponts will try, in their own inimitable way, to find the emerald given to them by a maharaja who has vanished; and, to everyone’s delight, Professor Calculus will unveil his brand-new invention, the Supercolor-Tryphonar, which isn’t quite ready yet. A glass of whiskey won’t go amiss to help us forget this marvelous collection of calamities that, for an unbearably long time, has roused our friends’ castle from its peaceful slumber. HERGÉ