During the 21^st century Herge was undeniably an iconic and creative architect of the popular medium of comics.

A figure who seemed to (unwittingly, grossly unintended yet important) attracted and courted controversy in many forms.

His early connection with propaganda was both directly and indirectly manifested through for more than intended reasons.

The first controversy of propagandism we find is through autocratic fascism. – The Rexist party.

There is a social perception perused that during the 1930’s  Herge’s Tintin’s creator Herge became a social acquaintance with a Belgian autocrat: Leon Degrelle.

Leon was considered A contemporary of Hitler, Mussolini of the times (or of the “Blue-Shirts” of British fascists fame). Leon was an ambitious Rexist and an aspiring fascist for fascist representation in Belgium.

But who were The Rexists? Wikipedia further contemporaries into delineating a historical characterized definition:

The Rexist Party (French: Parti Rexiste), or simply Rex, was a far-right Catholic, nationalist, authoritarian and corporatist political party active in Belgium from 1935 until 1945. 

 Léon Degrelle, The Rexist leader, protégé of Hitler, and foreign correspondent of Le Vingtième Siècle, was acquainted with Hergé and sent him “local newspapers in which there were American strip cartoons. That’s how I came across my first comics.” (Hergé, in 1975)

During this time (the mid-1930s), Degrelle became acquainted with the cartoonist Hergé. In a volume published after his death (Tintin mon copain), the Rexist leader claimed that his years of journalism had inspired the creation of The Adventures of Tintin—ignoring Hergé’s statements that the character was based on his brother, Paul Remi.

Degrelle had been shipping Mexican newspapers containing American cartoons to Belgium, and Hergé did admit years later in 1975 that Degrelle deserved credit for introducing him to the comic “strip”.

The contact between them is a cast set in stone in history adding to controversy and taint that will forever foreshadow Herge.

Mountfort continues to eloquently  narrate the fascist connection with Herge:

Hergé’s early familiarity with comics was supplied to him from 1928 by Léon Degrelle, a foreign correspondent for the staunchly Catholic and conservative magazine, Le Petit Vingtième, where Hergé worked. Degrelle went on to found the Rexists, Belgian Fascists, becoming their leader in 1935. Disconcertingly, it was he who “introduc[ed] Hergé to the latest transatlantic developments in the strip cartoon”

(Mountfort, 2016)

However, this is not the full delineation of the scenery depicted or Herge’s traumatic encounters with propaganda and controversy. Second example:

Herge’s own presentation of Fascism and Propaganda within his album of the Adventures of Tinitn.

Propaganda extolled by Herge and his ancient regressive views on society

Later enacted social discussions are ineptly carried out through the medium in regards to social a changing world and changing political ideologies. The ideological stance is blatantly Euro-centric and (if considering the USSR as “eastern” obviously persists in subtleties of imperialist and centrist western propaganda )a s”Russian-phobiasms”

Example of propaganda:  Two portrayed contrasting viewpoints are introduced in Herge’s comic narration. The approaching the critique of Socialism Bolshevism in a revolutionary Russia ( and Early Laisse Faire Capitalism (Tintin en Amérique) is shown with contrasting yet subtle differences.

Within the discourse within Tintin in America,(Herge, 1932) a fair assemssnet is conducted: Social commentary is presently composition of Late Capitalism is arranged in reflected in the discourse.

A measure whereof prejudice.  Where any deviations from the normality of democracy or capitalism are attempted to vilify demonize

Any deviation of the norm is by the masses.

However While the phantasm and spectre Bokshevikism of revolutionary Socialistic Russia is feared by the masses and considerably Othered.

While the grand American experiment of late laisse fair System of Capitalism (in reverence of the genocidal conqueror and “discoverer” Christopher Columbus) is critiqued with different regards, but not feared or Othered to the extent of the dishevel fear mongering visibly appreciated in Tintin and the soviets.

Bibliography

Mountfort, P. (2016). Tintin as Spectacle: The Backstory of a Popular. Auckland: AUT.

Paul Mountfort (2020): ‘Tintin, gender and desire’, Journal of Graphic Novels
and Comics, DOI: 10.1080/21504857.2020.1729829