topics
tools
Expatica countries
Index Last Var.(%)
BEL 20 2618.4 -0.04
DAX 8197.08 -0.39
IBEX 30 8098.3 -1.00
CAC 40 3839.34 -0.55
FTSE 100 6348.82 -0.40
AEX 351.08 -0.00
DJIA 15112.19 -1.35
Nasdaq 3443.2 -1.12
FTSE MIB 16045.52 -0.94
TSX Composite 12268.29 -0.80
ASX 4841.8 0.98
Hang seng 20986.89 -1.13
Straits Times 3213.79 -0.49
ISEQ 20 641.91 0.29
You are here: Home News Spanish News Sleazy Tintin book raises ire of estate

Spanish News

archive
Enlarge font Decrease font Text size


20/08/2008Sleazy Tintin book raises ire of estate

Author of Pink Lotus, Antonio Altarriba, says he will never again talk about Tintin as long as Moulinsart maintains its stringent policy.

20 August 2008

MADRID - The intrepid Snowy has died, Captain Haddock has squandered his fortune on drink, orgies and gambling, Professor Calculus is wasting away in a psychiatric hospital and Tintin, of course, is depressed about all of the above.

In order to get his groove back he decides to return to journalism, but everything has changed since he was a young roving reporter. The world no longer wants adventures, but instead sensationalist stories about celebrities and their sexual misconduct.

Obviously, Georges Remi - better known as Herge - never imagined such a story for his young hero. The Belgian cartoonist, whose Adventures of Tintin remain one of the most popular comic-book series in the world, died in 1983.

The new Tintin material is from a short story included in the book Tintin and the Pink Lotus, written by Antonio Altarriba and illustrated by Ricard Castells and Javier Hernandez Landazabal.

Ever since it appeared on the market in late 2007, as part of the 100th anniversary celebrations of Herge's birth, the story has been nothing but a headache for its author and for the publisher, Edicions de Ponent.

Both soon had to deal with the Moulinsart Foundation, which holds the rights to the Tintin character, and which was not amused by the initiative.

Publisher Paco Camarasa explained that Moulinsart first tried to pressure them into pulling the book from stores, before then agreeing to let it be distributed until the first 1,000 copies were sold. In exchange, Edicions de Ponent promised not to reprint the book ever again.

Although Moulinsart did not consider the illustrations that come with the text as infringement of any copyright laws, the estate concluded that the book "perverted the essence of the personality" of Tintin.

In the new story, whose title makes reference to the popular Tintin adventure The Blue Lotus, the reporter loses his virginity to none other than French actress Catherine Deneuve.

"I can't do battle against them. They are more powerful," says Camarasa, irritated at the fact that the controversy made it into the pages of the British press this week.
"I think people talk about the book without having seen it. It is not a comic book full of strips showing Tintin having sex. It is simply a work of fiction. Moulinsart may hold the rights, but that does not give them the right to censor whoever and whatever they want. At this rate, they are going to turn it into a cult book."

The author Altarriba seems equally upset. A cartoon scriptwriter and a pioneer who introduced cartoon studies into the schoolroom, Altarriba is currently a professor of French literature at the Basque Country University.

On Monday, he said that he will never again even talk about Tintin, at least for as long as Moulinsart maintains its stringent policy.

"I did everything with respect," says Altarriba in a telephone interview.

"I have learned many things reading Herge. I thought adult people would be able to distinguish between something crude and something born out of admiration. Had I known it would bring me so much trouble, I would have thought twice about it."

[El Pais / Israel Punzano / Expatica]



0 reactions to this article

Be the first person to add a comment

General rating:

Rate article:    Add my rating



0 reactions to this article

Be the first person to add a comment
Discussion Forums

Indians in Spain

Indians in Spain?

English in Spain

Contract Cancelled

English in Spain

Day care center for ages 0-3 in Barcelona

Family in Spain

Day care center for ages 0-3 in Barcelona

Shopping in Spain

UK SHOPPING IN SPAIN

participate in the forums

Inside Expatica
Editor's Guide: Getting Started in Spain

Editor's Guide: Getting Started in Spain

Expatica's Getting Started section will provide practical information on how you can open a bank account, exchange your driving licence, improve your Spanish, and more.

Groups and Clubs in Madrid

Groups and Clubs in Madrid

Here's a guide to an extensive list of groups and clubs in Madrid for expats, from sports groups to social and family gatherings.

Groups and Clubs around Spain

Groups and Clubs around Spain

A brief introduction to our Tax section for Spain, from help with inheritance tax to accounting advice.

Groups and Clubs in Barcelona

Groups and Clubs in Barcelona

Here's a short introduction to our Banking section for those living in Spain, from what to ask the experts to opening a Spanish bank account.