A newly released version of the comic book "Tintin in the Congo" seeks to address accusations of racism and colonialism with a reworked cover, new preface and modifications to the story. But the response from anti-racism groups has been mixed.
"Tintin in the Congo", the second volume of "The Adventures of Tintin", by Belgian author and illustrator Hergé, was first published in 1931.
It is set in what was then the Belgian Congo – now the Democratic Republic of Congo – which was a colony from 1908 until 1960.
In the comic, Tintin, an intrepid reporter, travels to the country to investigate and encounters local people, wild animals and an American diamond-smuggling gangster.
Over recent decades the comic strip has become increasingly controversial, with critics pointing to its racist and colonialist treatment of the local population.
New cover, preface
The new edition, released in November together with two other books in the Tintin series, carries a preface explaining the colonial context of the time.
It also contains tweaks to the story. At one point, Tintin teaches an African child mathematics, whereas in the original he tells the child that they are a citizen of Belgium.
The cover was also changed from the original. Now it shows Tintin facing off against a lion, whereas before he was sitting in a car with a black child.
#Tintin au Congo: les médias reprennent les propos de P. Blanchard s'étonnant que "le petit garçon congolais disparaisse : cette couverture, ils l’ont déracialisée !"
— Laurent BOILEAU (@BoileauLaurent) December 10, 2023
L'édition 2023 est une réédition colorisée de celle de 1931.@afpfr @bmftv @Figaro_Culture @LP_LaPresse @lesoir pic.twitter.com/aMCrlAK6oY
"This volume goes back to a time, that is thankfully over, where it was acceptable to consider blacks as inferior," said Patrick Lozes, founder of CRAN, a federation of anti-racism associations.
He welcomed the addition of the preface, which he said went "in the right direction".
While it outlines the Congo's colonial history, the preface – written by Philippe Goddin, head of the Friends of Hergé organisation – is mostly concerned with defending Tintin's creator from accusations of racism.
"He defended himself vigorously against that charge," Goddin writes. "He happily mocked everybody, whites and blacks."
'Paternalism'
But Pascal Blanchard, a historian specialising in the French colonial empire and post-colonial studies, called the preface "highly debatable".
Claims that Hergé's work had simply been a reflection of his time were "facile and false", he said.
In 2007, Congolese campaigner Bienvenu Mbutu Mondondo launched legal proceedings to get the book banned in Belgium, saying its portrayal of Africans was racist.
But a Belgian court ruled that the book did not intentionally incite racism and that it was a product of its colonial times.
Hergé himself said in 1975 that all he knew about the Belgian Congo was "what people talked about" at the time, claiming: "I drew Africans in the pure spirit of paternalism that was prevalent back then."
In a 1979 interview with Belgian public radio, the cartoonist said that if he were to redo it, "Tintin in the Congo" would be very different.
Hergé is considered one of the leading cartoonists of the 20th century, with a unique style that influenced many artists beyond the world of comics.
Tintin's adventures have been translated into 130 languages, sold 260 million copies and been made into TV shows and a Hollywood film.
(with AFP)
