Hergé
Georges Remi was born on the 22nd of May 1907 in a house at 34 rue de Theux, Etterbeek, Brussels. His father worked in a confectionery factory while his mother stayed home as a housewife. At age twelve, he joined the Boy Scout brigade attached to Saint-Boniface School and became troop leader of the Squirrel Patrol. He earned the nickname Curious Fox during these years. In the summer of 1923, his troop hiked 200 miles across the Pyrenees mountains. These experiences sparked a lifelong love of camping and the natural world. His Scoutmaster Rene Weverbergh encouraged his artistic ability by publishing one of Remi's drawings in the newsletter Jamais Assez. This publication marked his first printed work. By 1924, he had settled on the pen name Hergé, derived from the French pronunciation of his reversed initials R.G. His early illustrations appeared in Le Boy-Scout Belge starting that same year.
In late 1928, Norbert Wallez founded a children supplement called Le Petit Vingtième within the conservative Catholic newspaper Le Vingtième Siècle. Wallez was a vocal fascist who kept a signed photograph of Benito Mussolini on his desk. The supplement carried strong Catholic and fascist messages with passages explicitly anti-semitic. On the 10th of January 1929, Hergé began serializing Tintin in the Land of the Soviets under Wallez's direction. This story functioned as anti-socialist propaganda for young readers. In June 1930, Wallez ordered Hergé to create Tintin in the Congo to encourage colonial sentiment toward the Belgian Congo. That book depicted Congolese people as childlike idiots in a paternalistic style. Later decades would accuse this work of racism though it remained un-controversial at the time. In September 1931, Hergé serialized Tintin in America which pushed an anti-capitalist agenda aligned with the paper's ultra-conservative ideology. These early adventures were designed to serve political goals rather than pure entertainment. Hergé later admitted he followed instructions without questioning the underlying message.
On the 28th of May 1940, King Leopold III surrendered Belgium to the German army after the invasion. Hergé returned to Brussels on the 30th of June and found his house occupied by the German Propagandastaffel. He took up employment at Le Soir newspaper controlled by Nazi authorities starting the 15th of October 1940. The publication supported the German war effort and espoused anti-semitism. During the occupation, Hergé created The Shooting Star which featured a wealthy Jewish American businessman as antagonist. This story proved particularly controversial after the war despite Hergé denying malicious intent. On the 3rd of September 1944, Allied troops liberated Brussels and Hergé was arrested for collaboration. He spent one night in jail before being released. A judiciary inquiry launched by deputy public prosecutor Mr Vinçotte concluded that Hergé was a blunderer rather than a traitor. The case closed on the 22nd of December 1945 when general auditor Walter Jean Ganshof van der Meersch declared prosecution inappropriate. Nevertheless, Hergé faced repeated accusations of treason throughout subsequent years. Six former colleagues from Le Soir were sentenced to death while others received life imprisonment.
In May 1934, Hergé met Zhang Chongren, a Catholic Chinese student studying at Brussels' Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts. Zhang taught him Taoist philosophy, Chinese art, and calligraphy over several months. Their friendship influenced both his artistic style and general outlook on life. From August 1934 to October 1935, Hergé serialized The Blue Lotus set in China during the Japanese invasion of Manchuria. For this work he devoted far more attention to accuracy resulting in a largely realistic portrayal of China. As token appreciation, he added a fictional character named Chang Chong-Chen who befriended Tintin. Critics later hailed The Blue Lotus as Hergé's first masterpiece and a benchmark in series development. This period marked transition from earlier simplistic drawings to refined ligne claire technique emphasizing clear lines with minimal shading. Hergé insisted color remain secondary to line for future editions. He developed four-color printing systems but maintained that color should not be used for shading purposes. The influence of Zhang Chongren extended beyond visual style into philosophical approach toward storytelling and cultural representation.
On the 6th of April 1950, Hergé established Studios Hergé as a public company based in his Avenue Delleur house. The studio initially employed three people before growing to fifteen staff members working on various projects. Bob de Moor joined as primary apprentice in March 1951 while Jacques Martin arrived in January 1954 bringing two assistants Roger Leloup and Michel Demarets. Hergé hired Josette Baujot as new colorist though she was wife of assassinated Walloon Legion member. Secretary Baudouin van der Branden de Reeth had served prison sentence for working at Le Nouveau Journal during occupation. The studio provided technical support for ongoing work including revisions of early Adventures of Tintin volumes. Hergé remained authoritarian in dealing with assistants refusing to share credit for collaborative efforts. Despite tensions he lent money to former collaborators and helped secure jobs for some like Raymond de Becker in Switzerland. By October 1965, sales reached 600,000 copies weekly but Hergé lost much interest in magazine direction after feuding with editor-in-chief Greg.
In November 1956, Hergé began an extramarital affair with Fanny Vlamynck who worked as colorist at Studios Hergé. Staff soon discovered the relationship while his wife Germaine grew suspicious of her husband's affections. After returning from a cruise visiting Casablanca and Rome in May 1957, Hergé revealed the affair to Germaine. He experienced traumatic dreams dominated by white color prompting visit to psychoanalyst Franz Ricklin in Zürich. In February 1960, he rented apartment in Uccle away from Germaine though Belgian law prevented divorce until seventeen years later. His marriage ended formally on the 20th of May 1977 when he married Fanny at age seventy while she was forty-two. During this period he produced Tintin in Tibet described as personal favorite among all works. The collapse of first marriage created immense stress affecting both professional output and family relationships. He continued supporting Germaine financially despite their separation while maintaining close contact with new partner.
Hergé died on the 3rd of March 1983 at Saint-Luc hospital following cardiac arrest two days earlier. He had been diagnosed with osteomyelofibrosis requiring blood transfusions every week. Steven Spielberg planned to meet him before death occurred for potential film adaptation rights. Fanny closed Studios Hergé in November 1986 replacing it with Hergé Foundation which led efforts to establish museum dedicated to his work. The Musée Hergé opened doors in June 2009 located in Louvain-la-Neuve city south of Brussels. Designed by architect Christian de Portzamparc the futuristic building cost €15 million to construct. Eight permanent galleries display original artwork telling story of life and career previously unseen by public. Temporary exhibition gallery complements main displays featuring characters like Jo Zette Jocko alongside Quick Flupke strips. UNESCO Index Translationum lists Hergé ninth most translated French language author second only to Georges Simenon among Belgian writers. Asteroid 1652 Hergé named after him in 1953 within main belt. In 2007 commemorative coin worth €20 issued honoring centenary of birth.
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Common questions
When and where was Hergé born?
Georges Remi, known as Hergé, was born on the 22nd of May 1907 in a house at 34 rue de Theux, Etterbeek, Brussels. His father worked in a confectionery factory while his mother stayed home as a housewife.
What political messages did Hergé include in early Tintin stories under Le Vingtième Siècle?
Hergé serialized Tintin in the Land of the Soviets starting on the 10th of January 1929 to serve anti-socialist propaganda goals for young readers. Later works like Tintin in the Congo depicted Congolese people as childlike idiots to encourage colonial sentiment, while Tintin in America pushed an anti-capitalist agenda aligned with the paper's ultra-conservative ideology.
Why was Hergé arrested after World War II and what was the outcome of the inquiry?
Allied troops liberated Brussels on the 3rd of September 1944 and Hergé was arrested for collaboration due to his employment at the Nazi-controlled newspaper Le Soir. A judiciary inquiry concluded that he was a blunderer rather than a traitor, leading general auditor Walter Jean Ganshof van der Meersch to declare prosecution inappropriate on the 22nd of December 1945.
How did Zhang Chongren influence Hergé's artistic style and storytelling approach?
Zhang Chongren taught Hergé Taoist philosophy, Chinese art, and calligraphy from May 1934 which influenced both his artistic style and general outlook on life. This friendship led to The Blue Lotus featuring a largely realistic portrayal of China and marked the transition to the refined ligne claire technique emphasizing clear lines with minimal shading.
When did Hergé die and what medical condition caused his death?
Hergé died on the 3rd of March 1983 at Saint-Luc hospital following cardiac arrest two days earlier. He had been diagnosed with osteomyelofibrosis requiring blood transfusions every week before his passing.