Comments on: Tintin and the Gatekeepers http://peteashton.com/2007/07/tintin_and_the_gatekeepers/ June 2000 to June 2010 Wed, 02 Jun 2010 21:48:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Russ L http://peteashton.com/2007/07/tintin_and_the_gatekeepers/comment-page-1/#comment-11075 Russ L Mon, 03 Sep 2007 05:45:18 +0000 http://peteashton.com/2007/07/tintin_and_the_gatekeepers/#comment-11075 "so many people and organisations that think they are morally superior enough to say what is and is not permissible." Yeah, we should tell 'em to stop things like that. No, wait... “so many people and organisations that think they are morally superior enough to say what is and is not permissible.”

Yeah, we should tell ‘em to stop things like that.

No, wait…

]]> By: Dr. Kevin Law http://peteashton.com/2007/07/tintin_and_the_gatekeepers/comment-page-1/#comment-11056 Dr. Kevin Law Sun, 02 Sep 2007 17:03:12 +0000 http://peteashton.com/2007/07/tintin_and_the_gatekeepers/#comment-11056 I am afraid I am one of those you define as 'idiots' who does think this is political correctness. Plus I dont think the world is a better place for being told by a government Quango (in this case the CRE) what I can and cannot think,say or read. Moreover in a free society it is positively sinister there are so many people and organisations that think they are morally superior enough to say what is and is not permissible. But like all such opression, to them, the end always justifies the means. I sincerely hope to carry on being an 'idiot'. because i would rather be an 'idiot' than one of those trying to tell others how to think. Orwell got it right in 1984. He was just about 25 years out with the date. I am afraid I am one of those you define as ‘idiots’ who does think this is political correctness. Plus I dont think the world is a better place for being told by a government Quango (in this case the CRE) what I can and cannot think,say or read. Moreover in a free society it is positively sinister there are so many people and organisations that think they are morally superior enough to say what is and is not permissible. But like all such opression, to them, the end always justifies the means. I sincerely hope to carry on being an ‘idiot’. because i would rather be an ‘idiot’ than one of those trying to tell others how to think. Orwell got it right in 1984. He was just about 25 years out with the date.

]]> By: Nick Abadzis http://peteashton.com/2007/07/tintin_and_the_gatekeepers/comment-page-1/#comment-8048 Nick Abadzis Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:48:36 +0000 http://peteashton.com/2007/07/tintin_and_the_gatekeepers/#comment-8048 Another misperception of comics and comic history. I had a short conversation about this with my wife, who was similarly dismissive. As a (white) cartoonist whose (black) daughter will inevitably come across this book in her father's library when she can read, I've thought carefully about whether I should take my entire library of beloved Herge books and burn them on the back lawn so she never has to think about what the world and representations of black people were like back then. On the other hand, we could take the time together to explore the book's place in history and its implications as well as the spiritual journeys its author took in his life. I'm so bored of the CRE scoring own goals. PS Great site, Pete. I'll be visiting again soon. Another misperception of comics and comic history. I had a short conversation about this with my wife, who was similarly dismissive. As a (white) cartoonist whose (black) daughter will inevitably come across this book in her father’s library when she can read, I’ve thought carefully about whether I should take my entire library of beloved Herge books and burn them on the back lawn so she never has to think about what the world and representations of black people were like back then. On the other hand, we could take the time together to explore the book’s place in history and its implications as well as the spiritual journeys its author took in his life.

I’m so bored of the CRE scoring own goals.

PS Great site, Pete. I’ll be visiting again soon.

]]> By: Andy Konky Kru http://peteashton.com/2007/07/tintin_and_the_gatekeepers/comment-page-1/#comment-8010 Andy Konky Kru Mon, 16 Jul 2007 11:03:18 +0000 http://peteashton.com/2007/07/tintin_and_the_gatekeepers/#comment-8010 I'll have to figure out a way to get my own comics (almost) banned! 'Tintin in the Congo' sales soar in Britain after racism row Sat Jul 14, 4:38 AM ET LONDON (AFP) - Sales of a Tintin comic book have rocketed since Britain's Commission for Racial Equality claimed it was racist, a newspaper reported Saturday. Sales of "Tintin in the Congo" have shot up by 3,800 percent after the CRE watchdog claimed it contained potentially highly offensive material, said The Daily Telegraph. The comic has reached number eight on Internet retailer Amazon's most popular books list, the broadsheet reported. A CRE spokesman accepted that its interjection could have sparked the rise in sales. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070714/ennew_afp/entertainmentbritainbelgiumbookscomictintin_070714083801 I’ll have to figure out a way to get my own comics (almost) banned!

‘Tintin in the Congo’ sales soar in Britain after racism row

Sat Jul 14, 4:38 AM ET

LONDON (AFP) – Sales of a Tintin comic book have rocketed since Britain’s Commission for Racial Equality claimed it was racist, a newspaper reported Saturday.

Sales of “Tintin in the Congo” have shot up by 3,800 percent after the CRE watchdog claimed it contained potentially highly offensive material, said The Daily Telegraph.

The comic has reached number eight on Internet retailer Amazon’s most popular books list, the broadsheet reported.

A CRE spokesman accepted that its interjection could have sparked the rise in sales.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070714/ennew_afp/entertainmentbritainbelgiumbookscomictintin_070714083801

]]> By: Andy Konky Kru http://peteashton.com/2007/07/tintin_and_the_gatekeepers/comment-page-1/#comment-8009 Andy Konky Kru Mon, 16 Jul 2007 10:33:59 +0000 http://peteashton.com/2007/07/tintin_and_the_gatekeepers/#comment-8009 I don't know what the situation is now, but for decades this book (which like all Herge is pure genius) (sorry, I'm a fan) was a bestseller in Congo, and they were actually proud as pie about being featured by the greatest comic ever (sorry yet again). The book is pretty silly of course, unlike The Blue Lotus, were the Japanese have a lot more to be annoyed about. Their denigration is not racist (the Chinese are the good guys) but political. The picture you were looking for (small scan) http://www.tintin.be/fr/doss_fr/regl4_fr.html another page from the album http://www.slatersoft.com/EPFL/Sonnenfinsternis/HTML/Bild12.jpg Here's a favourite panel of mine http://lavitanuda.canalblog.com/tintin_tibet_3.jpg Congo sample page (large scan) http://www.adverecundiam.com/images/post/tintinenelcongo3.jpg Something Brits may get a lot more upset about than race http://www.adverecundiam.com/images/post/tintinenelcongo.jpg I don’t know what the situation is now, but for decades this book (which like all Herge is pure genius) (sorry, I’m a fan) was a bestseller in Congo, and they were actually proud as pie about being featured by the greatest comic ever (sorry yet again).

The book is pretty silly of course, unlike The Blue Lotus, were the Japanese have a lot more to be annoyed about. Their denigration is not racist (the Chinese are the good guys) but political.

The picture you were looking for (small scan)
http://www.tintin.be/fr/doss_fr/regl4_fr.html
another page from the album
http://www.slatersoft.com/EPFL/Sonnenfinsternis/HTML/Bild12.jpg

Here’s a favourite panel of mine
http://lavitanuda.canalblog.com/tintin_tibet_3.jpg

Congo sample page (large scan)
http://www.adverecundiam.com/images/post/tintinenelcongo3.jpg

Something Brits may get a lot more upset about than race
http://www.adverecundiam.com/images/post/tintinenelcongo.jpg

]]> By: focalplane http://peteashton.com/2007/07/tintin_and_the_gatekeepers/comment-page-1/#comment-7864 focalplane Fri, 13 Jul 2007 09:11:39 +0000 http://peteashton.com/2007/07/tintin_and_the_gatekeepers/#comment-7864 Interesting. As one who works in and visits both Congos regularly, my test would be simple. Would I want to be seen reading this material while sitting in a public space in Kinshasa? The answer - no way. But would I want to be able to buy it as a collector and read it at home? Why ever not. I am always being fascinated by the perceptions of foreigners when in Africa. Some are, no doubt about it, racist in their outlook and thinking but the majority of people who work there treat their hosts as equals. Oh yes, there is irony in the image at the top of your post - some modern day leaders <i>do</i> resemble the clown with the crown. It's them that are the problem, so perhaps Hergé was ahead of his time in recognizing the fact that some African leaders stash away incredibly large amounts of cash in Swiss bank accounts while their subjects starve under the harsh rule of a foreign equipped army. In this respect the image is actually politically correct. Interesting. As one who works in and visits both Congos regularly, my test would be simple. Would I want to be seen reading this material while sitting in a public space in Kinshasa? The answer – no way. But would I want to be able to buy it as a collector and read it at home? Why ever not. I am always being fascinated by the perceptions of foreigners when in Africa. Some are, no doubt about it, racist in their outlook and thinking but the majority of people who work there treat their hosts as equals.

Oh yes, there is irony in the image at the top of your post – some modern day leaders do resemble the clown with the crown. It’s them that are the problem, so perhaps Hergé was ahead of his time in recognizing the fact that some African leaders stash away incredibly large amounts of cash in Swiss bank accounts while their subjects starve under the harsh rule of a foreign equipped army. In this respect the image is actually politically correct.

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