And it’s hilarious as a bonus.
I became a Tintin fan as a kid, sure.
But I returned to the world of Herge every few years as an adolescent and even now as an adult.
Tintin is the original Indiana Jones. As Spielberg ultimately realized.
I’m re-reading Prisoners of the Sun (part 2 after Seven Crystal Balls) during a sleepless night right now.
These two volumes are highly intriguing, educational and hilarious masterpieces of story telling, mystery, archeology and humor.
In this scene, as a kid, I learned about avalanches and how a sound can trigger them.
In this particular double volume we get a peak into 1950s Europe and the show hall scene, an archeological expedition, the mysteries and superstitions of the mid 20th century world, a kidnapping, the history of the Inca, the culture and geography of Peru and get introductions to all sorts of adventurous and nature topics from avalanches and eclipses to cult ceremonies and llama behavior.
Plus great comedy.
The mid-20th century was the last time the world was discovering everything.
There were still uncharted islands and jungles. We didn’t even know about the DNA double helix yet. The moon was a dream. We still had superstitions. Tutankhamen’s curse was only twenty years old. Everest was yet to be conquered.
We’d only just harnessed atomic energy,
It was the time of The King and I and Hitchcock’s Rear Window.
Everything was still up for grabs.
I learned much of what I know about the worlds of history, mystery, legend, science and technology from Tintin first.
Herge takes us exploring the mythical and unknowns, as well as fascinating true science and technology.
