political content, The Crab with the Golden Claws.
number of times, and briefly imprisoned, though he
Throughout the occupation, his stories would lean
was never formally charged as a collaborator. It was
towards escapist entertainment, avoiding
likely his status, as the creator of beloved children’s
confrontation with events in the real world. Some of
character Tintin, that helped to protect him from the
his best-loved works came out in this period,
harsher punishment dealt out to many of his
including The Secret of the Unicorn and Red
colleagues.
Rackham's Treasure.
Still, as a person who had been associated with
the tainted Le Soir, he was under a ban from
working on any Belgian publications for two years.
During that time he was not able to produce any
new Tintin adventures. The ban lasted until
publisher Raymond Leblanc, a former resistance
fighter, came to his rescue. He helped Hergé to
obtain a “certificate of good citizenship.” Leblanc’s
credentials as a patriot were beyond question. He
argued that many Belgians, like himself, had
enjoyed reading Tintin during the war as an escape
from the hardships of occupation, and a boost for
Tintin battles Dr Müller in Land of Black Gold
morale. With the support of Leblanc, Hergé
launched Tintin magazine, where the adventures of
While Hergé was producing these delightful
stories, Le Soir remained under Nazi control. On its
the daring reporter would continue.
Yet the shadow over Hergé’s reputation never
front page it trumpeted the victories of the
entirely vanished. After all, he had knowingly and
Wehrmacht. Oblivious to the Nazi propaganda
willingly worked on a publication that served the
appearing in the same paper, the adventures of
Nazi machine. Though he had not produced any
Tin tin continued. Hergé was half-way through The
explicit propaganda, his charming comic-strip
Seven Crystal Balls in September 1944, when the
helped to boost its circulation. The suspicions
allies liberated Brussels.
directed at Hergé seemed to gain credence from the
The Germans fled, and the hunt began for
racist attitudes shown in some of his earlier work,
anyone suspected of collaborating with the
especially his second book, the notorious Tintin in
occupiers. Those who worked for the Nazi-
the Congo. In this story the Africans are presented
controlled press were prosecuted with special zeal.
as gross caricatures, inferior in every way to the
Many were imprisoned, some were executed. As a
Belgian colonists who ruled over them. The attitude
member of the editorial staff on Le Soir, Hergé was
to the environment is also far from enlightened –
in a dire situation. He was arrested and questioned a
Tintin slaughters the local wildlife for sport, and at