Pictured are Tintin (in the black cap) the twin detectives Dupont and Dupond, Tintin's friend Zhang (featured in two adventures decades apart), and Tintin's canine companion Milou. English speaking audiences know these characters as Tintin, Thompson and Thompson, Chang, and Snowy.
Herge has been unfairly criticized both for continuing to produce work in his native Belgium while it was under Nazi occupation, and for the various controversial political and sociological themes of the adventures. Beyond the charges of Rexism, Racism, Imperialism or anti-Imperialism, the Tintin books are finely researched and illustrated travelogues which accurately capture various exotic locals from the 1930's through the 70's. On a technical level, Herge's ambitious works are exhibitions of control of character fully integrated with complexity of plot. Herge's political ideas may have changed during his lifelong series, but what stayed constant in his cartoons was a complete lack of moral relativism, all expressed in stylish drawing ulitizing one standard line thickness.
Perhaps fellow New York natives such as myself can remember the translated animated series shown briefly on U.S. television.
I would be much flattered in anyone might find a little of the heroic and selfless person of Tintin in the character of Faithmouse.
Tintin ala Wikipedia
Official Tintin site
A stage musical based upon Tintin and the Temple of the Sun
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