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Tintin book on trial

Summary

28 April 2010

A Congolese man is trying to get a controversial Tintin book banned in the cartoon star's home country of Belgium. He wants the book to carry a warning to alert readers that the book may cause offence.

Reporter:

Nkem Ifejika

Summary

The famous ginger quiff of Tintin has wowed fans for decades. Travelling the world on wild adventures with his dog, Snowy, the comic books contained elements of fantasy, mystery, even political thrillers. And political is exactly what this episode has become. 

Originally published in the early 1930s, Tintin in the Congo follows the intrepid boy reporter to the Belgian Congo, in what was seen as deepest darkest Africa - at the time a Belgian colony. There the adventurers hire a local guide, visit remote villages, even encounter wildlife. So far so normal for a swashbuckler. But it's the language and imagery used in the comic which has caused outrage 

in those critical of it.

The guide looks like a golliwog - pitch black complexion, big eyes and plump red lips. And the views espoused are racist and colonialist. The Belgian writer and illustrator, Hergé who wrote them, later said he regretted writing it - a 

youthful bit of fun which reflected the prejudices of the time.

But that's not how Bienvenue Mbutu sees it. He's a Congolese national living in Belgium and he's asking the courts to ban the book, although he says he would be satisfied if it was sold with a warning about the content.

Nkem Ifejika, BBC News