Quick & Flupke, Album #14: Business and Pleasure

Some time ago, I shared what has become the most popular post on this site: my English translations of a number of Quick & Flupke official albums; as well as some previously unavailable Quick & Flupke stories, which I collected into an unofficial thirteenth album titled What Audacity! By gathering stories that had never appeared in the official album series, I hoped to give English-speaking readers the chance to enjoy more of Hergé's delightful neighborhood troublemakers.

But that wasn't the end of the collection.

There were still many more Quick & Flupke stories that didn't make it into What Audacity!, either because I hadn't yet translated them or because there simply wasn't enough room. Over the past years, I've continued tracking them down and translating them.

I'm pleased to present the first of two additional unofficial albums: Business and Pleasure. Like the previous volume, it brings together a variety of classic Quick & Flupke adventures that have never been officially published in album-form in either French or English. As always, the stories are full of clever pranks, misunderstandings, and the timeless humor that made Hergé's mischievous duo such enduring favorites.

I hope this collection gives English-speaking fans the opportunity to discover even more of these charming and often overlooked stories. And don't worry—there's still one more unofficial volume to come!

Enjoy!

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD QUICK & FLUPKE: BUSINESS AND PLEASURE IN ENGLISH 

Tintin and the Thermozero

Among the many lesser-known Tintin-related projects and fragments, Tintin and the Thermozero stands out as a particularly intriguing case of an unfinished collaboration.

The project began with a story suggestion from another contributor. Hergé himself then produced a small number of preliminary sketches, exploring the visual direction and early structure of the adventure. Alongside these drawings, a full story outline was also developed, although the exact division of creative responsibility between Hergé and the original proposer is unclear to me.

For a long time, this material remained difficult to access. The full outline, along with additional sketches, is not widely known.

In preparing this post, I have translated the surviving outline and related material into English.

Even in its incomplete form, Thermozero shows promise as a concept. The combination of early Hergé sketches and structured story planning makes it possible to imagine how it could have evolved into a fully realized adventure, fitting alongside the more experimental corners of the Tintin universe.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD TINTIN AND THE THERMOZERO IN ENGLISH

Tintin and the Blue Oranges

Among the many adaptations and reinterpretations of Tintin, one of the more unusual artifacts is the script for the French live-action production Tintin and the Blue Oranges, the second live-action Tintin film.

What I’ve done here is a translated version of the script, rendered into English so that readers can follow the story as it was originally structured. Reading the script in this way provides a unique perspective on how Tintin was interpreted for live-action cinema at the time. The humor, mystery elements, and character dynamics are all present, but filtered through the conventions of screenplay writing rather than Hergé’s comic panel storytelling.

Although it is not a substitute for watching the film itself, this script allows us to experience the story for those of you who may never watch the film.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD TINTIN AND THE BLUE ORANGES SCRIPT IN ENGLISH

Thomson and Thompson Detectives

Between the major Tintin albums Red Rackham’s Treasure and The Seven Crystal Balls, Hergé’s work took an unusual detour during the wartime period in Belgium. In the pages of Le Soir, a serialized story appeared under the title Thomson and Thompson Detectives, offering a very different kind of Tintin-related adventure.

Unlike the standard album format, this story was produced in a hybrid style: each week featured a single drawing by Hergé, accompanied by narrative text written by another author. This created a distinctive rhythm, more akin to illustrated fiction than a conventional comic strip.

The story opens in a surprisingly grounded setting, with the Thomson & Thompson detectives assisting a farmer and becoming involved in the everyday work of churning wheat on a rural farm. From this humble beginning, however, the narrative gradually develops into something far more complex.

As the plot unfolds, the twins find themselves drawn into a murder investigation, giving the story a noticeably darker tone than many typical Tintin-related works. Despite this, Hergé’s signature humor remains present throughout, largely carried by the Thompsons’ misunderstandings and misadventures.

The result is a fascinating blend of comedy, mystery, and wartime serialization constraints. It stands out not only for its unusual format, but also for the way it bridges lighthearted rural scenes with a more serious investigative storyline.

Though it is not part of the official Tintin albums, Thomson and Thompson Detectives remains an intriguing example of how Hergé’s universe expanded into experimental formats during a turbulent period in history.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THOMSON AND THOMPSON DETECTIVES IN ENGLISH

Ramo Nash's Tintin and Alph-Art

Among the unfinished works left behind by Hergé, Tintin and Alph-Art remains the most discussed and widely reimagined. After Hergé’s death, several artists attempted to complete the story in different forms, the most well-known being the color reconstruction by Yves Rodier.

However, far less attention has been given to another interpretation often referred to as the Ramo Nash version. This version remains anonymous in origin and is presented as a full 62-page treatment, and is very faithful in style and true to the spirit of Tintin. It is entirely in black and white and follows the narrative directly from Hergé’s surviving sketches.

I have chosen not to reproduce the earlier pages that closely mirror Hergé’s original notes or overlap with material already expanded in Rodier’s version. Instead, the focus here is on the continuation—the material that picks up where Hergé’s own work ends and attempts to carry the story forward.

While the authenticity and origins of the Ramo Nash version remain uncertain, it stands as another example of the fascination surrounding Hergé’s final unfinished adventure. Each reconstruction, whether official or unofficial, reflects a different interpretation of how Tintin’s last case might have concluded.

What follows is a translated excerpt of the continuation beyond Hergé’s original pages. Enjoy exploring this rare and lesser-known interpretation of Tintin’s final journey.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD RAMO NASH'S TINTIN AND ALPH-ART IN ENGLISH

Other Short Tintin Stories or Excerpts by Other Artists

Over the years, Tintin has inspired not only Hergé’s original adventures but also a wide range of derivative works, tributes, advertising pieces, and reinterpretations created by other artists. While these are not part of the official canon, they form a fascinating parallel history of how the characters have been reimagined across different contexts.

One such example is The Celebrity’s Bodyguards, a reinterpretation that explores an alternate setup for Tintin’s early days. In this version, the Thomson & Thompson detectives are assigned to protect Tintin from the very beginning of his career. The comedic tension comes from the fact that, despite their constant presence, they are always a step behind whatever danger or mystery unfolds.

Another unusual piece is The Water Wizards, a story centered on Professor Calculus experimenting with an invention that supposedly turns oil into water. Like many experimental or promotional comics of its time, it blends scientific fantasy with humor, using familiar characters in a more loosely structured narrative.

There is also a short advertising-style comic, Tintin in the Land of the GS, produced as part of a promotional campaign for automobiles. In this piece, Tintin is placed into a commercial setting, demonstrating how widely the character was used beyond traditional storytelling.

More intriguing is a tribute work titled When Rastapopoulos Meets Alix and Enak, published after Hergé’s death as part of a commemorative effort by artists associated with the Franco-Belgian comics tradition. In this crossover-style story, Rastapopoulos encounters Alix and Enak shortly after the events of Flight 714 to Sydney, blending different comic universes in a symbolic, celebratory manner. It reflects both homage and imaginative expansion by the creators involved.

Finally, there is a rare contribution from Bob de Moor included in a special anniversary comic celebrating Tintin Magazine. The collection—titled The Mysterious and Incredible Adventures of the Space Agent—features multiple artists contributing short segments. Among them are two pages by Bob de Moor, one featuring Quick & Flupke and another featuring Tintin himself, serving as a nostalgic callback to the magazine’s long publishing history.

Taken together, these miscellaneous works show just how far Tintin’s influence extended beyond Hergé’s original albums. Whether through advertising, tributes, experimental stories, or collaborative commemorations, each piece offers a different lens on the enduring legacy of one of comics’ most iconic characters.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE CELEBRITY'S BODYGUARDS IN ENGLISH

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE WATER WIZARDS IN ENGLISH

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD TINTIN IN THE LAND OF THE GS IN ENGLISH

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD RASTAPOPOULOS MEETS ALIX AND ENAK IN ENGLISH

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE MYSTERIOUS & INCREDIBLE ADVENTURES OF THE SPACE AGENT IN ENGLISH

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE 4 ACES AND THE SACRED COW IN ENGLISH

Mr. Boullock's Disappearance

Among the two wartime Tintin stage plays produced with Hergé’s involvement, the second—and perhaps more intriguing—is Mr. Boullock’s Disappearance.

This play presents a surprisingly original storyline. It places the Thomson & Thompson detectives at the center of the action, alongside another pair of twins, in a narrative that carries a distinct “around the world” atmosphere reminiscent of Around the World in 80 Days. The tone is more theatrical and episodic than the other play, with the plot unfolding through a series of lively set-pieces.

Although Hergé was not the sole author of the script, his involvement helped ensure that the characters retained their familiar personalities and visual humor. The result is a curious blend of stage comedy and Tintin-style adventure, offering a different way to experience the world of the series during the wartime period when regular publication had been disrupted.

Having located and translated the script after years of searching, I’m sharing it here so that readers can finally explore this unusual and rarely seen corner of Tintin history.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD MR. BOULLOCK'S DISAPPEARANCE IN ENGLISH