One of the most fascinating books for anyone interested in Hergé’s creative process is Hergé et les Bigotudos by Philippe Goddin. This detailed study explores the long and complicated development of Tintin and the Picaros, tracing how the final finished adventure of Tintin evolved over many years through shifting ideas, abandoned concepts, and multiple rewrites.
The title itself refers to one of Hergé’s earliest working versions of the story, when the revolutionaries in San Theodoros were originally conceived as the “Bigotudos”, a group of moustached guerrillas inspired by Latin American revolutionary imagery. Over time, this concept would transform significantly.
Goddin’s book is based on extensive archival research from the Studios Hergé and offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at how the story developed. It reveals early sketches, alternative gags, discarded sequences, and the gradual shaping of characters and plotlines. It also touches on how Hergé was simultaneously influenced by other ongoing ideas during this period, including narrative threads that would later contribute to Flight 714 to Sydney.
Rather than simply presenting a finished story, Hergé et les Bigotudos reads like a chronicle of creative evolution. It shows Hergé wrestling with structure, tone, and political context over a long period, repeatedly restarting and refining the direction of the album.
I have translated the material from this book into English, and this will be the final thing I present in my journey to bring unique things from the world of Tintin into English. I hope others have enjoyed and will enjoy these items for years! That is my hope. Thanks for joining me on this adventure.
