Miscellaneous Herge Items

Not every piece of Hergé's work fits neatly into one of his famous series. Throughout his career, he produced a wide variety of one-off comics, advertisements, games, and experimental projects that are often overlooked but provide fascinating insights into his creativity and versatility.

Among these is a fun game published in Tintin magazine, introduced by a short comic featuring Professor Calculus and the Thomson & Thompson detectives.

Hergé also created Colour Your Colours, a coloring page produced to advertise a popular Belgian chicory-root drink, blending his distinctive artwork with commercial illustration.

Another curious creation is Magneshal, a whimsical advertising character who first appeared in a series of single-panel illustrations without dialogue, performing absurd visual gags. Hergé later expanded the character into a one-page comic strip, giving readers a little more of this unusual figure's humorous world.

Perhaps the most intriguing items in this collection are the three opening pages created under the pseudonym Olav by Hergé and his friend, Edgar P. Jacobs. These were drawn in the uncertain years immediately following the end of World War II, when Hergé had been blacklisted and feared he might never be permitted to publish under his own name again. Together, the two artists began three completely different stories, producing only the first page of each before the projects were abandoned. Although none of these works developed into full-fledged adventures, they remain fascinating glimpses into Hergé's lesser-known output.

Whether created for advertising, entertainment, or during one of the most uncertain periods of his career, each offers a unique window into the imagination and artistic evolution of one of the twentieth century's greatest cartoonists. Here, I've translated these rare pieces into English so that more readers can enjoy this overlooked corner of Hergé's work.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD CALCULUS GAME IN ENGLISH

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD COLOR YOUR COLORS IN ENGLISH

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD MAGNESHAL IN ENGLISH

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD OLAV PAGES IN ENGLISH

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FSC CALENDARS IN ENGLISH

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD RANDOM 1-PAGE THINGS IN ENGLISH  

Deleted Frames from Jo, Zette, & Jocko in Cœurs Vaillants

When readers think of deleted material from Hergé's work, the focus almost always falls on the Tintin adventures. Yet another of Hergé's major series, Jo, Zette, & Jocko, also underwent revisions between its original newspaper serialization and its album publication.

Originally published in the French Catholic magazine Cœurs Vaillants, the adventures of Jo, Zette, and their mischievous chimpanzee Jocko were often edited before being collected into book form. Individual panels—and occasionally entire pages—were removed, altered, or rearranged to improve the pacing or fit the album format.

These deleted scenes rarely receive the same attention as their Tintin counterparts, but they are every bit as fascinating. They offer a unique glimpse into Hergé's creative process and allow us to see how he refined his storytelling before the adventures reached their final published form.

I've collected these deleted frames from the original Cœurs Vaillants publications and translated them into English. Whether they contain extra dialogue, humorous moments, or scenes that were ultimately left behind, they provide another opportunity to explore Hergé's work as it first appeared to readers and to appreciate the evolution of one of his lesser-known, but equally enjoyable, series.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD DELETED SCENES FROM THE SECRET RAY IN ENGLISH

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD DELETED SCENES FROM THE STRATOSHIP H.22 IN ENGLISH

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD DELETED SCENES FROM THE VALLEY OF THE COBRAS IN ENGLISH  

The Adventures of Tom & Millie

Following The Adventures of Tim the Squirrel, Hergé took another step toward what would eventually become Popol Out West. That intermediary work is The Adventures of Tom & Millie, a remarkably rare publication that is both familiar and surprisingly different.

Although it retains the same principal characters from Tim the Squirrel, Hergé reworked the story in several important ways. Most notably, he abandoned the illustrated-text format of Totor and Tim the Squirrel in favor of a true comic-strip format, complete with panels and speech balloons.

The setting also underwent a dramatic transformation. Instead of taking place in the American West, the story unfolds in the Sahara Desert. The rabbit natives are replaced with monkeys, and numerous plot elements were rewritten, resulting in a story that feels far more than just an early draft. In many respects, The Adventures of Tom & Millie stands as a unique adventure in its own right.

The publication actually consists of two separate stories. The first is the two-page Where There's a Will, a humorous tale that Hergé would later adapt into the Quick & Flupke gag The Toothpick. This is followed by the main 18-page adventure, In Search of the Sun, which contains the core narrative that would eventually evolve into Popol Out West.

Unfortunately, this work is extraordinarily rare. After years of searching, I have managed to locate and translate most of the story, but five pages still remain missing. Using descriptions found in books and archival references, I have been able to reconstruct and summarize the missing portions to help bridge the gaps, but I have yet to find the actual pages themselves.

If you happen to own, or have access to, a complete copy of The Adventures of Tom & Millie, I would be very grateful if you would contact me at tintinfan36@gmail.com. Any information that could help complete this remarkable chapter of Hergé's early career would be greatly appreciated.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE ADVENTURES OF TOM & MILLIE IN ENGLISH 

Tim the Squirrel

 

Before Popol Out West, it existed in a very different form. Titled The Adventures of Tim the Squirrel, this early version tells essentially the same story, featuring the same main characters and the foundations of the familiar plot, but in a much earlier storytelling style.

Rather than using the panel-by-panel comic format that Hergé would later perfect, Tim the Squirrel follows the format of his earlier Totor stories. Each page consists of a series of illustrations accompanied by descriptive text beneath the drawings, allowing the narrative to unfold through a combination of artwork and prose rather than speech balloons.

Even in this early presentation, Hergé's gift for expressive characters, engaging adventures, and visual storytelling is unmistakable. The story offers a fascinating glimpse into his artistic evolution, bridging the gap between his earliest illustrated narratives and the polished comic albums that would later bring him international acclaim.

For Hergé enthusiasts, The Adventures of Tim the Squirrel is much more than an early draft of Popol Out West. It is a valuable piece of comics history that reveals how one of the medium's greatest storytellers refined his craft and experimented with new ways of bringing his characters to life.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD TIM THE SQUIRREL IN ENGLISH

Le Sifflet Comic Strips

 

Long before Tintin made his debut, Hergé was already developing his artistic style through a variety of newspaper illustrations and comics. Among these early works are seven short comics published in the Belgian newspaper Le Sifflet.

Though these stories predate Tintin, they are filled with the humor, expressive artwork, and lively storytelling that would later become Hergé's trademark. Each comic introduces a cast of memorable and often eccentric characters, giving readers a glimpse into the imagination of a young artist whose talent was already beginning to shine.

These short comics also provide a fascinating look at Hergé's artistic development. His character designs, sense of movement, visual gags, and storytelling techniques reveal many of the qualities that would eventually mature into the famous ligne claire style recognized around the world.

While they are not as well known as Tintin or even Hergé's other early series, these seven comics are an important part of his creative journey. They offer fans a rare opportunity to see the foundations of one of the twentieth century's greatest comic artists and to discover a collection of entertaining stories that deserve to be remembered.

Enjoy each of these seven forgotten gems from Le Sifflet and the unique characters that inhabit their pages!

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD YEAR'S END FEAST! IN ENGLISH

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE GOOD LITTLE CHILD'S CHRISTMAS IN ENGLISH

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD MR. SCHINLER'S DOG IN ENGLISH

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD SCHINLER AT THE DENTIST IN ENGLISH

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD MR. VANDERVELDE ON THE TIGHTROPE IN ENGLISH

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE ELECTORAL BODY AND THE MARIANNE SOCIALIST IN ENGLISH

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD MR. SCHINLER'S JOKE IN ENGLISH     

In Between Tintin Adventures

 

Most Tintin fans are familiar with Hergé's adventures that appeared week after week in Le Petit Vingtième. But what happened in between those installments?

To help fill the gaps between the serialized Tintin stories, Hergé created what turns out to be, in total, a small collection of seven illustrated dialogue pieces. Rather than traditional comic strips with sequential panels, these feature Hergé's unmistakable artwork accompanied by text-based conversations, often between Tintin and Snowy, though occasionally including other familiar characters.

These short works offered readers an enjoyable way to spend another week with Tintin while awaiting the next chapter of his latest adventures. Filled with humor, wit, and the charm that made the series so beloved, they provide an interesting glimpse into Hergé's creativity outside the standard adventure format.

Although they are little known today and have rarely been reprinted, these seven pieces are fascinating historical artifacts from the early days of Tintin. They remind us that the world of Tintin extended beyond the adventures themselves, creating an ongoing connection with readers through the pages of Le Petit Vingtième.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD TINTIN AND SNOWY ARE BORED! IN ENGLISH

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD BY SPECIAL WIRELESS IN ENGLISH

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD GANGSTERS BOOTLEGGERS IN ENGLISH

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD TINTIN'S MAIL IN ENGLISH

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD TINTIN DEPARTS IN ENGLISH

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD TRAVEL PLANS IN ENGLISH

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD HELLO... HELLO... THIS IS TINTIN... IN ENGLISH      

Quick & Flupke

Well, hello! This is the first batch of English translations that I am uploading.  And yes, I did translate everything I post on this blog myself. Font, etc. is mine as well.  Only the drawings are not; which of course they were all drawn by Hergé (Georges Remi).

Okay, well, the purpose of this blog is that I am going to be uploading English translations of Hergé-related-comics that are not currently available in any form in English.  I think these will be a great treat to Hergé fans, and I hope that you'll enjoy these.

First off the bat, I have here English translations of some Quick & Flupke books. This series was written by Hergé between the years 1930-1940, and are mostly 2-page gags. Hergé drew over 300 of these gags, and not all of them have been published in book form.  During the "Le Petit Vingtieme" years there were roughly 5 volumes put out in black and white; and then in the 1950-60s a 11 volume series was published called "The Exploits of Quick & Flupke" each book contained 16 gags. And then in the 1990s Casterman put out a 12-volume series of Quick & Flupke, each book containing 23 gags, with 11 of the volumes by Hergé and one volume with gags by Johan de Moor.  Well, it's three of those eleven volumes that I present translated here today (Excuse Me Ma'am, Catastrophe & Pranks and Jokes), and the file that you see labeled "13" is not an actual published volume. It's simply a collection I put together of Quick & Flupke gags by Hergé that never appeared in any of the 11 volumes.  So anyway, I hope you enjoy!


Volume 7 - Excuse Me Ma'am - Click to Download!

Volume 9 - Catastrophe - Click to DOWNLOAD!

Volume 10 - Pranks and Jokes - CLICK TO DOWNLOAD!

Volume 13 - What Audacity! - CLICK TO DOWNLOAD! 

 

 

Also, if you are interested in audio dramas, I have produced several audio dramas of many of the Quick & Flupke stories. You can listen to them at the links below. Thanks!

Quick & Flupke #1: Two of a Kind Audio Drama

Quick & Flupke #2: Bluffmasters Audio Drama

Quick & Flupke #3: Double Trouble Audio Drama

Quick & Flupke #4: Forbidden Games Audio Drama

Quick & Flupke #5: Pranks and Jokes Audio Drama

Quick & Flupke #6: Catastrophe Audio Drama

Quick & Flupke #7: All or Nothing Audio Drama

Quick & Flupke #8: Haute Couture Audio Drama 

Quick & Flupke #9: Honesty Audio Drama

Quick & Flupke #10: Quick Learns Boxing Audio Drama  

Quick & Flupke #11: What Weather! Audio Drama   

Quick & Flupke #12: Natural Disaster Audio Drama