Danish actor who inspired Tintin has died

[The Straight Story]

Danish actor who inspired Tintin has died


COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Danish actor Palle Huld, who reportedly inspired a Belgian cartoonist to create the comic book reporter Tintin, has died. He was 98.

Huld died Nov. 26 in a retirement home in Copenhagen. The cause of death was not given.

Huld was a stage actor with Denmark's Royal Theater, and he appeared in 40 Danish films between 1933 and 2000.

However, his fame came before his acting career began.

In 1928, he won a competition organized by Danish newspaper that wanted to send a teenager would-be-reporter around the globe.

For 44 days, the 15-year-old traveled to North America, Japan, Siberia and Germany, and was greeted by 20,000 people upon his return to Copenhagen.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20101205/eu-obit-denmark-huld/

[Cirque du So-What]

1. I was in elementary school when the first English translations of Tintin were available

When they arrived at my school library, I read them one after another. Even then, however, I was offended on some level by what I perceived as a chauvinistic attitude toward non-Europeans. Still, I found the stories intriguing and continued to read them.

[MindandSoul]

2. Having been born in Belgium, I grew up with Tintin. . .and I can see why you

would talk about "chauvinist attitude toward non-Europeans," but it seems to be merely a mirror image of the U.S. "chauvinist attitude toward the non-US citizens!"

Tintin is and always will be a great comic book for kids and adolescents. . .and it could teach a lot of the U.S. teenager something about the rest of the world!

But it's all in good fun!

[Cirque du So-What]

3. Fair enough

I'm also aware of some Americans' chauvinistic attitudes toward everyone else. While I'm reminiscing on my elementary-school days, I recall that the pencils sold in the school's supply store were emblazoned with the American flag and an inscription: 'America - Best Place on Earth.' Even then, I wondered if the citizens of other nations had as much hubris as Americans. This chauvinism is reinforced from an early age.

[bigtree]

4. I read the strip everytime I went to the doctor in a magazine.

I'd search old volumes to catch up with the story. I finally found a little hardback with a collection. It's absolutely my favorite comic.

[MindandSoul]

5. Glad you like it! I think it's better for teenage boys than for teenage girls.. . .

There is another Belgian cartoon that is great (and maybe more for female, because there are at least 2 male female characters in it) it's called "Bob & Bobette."

Then, something most people do not realize, the Smurfs (you know them as Shroumfs, I guess) is another Belgian made character!

And anothers are "Spirou," "Obelisk," and "Gaston la Gaffe!"

For such a small country, Belgian cartoonists are recognized throughout Europe as being the most creative!

Lot's of new ones too, but I'm old now, and I don't live in Belgium anymore. . .so, although I visit there every year for a couple of months, I lost track of the newer ones!