Tintin or Asterix?

Nebbiolo · October 24, 2008

Which is best, Tintin or Asterix?

I loved both as a kid. But I don't think I could be bothered reading Asterix now. However, I did read a couple of Tintin's last night in bed, just for the hell of it. It's still very good, although very dodgy from a political angle.

So it's Tintin for me!

GrandOldTeam · October 24, 2008

Asterix because there was a great game on the sega megadrive or nintendo for it

"While Astrix does not have a perfect universe like that of Tintin the level of humour and the complexity of the verbal jokes in Astrix cannot be surpassed. Just take the creative names of the characters in Astrix as an example.

In Tintin, specially in the later books, it is the story and the interactions between the characters that make the book. In Astrix, a series of hilarious jokes are fitted next to each other along a relatively loose story line.

Also, let us not forget that the magic of Astrix lies 80% in the words, which is mostly lost when translated from French to other languages; while in Tintin almost any frame can be taken out and posted on the wall as a work of art*"

*may have been copied an pasted

Sharpys top lip · October 24, 2008

Ye but them 2 geordies who do the voice overs for titin is halliarious. I'll try an find it!!

Vim Fuego · October 24, 2008

I was always a Beano / Viz kind of fella.

Sharpy, i've got them on my phone, funny as [Poor language removed], i also like the postman pat one too.

Dylan · October 24, 2008

Asterix! Although only just! Tintin wouldn't fly in todays world of P.C.!!!!

Nebbiolo · October 24, 2008

Dylan said:
Asterix! Although only just! Tintin wouldn't fly in todays world of P.C.!!!!

He's making a comeback I think. There was a dodgy Jewish financier in the stories I read last night (his drawing could have been taken from 1930s German anti-semitic propaganda).

But if you get over that, they're a great read. Just like Enid Blyton's Famous Five, you know that today it would be bad to use such characters, but in those days people were altogether less sophisticated. And to be honest, I'm guessing most things slip past the minds' of small children anyway.

What can you do? You have to let kids read good books at the end of the day. We wouldn't want to do a Manchester library, and start banning greats like Blyton (back in the '80s, I think).

The best character for me in Tintin was always Jolyon Wagg. The man was hilarious. :lol:

Blue Ray · October 24, 2008

Nebbiolo said:
Which is best, Tintin or Asterix?

I loved both as a kid. But I don't think I could be bothered reading Asterix now. However, I did read a couple of Tintin's last night in bed, just for the hell of it. It's still very good, although very dodgy from a political angle.

So it's Tintin for me!

Sack Moyes and give Tintin the job :unsure:

Nebbiolo · October 24, 2008

woody3660 said:
Sack Moyes and give Tintin the job

And captain Haddock as chairman b)

Blue Ray · October 24, 2008

Nebbiolo said:
And captain Haddock as chairman b)

Thought he was already on the books. :unsure:

Dutch Toffee · October 24, 2008

Nebbiolo said:
He's making a comeback I think. There was a dodgy Jewish financier in the stories I read last night (his drawing could have been taken from 1930s German anti-semitic propaganda).

But if you get over that, they're a great read. Just like Enid Blyton's Famous Five, you know that today it would be bad to use such characters, but in those days people were altogether less sophisticated. And to be honest, I'm guessing most things slip past the minds' of small children anyway.

What can you do? You have to let kids read good books at the end of the day. We wouldn't want to do a Manchester library, and start banning greats like Blyton (back in the '80s, I think).

The best character for me in Tintin was always Jolyon Wagg. The man was hilarious.

Remember Enid Blyton's Famous Five from when I was a young lad. Think I must have read almost all their books and also watched the tv series. Of course translated or subtitled in Dutch, as I was to young at the time to really understand English. Maybe something got lost in translation, but what was really wrong with the characters? :unsure:

Back to topic. I used to read both Asterix and TinTin (called Kuifje in Holland), but if I was made to choose, I'd say Asterix. Favourite comic books were the one by Belgian writer Willy Vandersteen though, called Suske & Wiske (don't know what they're called in English). The original autor died quite a few years ago and his succesor hasn't really made the same impact.

Blue Ray · October 24, 2008

woody3660 said:
Sack Moyes and give Tintin the job

Oh I've had enough of him already. Sack Tintin and give Astrix the job :unsure:

Nebbiolo · October 24, 2008

Dutch Toffee said:
Of course translated or subtitled in Dutch, as I was to young at the time to really understand English. Maybe something got lost in translation, but what was really wrong with the characters?

There are a number of issues primarily relating to quite pronounced racism, sexism and class prejudice. The racist stuff is pretty obvious, particularly in her other works. But she does get pretty nasty in the Famous Five as well (use of words like n****r and the like is typical of Blyton).

TBH, Blyton was a fine writer and should be admired greatly for that. However, there is a nasty undercurrent in her writing which demonstrates her to be quite a vicious old hag.

Here's a wiki link which briefly summerises her controversies:

Enid Blyton - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dutch Toffee · October 24, 2008

Nebbiolo said:
There are a number of issues primarily relating to quite pronounced racism, sexism and class prejudice. The racist stuff is pretty obvious, particularly in her other works. But she does get pretty nasty in the Famous Five as well (use of words like n****r and the like is typical of Blyton).

TBH, Blyton was a fine writer and should be admired greatly for that. However, there is a nasty undercurrent in her writing which demonstrates her to be quite a vicious old hag.

Here's a wiki link which briefly summerises her controversies:

Enid Blyton - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thanks for the link. As said, I think a lot got lost in translations and to be honest, it's a long time ago I was reading her books. Don't recall reading much of her other works. I agree with you though, she was a fine writer. Always enjoyed the Famous Five.

trebilcock66 · October 24, 2008

Nebbiolo said:
There are a number of issues primarily relating to quite pronounced racism, sexism and class prejudice. The racist stuff is pretty obvious, particularly in her other works. But she does get pretty nasty in the Famous Five as well (use of words like n****r and the like is typical of Blyton).

TBH, Blyton was a fine writer and should be admired greatly for that. However, there is a nasty undercurrent in her writing which demonstrates her to be quite a vicious old hag.

Here's a wiki link which briefly summerises her controversies:

Enid Blyton - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yeah - you're right, Neb, times have moved on since these stories were really permissible.

Mind you, I grew up on them and haven't matured into a racist. My l'il fella is eleven now and loved them until he discovered that Potter kid. And my lad knows what racism is and that it's wrong - his teachers, my missus and I have taught him that. I just love that his two best friends are both Asian - couldn't have happened to me back in the sixties. This country's a better place than it was - despite what the daily mail etc say.

So they're not necessarily harmful - just not in tune with the times. No harm in that, seems to me. Stories come and go and children are more knowing today. Blyton was a great story teller in her time but was part of the then dying British empire. End of.

Asterix rocks btw. TinTin I never got into so can't comment.