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Hergé

Georges Prosper Remi (; 22 May 1907 – 3 March 1983), known by the pen name Hergé ( ; ), from the French pronunciation of his reversed initials ''RG'', was a Belgian comic strip artist. He is best known for creating ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the series of comic albums that are considered one of the most popular European comics of the 20th century. He was also responsible for two other well-known series, ''Quick & Flupke'' (1930–1940) and ''The Adventures of Jo, Zette and Jocko'' (1936–1957). His works were executed in his distinctive ''ligne claire'' drawing style.

Born to a lower-middle-class family in Etterbeek, Brussels, Hergé began his career by contributing illustrations to Scouting magazines, developing his first comic series, ''The Adventures of Totor'', for ''Le Boy-Scout Belge'' in 1926. Working for the conservative Catholic newspaper ''Le Vingtième Siècle'', he created ''The Adventures of Tintin'' in 1929 on the advice of its editor Norbert Wallez. Revolving around the actions of boy reporter Tintin and his dog Snowy, the series' early instalments – ''Tintin in the Land of the Soviets'', ''Tintin in the Congo'', and ''Tintin in America'' – were designed as conservative propaganda for children. Domestically successful, after serialisation the stories were published in book form, with Hergé continuing the series and also developing both the ''Quick & Flupke'' and ''Jo, Zette and Jocko'' series for ''Le Vingtième Siècle''. Influenced by his friend Zhang Chongren, from 1934 Hergé placed far greater emphasis on conducting background research for his stories, resulting in increased realism from ''The Blue Lotus'' onward. Following the German occupation of Belgium in 1940, ''Le Vingtième Siècle'' was closed, but Hergé continued his series in ''Le Soir'', a popular newspaper controlled by the Nazi administration.

After the Allied liberation of Belgium in 1944, ''Le Soir'' was shut down and its staff – including Hergé – accused of having been collaborators. An official investigation was launched, and although no charges were brought against Hergé, in subsequent years he repeatedly faced accusations of having been a traitor and collaborator. With Raymond Leblanc he established ''Tintin'' magazine in 1946, through which he serialised new ''Adventures of Tintin'' stories. As the magazine's artistic director, he also oversaw the publication of other successful comics series, such as Edgar P. Jacobs' ''Blake and Mortimer''. In 1950 he established Studios Hergé as a team to aid him in his ongoing projects; prominent staff members Jacques Martin and Bob de Moor greatly contributed to subsequent volumes of ''The Adventures of Tintin''. Amid personal turmoil following the collapse of his first marriage, he produced ''Tintin in Tibet'', his personal favourite of his works. In later years he became less prolific, and unsuccessfully attempted to establish himself as an abstract artist.

Hergé's works have been widely acclaimed for their clarity of draughtsmanship and meticulous, well-researched plots. They have been the source of a wide range of adaptations, in theatre, radio, television, cinema, and computer gaming. He remains a strong influence on the comic book medium, particularly in Europe. He is widely celebrated in Belgium: a Hergé Museum was established in Louvain-la-Neuve in 2009. Provided by Wikipedia