Baxter The Director of The Base – Figurines Tintin La Collection Officielle – 26 – Baxter Le Directeur De La Base

Author: Hergé & Editions Moulinsart
Price: £35.00
Publisher: Editions Moulinsart
Publication date: 2012
Format: Original pictorial boards with passport and figurine
Condition: In fine condition
Illustrations: Illustrated throughout

Description:

Original pictorial boards. Includes passport loosely inserted. Text in French. Includes the accompanying figurine. One from the collection of 111 books and figurines. In fine, clean condition overall.

Baxter: A Short Biography

Mr Baxter is a significant supporting character in Hergé’s The Adventures of Tintin, remembered as the authoritative and capable head of the Syldavian Space Programme. His appearances in Destination Moon and Explorers on the Moon place him at the centre of one of Tintin’s most ambitious storylines, where science, politics, and adventure converge.

Character Profile

Baxter is depicted as a middle-aged man with a strong build, tidy dark hair, and a practical, no-nonsense appearance. He dresses in suits or laboratory coats, depending on context, reflecting his dual role as both administrator and scientist.

His personality is marked by authority, composure, and dedication. He is decisive in moments of crisis, serious about his responsibilities, and highly respected by those around him. Unlike comic or eccentric figures such as Professor Calculus, Baxter is portrayed with gravity and realism, grounding the narrative in plausibility.

Role in Destination Moon

Baxter is introduced in Destination Moon as the director of the Sprodj Atomic Research Centre in Syldavia, where Professor Calculus has been developing his rocket project. Baxter oversees the secretive preparations for mankind’s first journey to the Moon.

As head of the programme, he is responsible for maintaining order and security, particularly in the face of espionage attempts and sabotage. His authority and organisational skill provide a sense of realism to the story, which is otherwise charged with the wonder of space exploration.

Role in Explorers on the Moon

Baxter returns in Explorers on the Moon, continuing to play the role of mission director. While Tintin, Captain Haddock, Calculus, and others are on board the rocket, Baxter remains at the control centre, guiding and monitoring their progress.

His calmness in relaying instructions and his concern for the astronauts’ safety add tension and credibility to the drama. Although he is not physically present on the Moon, Baxter’s presence is essential, embodying the ground-based control that underpins real space exploration.

Relationship with Other Characters

Baxter’s interactions are primarily with Professor Calculus and Tintin. He treats Calculus with professional respect, recognising his genius while managing the practicalities of the rocket project. With Tintin and Haddock, his relationship is marked by formal courtesy rather than deep friendship, reflecting his role as director rather than adventurer.

This professional detachment distinguishes him from more personal allies such as Captain Haddock or Nestor, reinforcing his role as a specialist whose contribution lies in scientific authority.

Thematic Significance

Baxter embodies the themes of science, discipline, and organisation. In contrast to Calculus’s eccentric brilliance, Baxter represents structured scientific management and institutional support. His presence situates Tintin’s lunar adventures within a framework of realism, showing that pioneering feats depend not only on daring individuals but also on teams of experts and administrators.

His character also reflects the broader fascination of the post-war era with atomic research, technological progress, and the dawn of the space age. By giving Tintin’s adventure a credible scientific backdrop, Hergé underscored the seriousness and ambition of these stories.

Legacy

Though he appears in only two albums, Baxter remains a memorable figure because of his association with one of Tintin’s greatest achievements: the journey to the Moon. His professionalism and authority add depth to the narrative, showing that Tintin’s world includes not only adventurers, villains, and comic figures, but also responsible men of science.

Baxter endures as a symbol of discipline and scientific order, the steady hand that made Tintin’s most daring expedition possible.

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Cataloguer: Daniel Hornsey

Daniel Hornsey has specialised in fine and rare books, ephemera, and collectors’ editions for over thirty years. As a long-standing member of the antiquarian book trade, he has advised private collectors, curated catalogues, and sourced works for leading dealers, libraries and institutions across the world.

Hornseys’ exhibit regularly at book and map fairs in London and throughout the UK and are members of the Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association, the PBFA.

His fascination with Hergé’s work — especially ‘The Adventures of Tintin’ — began in childhood. Daniel recalls reading Tintin in original European editions and quickly recognising that these were not merely children’s books, but finely illustrated narratives crafted with artistic depth and wit.

As noted by the Musée Hergé in Louvain-la-Neuve, Hergé’s ‘ligne claire’ style has influenced generations of European comic artists and his original drawings and paintings command very high prices with his painting of ‘The Blue Lotus’ jar fetching £2.8m at auction in 2021.

By presenting these works through Hornseys’, he hopes to contribute to the continued appreciation of one of the 20th century’s most influential illustrators, helping new generations discover the artistry and legacy of Hergé.