Snowy In A Fur Coat – Figurines Tintin La Collection Officielle – 61 – Milou En Manteau De Fourrure

Author: Hergé & Editions Moulinsart
Price: £80.00
Publisher: Editions Moulinsart
Publication date: 2014
Format: Original pictorial boards with passport and figurine
Condition: In near 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. Very slight wear. In very near fine, clean condition overall.

Snowy: A Short Biography

Snowy — known as Milou in the original French — is the loyal fox terrier who accompanies Tintin through every one of his adventures. Introduced in Hergé’s first Tintin story, Tintin in the Land of the Soviets (1929), Snowy has remained a constant presence, providing courage, comedy, and companionship throughout the series.

A character of both instinct and intellect, Snowy stands at the intersection of realism and symbolism: an ordinary dog made extraordinary by his loyalty and his very human capacity for thought and emotion.

Origins and Creation

Hergé (Georges Remi) introduced Snowy from the very beginning, naming him Milou as a tender tribute to Marie-Louise Van Cutsem, a childhood sweetheart whose nickname was Milou.

From the outset, Hergé intended Snowy to be more than a pet. He is Tintin’s confidant, occasional conscience, and often his saviour — a small, white terrier who embodies courage, curiosity, and wit.

Visually, Snowy was inspired by the smooth-haired fox terrier, a popular breed in Brussels in the 1920s. His compact, bright-eyed appearance made him ideal for Hergé’s clean-line style: expressive, energetic, and instantly recognisable.

Character Overview

Snowy is intelligent, loyal, and quick-witted, often displaying a mixture of animal instinct and human reasoning. His personality, expressed through gestures, expressions, and the occasional thought bubble (in the earlier albums), combines heroism with humour.

He is brave but not fearless — capable of both saving Tintin from peril and quivering at the sight of ghosts. He is independent yet devoted, cynical yet loving, and always ready to act when Tintin is in danger.

Personality and Traits

Snowy’s personality evolved over the course of the series, growing more nuanced as Hergé’s storytelling matured.

• Courageous: Snowy repeatedly risks his life to save Tintin — whether fighting off criminals, surviving shipwrecks, or braving deserts and jungles.
• Clever: He often solves problems through intuition or cunning, retrieving keys, untying ropes, or finding hidden passages.
• Faithful: His loyalty to Tintin is absolute, and his emotional bond with his master is central to the series’ warmth.
• Comically human: In the early stories, he “speaks” in thought bubbles, often commenting wryly on Tintin’s idealism or the absurdity of their predicaments.
• Fallible: Snowy is not perfect — his love of whisky, occasional cowardice, and distraction by bones or lady dogs make him endearingly flawed.

This blend of nobility and folly is what makes him such a compelling and human character.

Relationship with Tintin

Tintin and Snowy share one of the most enduring friendships in modern literature. Their relationship transcends the simple “boy and dog” dynamic, functioning instead as a partnership built on trust, equality, and affection.

Tintin often speaks to Snowy as though to a friend, while Snowy — through his expressions or internal thoughts — responds with intelligence and humour. In moments of isolation or peril, Tintin’s conversations with Snowy fill the silence with warmth.

Their relationship also provides emotional grounding for Tintin’s otherwise solitary life. Tintin has no family, no romantic attachments, and no home beyond Marlinspike Hall; Snowy is his constant companion, his emotional centre, and his moral sounding board.

Snowy’s Comic and Dramatic Roles

Hergé used Snowy to balance tone, alternating between tension and comedy:

1. Comic Relief: Snowy’s reactions to danger, his mock indignation, and his love-hate relationship with whisky and bones punctuate tense moments with laughter.
2. Emotional Resonance: Snowy often expresses emotions Tintin suppresses — fear, anger, or joy — giving readers an empathetic lens into Tintin’s inner world.
3. Narrative Catalyst: In many stories, Snowy advances the plot, sniffing out clues or rescuing Tintin at key moments — as when he tracks kidnappers in The Black Island or pulls Tintin to safety in Prisoners of the Sun.

Symbolism

Snowy serves as both a literal companion and a symbolic double of Tintin himself.

1. Conscience and Commentary:
   In the early albums, Snowy’s thought bubbles often offer ironic counterpoints to Tintin’s heroism — a sceptical, down-to-earth voice within the idealistic adventure.
2. Loyalty and Morality:
   Snowy embodies unconditional loyalty and instinctive moral clarity — qualities that define Tintin’s world.
3. Human Nature in Animal Form:
   His blend of wit, fear, and courage reflects Hergé’s view of humanity as a balance between instinct and reason. Snowy’s flaws make him real; his loyalty makes him noble.

Artistic Expression

Hergé’s depiction of Snowy demonstrates his mastery of minimalism. Through simple lines and subtle shifts of posture or expression, Snowy conveys a full emotional range: fear, excitement, curiosity, pride, and affection.

Hergé’s linework captures motion with precision — Snowy bounding through jungles, clinging to Tintin’s arm, or tumbling through chaos. His compact form allows for visual humour: a small figure amid great drama, reminding readers that courage need not depend on size.

Evolution Through the Series

• Early Albums (1929–1934): Snowy acts as Tintin’s equal in conversation, his tone sardonic and witty. His thoughts are written directly, and he occasionally breaks the fourth wall.
• Middle Period (1936–1950): His verbal humour fades, replaced by expressive pantomime and visual comedy. He becomes less cynical, more loyal and emotive.
• Later Albums (1950s–1970s): Snowy’s role becomes quieter but still essential — more companion than commentator, reflecting Hergé’s shift toward realism and emotional subtlety.

Memorable Moments

• Saving Tintin from the river in The Broken Ear, biting through ropes to free him.
• Attacking a yeti in Tintin in Tibet, displaying unmatched bravery to defend Tintin’s friend Chang.
• Refusing to abandon Tintin during explosions, earthquakes, and imprisonments across the globe.
• Comic misadventures with whisky bottles and bones, notably in The Crab with the Golden Claws and The Calculus Affair.

Cultural Impact and Legacy

Snowy has become one of the most famous dogs in literature — a symbol of friendship, loyalty, and moral intuition. His name has entered the cultural lexicon, and his image remains iconic in art, film, and merchandising.

In Steven Spielberg’s 2011 film adaptation, Snowy was rendered in lifelike animation, capturing both his intelligence and his comic timing — a tribute to Hergé’s enduring design.

Critically, Snowy is recognised as more than a sidekick: he is Tintin’s alter ego, an emotional counterbalance to the hero’s idealism. Without Snowy, Tintin’s adventures would lose their warmth, humour, and humanity.

Summary

• Full name: Snowy (Milou in French)
• Breed: Fox terrier
• First appearance: Tintin in the Land of the Soviets (1929)
• Creator: Hergé (Georges Remi)
• Role: Tintin’s loyal companion, rescuer, and comic foil
• Personality: Brave, witty, loyal, occasionally vain and mischievous
• Symbolism: Friendship, conscience, and the voice of reason within Tintin’s idealism
• Cultural status: One of the most recognisable and beloved animals in fiction

Conclusion

Snowy is far more than a pet — he is Tintin’s shadow, conscience, and constant friend. Through him, Hergé achieved one of his greatest artistic balances: a creature both animal and human, comic and heroic, realistic and mythic.

In Snowy, courage takes the shape of devotion; wisdom wears the guise of humour. Whether sniffing out a clue, rescuing his master, or grumbling about the lack of whisky, Snowy remains the moral and emotional heartbeat of The Adventures of Tintin — small in stature, immense in spirit, and eternally loyal.

Why Buy from Us?

At Hornseys, we are committed to offering items that meet the highest standards of quality and authenticity. Our collection of objects and rare books are carefully curated to ensure each edition is a valuable piece of bibliographical history. Here’s what sets us apart:

• Authenticity and Provenance: Each item is meticulously researched and verified for authenticity and collation.
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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.