Tintin Postcard Book – 3130900000002 – Lunar Adventures

Illustrator: Hergé
Price: £15
Publisher: Moulinsart
Publication Date: 2019
Format: Original printed wrappers
Condition: Mint condition
Size: 15cm x 9.8cm

Description:

Mint condition. Size: 14.8cm x 10.6cm. Contains 16 postcards of iconic Tintin rocketry-related artwork.

Tintin’s Lunar Adventures: A Brief Account

Tintin’s lunar adventures unfold across two consecutive albums by Hergé—Destination Moon (Objectif Lune, 1953) and Explorers on the Moon (On a marché sur la Lune, 1954). Together, they form a single, continuous narrative that is remarkable both for its dramatic coherence and for its scientific ambition, anticipating real lunar exploration by more than a decade.

Destination Moon

The story begins with Tintin, Captain Haddock, and Snowy travelling to the remote Sprodj Atomic Research Centre in the fictional Balkan kingdom of Syldavia. The facility is under the direction of Professor Calculus, who is secretly developing a manned rocket capable of reaching the Moon. From the outset, the mission is shrouded in secrecy, reflecting Cold War anxieties and the era’s fascination with atomic power and espionage.

As preparations intensify, the group becomes entangled in a web of sabotage and surveillance. Foreign agents attempt to steal plans and disrupt the project, underscoring the strategic importance of space technology. Hergé balances these thriller elements with humour—much of it derived from Haddock’s impatience, Calculus’s deafness, and Snowy’s small but telling interventions.

The album culminates in the dramatic launch of the red-and-white chequered Moon rocket. At the moment of lift-off, Tintin discovers that Calculus has been accidentally left behind in the rocket’s sealed lift shaft. Acting decisively, Tintin, Haddock, and the engineer Frank Wolff rush aboard at the last second, committing themselves to the mission. The rocket lifts off successfully, and the crew enters space, setting the stage for the second volume.

Explorers on the Moon

The sequel opens with the rocket in lunar orbit and proceeds to the historic landing on the Moon’s surface. Tintin and his companions become the first humans to walk on the Moon, clad in space suits and moving with the reduced gravity that Hergé depicts with notable accuracy for the early 1950s. These scenes are among the most iconic in the Tintin canon, combining awe, silence, and a sense of genuine discovery.

Life aboard the rocket, however, remains fraught with tension. An unexpected stowaway—Colonel Jorgen, a hostile foreign agent—emerges, threatening the safety of the mission. His presence leads to violence, moral conflict, and ultimately tragedy, as Frank Wolff sacrifices himself to ensure that the others can survive the return journey. This act introduces an unusually sombre and adult note into the series, highlighting themes of duty, guilt, and redemption.

The explorers conduct limited scientific experiments and excursions on the Moon before being forced to depart earlier than planned due to dwindling oxygen supplies. The return to Earth is perilous, but the rocket ultimately lands safely in Syldavia. The mission is officially acknowledged, though many details remain classified, reinforcing the sense of secrecy that has surrounded the project from the beginning.

Significance

Tintin’s lunar adventures are widely regarded as one of Hergé’s greatest achievements. They stand out for their rigorous attention to scientific plausibility, achieved through extensive research and consultation, and for their tonal range—blending adventure, comedy, political intrigue, and genuine tragedy. Long before Apollo 11, Hergé imagined space travel not as fantasy, but as a technically demanding, morally complex human endeavour.

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