Le Thermozéro

Tintin: Tintin et le Thermozéro
(Tintin et le Thermozéro)

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Publisher Casterman
Date 1958
Series The Adventures of Tintin (Les aventures de Tintin)
Creative team
Writer(s) Hergé, Greg
Artist(s) Hergé
Original publication
Language French
ISBN
Translation

Le Thermozéro is an abandoned comics project from two of Hergé's series : The Adventures of Tintin as well as Jo, Zette and Jocko.

Contents

History

In the late 50's, feeling his imagination drying up, Hergé asked comic book author Greg for ideas for a new adventure of Tintin. Greg met Hergé a few days later with a synopsis. At meetings at Hergé Studios, reactions were mixed: half the studio was ready for this action story, the other half saw it as just a rehash of the "The Calculus Affair". After making 8 pages of sketches, Hergé agreed with the second half and abandoned the project.

Unwilling to abandon a good idea, Hergé planned to make the Thermozéro the plot of the third filmed adventure of Tintin but once again, this did not take place.

Bob de Moor, Hergé's assistant, was asked to change the synopsis and make it the sixth Jo, Zette and Jocko adventure. After a few sketches were made this project fell through as well, as Hergé asked Bob de Moor to modernize The Black Island instead.

Synopsis

On a rainy day, Haddock, Tintin and Calculus have a car accident with a German they previously had words a few minutes before. Tintin, ready to help people, draws him out of his car and covers him with his coat. Surprisingly, many people try to put the man in their own car before the ambulance arrives. He hides an object in Tintin's coat without anyone's knowledge. Finally, the ambulance arrives and everyone goes home. Back at the hotel, Calculus decides to bring Tintin's coat to the laundry. A few days later, Tintin and the Captain discover that everyone present at the accident has been burgled. Apparently, the people behind all this are looking for an item that previously belonged to the victim. The next day, Haddock is kidnapped and the message for the ransom is "Haddock for the item". A meeting is set in Berlin. Though unaware of what the item is, the heroes travel to Germany to get Haddock back. With a case in his hand, Tintin meets the kidnappers. A few minutes later they are all jailed, as Tintin's case carried a transmitter. Back in Marlinspike, Calculus discovers the item (an explosive that functions in spaces without oxygen) cannot work as one ingredient is missing.

References

Parodies