The Hergé Foundation is the official organisation that looks after the world and works of
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 cartoonist. He is best known for creating '' The Adventures of Tintin'', ...
and his creation ''
The Adventures of Tintin
''The Adventures of Tintin'' (french: Les Aventures de Tintin ) is a series of 24 ''bande dessinée'' albums created by Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi, who wrote under the pen name Hergé. The series was one of the most popular European com ...
'', along with his other comics like ''
Quick & Flupke
''The exploits of Quick and Flupke'' (french: link=no, Quick et Flupke, gamins de Bruxelles, ) was a comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. Serialised weekly from January 1930 to 1940 in , the children's supplement of conservative Belgian ne ...
'' and ''
Jo, Zette and Jocko
''The Adventures of Jo, Zette and Jocko'' is a Franco-Belgian comics series created by Hergé, the writer-artist best known for ''The Adventures of Tintin''. The heroes of the series are two young children, brother and sister Jo and Zette Legran ...
''. Created from Studios Hergé in 1987 by Fanny Rodwell, Hergé's widow, the Hergé Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation based in
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
, the birthplace of the creator of Tintin. It runs Hergé's estate, the official ''Tintin'' website, and the
Hergé museum.
Editions Moulinsart
The foundation has released many books on the subject of Tintin in French under the publishing name .
Awards
On 1 June 2006, the
Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama (, ; ) is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and most dominant of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current Dal ...
bestowed the
International Campaign for Tibet
The International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) is a non-profit advocacy group working to promote democratic freedoms for Tibetans, ensure their human rights, and protect Tibetan culture and the environment. Founded in 1988, ICT is the world's largest ...
's
Light of Truth Award upon the Hergé Foundation, along with South African Archbishop
Desmond Tutu
Desmond Mpilo Tutu (7 October 193126 December 2021) was a South African Anglican bishop and theologian, known for his work as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist. He was Bishop of Johannesburg from 1985 to 1986 and then Archbish ...
. The award was the Dalai Lama's recognition of ''
Tintin in Tibet
''Tintin in Tibet'' (french: Tintin au Tibet, link=no) is the twentieth volume of ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. It was serialised weekly from September 1958 to November 1959 in ''Tintin'' magazin ...
'',
Hergé's most personal adventure. Accepting on behalf of the Hergé Foundation, Hergé's widow Fanny Rodwell stated, "We never thought that this story of friendship would have a resonance more than 40 years later."
Rights issue
The Hergé Foundation has frequently litigated against other entities that attempted to use Tintin images. However, after Moulinsart sued Dutch
fanzine
A fanzine (blend of '' fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''-zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) for the pleasure of others who share t ...
''
Hergé Genootschap'' (Hergé Society) in 2012 for one million
euros
The euro (symbol: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of 19 out of the member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 340 million citizens . Th ...
for publishing Tintin images without a license, a contract was unearthed whereby Hergé had assigned all the rights of his works to his original publisher
Casterman
Casterman is a publisher of Franco-Belgian comics, specializing in comic books and children's literature. The company is based in Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All tex ...
in 1942. At no time has Fanny Rodwell, the widow and sole heir to the foundation, nor her husband Nick Rodwell, who manages the ''Tintin'' empire, ever challenged the agreement in the past. The court's decision means Moulinsart never owned the rights they have been asserting. "It appears, from a 1942 document ... that Hergé gave publishing rights for the books of ''The Adventures of Tintin'' to publisher Casterman, so Moulinsart is not the one to decide who can use material from the books." said the Hague court's ruling. The document came from a Hergé expert who wishes to remain anonymous.
TintinImaginatio
The name was chosen as the name for the foundation's commercial and copyright wing, set up to actively work to protect and promote the work of Hergé. It is named after
Moulinsart, the
château
A château (; plural: châteaux) is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor, or a fine country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally, and still most frequently, in French-speaking regions.
No ...
where
Captain Haddock
Captain Archibald Haddock (french: Capitaine Archibald Haddock, link=no, ) is a fictional character in '' The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. He is one of Tintin's best friends, a seafaring pipe-smoki ...
lives in the books (in the English translations, is known as "Marlinspike Hall").
On 20 September 2022, Moulinsart announced that its name was changed to TintinImaginatio. The organization stated the reason of the change is because it wants to bring the word Tintin back into name of the operational management and marketing activities, as well that the name is more recognizable internationally. Furthermore, the new name also reflects the new perspectives of opening up to the virtual world, the imaginary world, and the imagination.
References
External links
Studios Hergé, at the official ''Tintin'' websiteTintinImaginatio, at the official ''Tintin'' website
Tintin
Organisations based in Brussels
Hergé
Organizations established in 1987
1987 establishments in Belgium
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