Belgian cartoonist Hergé created The Adventures of Tintin.
Hergé was the pen name of Georges Prosper Remi, born in Brussels in 1907. The name came from reversing the initials of his first and middle names, R.G., according to the usual French pronunciation. He introduced Tintin in 1929 in the Belgian newspaper supplement Le Petit Vingtième.
Hergé developed a precise, clean-lined drawing style that later became known as ligne claire, or “clear line.” The Tintin stories combined travel, mystery, comedy, political settings, and detailed research. Tintin’s companions included Snowy, Captain Haddock, Professor Calculus, and Thomson and Thompson.
Readers sometimes confuse Hergé with the creators of other major Franco-Belgian comics. Peyo created The Smurfs, Morris created Lucky Luke, and René Goscinny co-created Asterix with Albert Uderzo. Hergé remained the principal creator of Tintin until his death in 1983, although later adaptations and authorized publications continued to expand the character’s reach.