Gather thistles, expect prickles

“King Ottokar's Sceptre” is one of the best Tintin adventures. It's obviously political, and was originally serialized in 1938-39, when Adolf Hitler's Germany had embarked on its policy of aggressive expansion. The message of the story is anti-Nazi. Unfortunately, Hergé decided to collaborate with the Nazis after the German occupation of Belgium in 1940, thereby soiling his post-war reputation.

The plot revolves around two fictitious nations in the Balkans, the peaceful monarchy Syldavia and the aggressive fascist dictatorship Borduria. While Syldavia is mostly based on interwar Yugoslavia (complete with Muslim mosques!), the story contains allusions to Czechoslovakia, Austria and Hergé's native Belgium, making it clear that it's not really about the Balkans at all.

The Syldav language is freely based on a working-class sociolect spoken in Brussels, the king's name Ottokar is identical to that of two Bohemian rulers, and the entire scenario of Borduria wanting to annex Syldavia is similar to Hitler's Anschluss of Austria. Borduria is obviously a stand-in for Nazi Germany (the name of its dictator Müsstler being a combination of Mussolini and Hitler). During the Cold War, Hergé's new allegiances made him subtly change Borduria into a stand-in for the Soviet Union instead!

Above all, “King Ottokar's Sceptre” is a good and entertaining story. The stupidities of the Thompson Twins are kept down at a minimum, and Captain Haddock isn't included at all. He hadn't been invented yet! I know that most Tintin fans love Haddock's blistering barnacles and the bad detectives Thomson and Thompson-with-a-P, but I never liked them. Besides, I fancied the political angle.