The Shooting Star - Points of Interest

Points of Interest

• The atmosphere of doom and foreboding that occupies the early part of the story very much conveys the feelings of the time, when World War II was still at its height.

• When Phostle announces the discovery of Phostlite he decides to celebrate with a packet of bulls-eyes, a rather odd way of celebrating a discovery of this importance. As well as the humour, it may be a reflection on the fact that most foodstuffs were rationed during the war.

• Philippulus the Prophet drops Tintin's suitcase on the head of Professor Paul Cantonneau, a member of the expedition. Cantonneau was to reappear as one of the victims of The Seven Crystal Balls, which explains how he and Tintin know each other in that adventure.

• Thomson and Thompson only appear in only two panels in this adventure, as they make their way to the docks to see the Aurora off. Also in the same panel are Quick & Flupke, fans of Tintin (who had also appeared in the opening panel of Tintin in the Congo).

• In most of the Tintin books involving sea travel, Hergé was careful to obtain as much data concerning the ships involved in the adventure as possible. However, the Aurora was an entirely fictional vessel, and Hergé admitted later that it was probably unseaworthy.

• The Swedish expedition member Eric Björgenskjöld (seen on the right of the panel in which Professor Phostle is given the flag to plant on the meteorite) physically resembles a real person: Auguste Piccard, who was Hergé's inspiration for Professor Calculus.

• The seaplane pilot who flies Tintin to the meteorite and back is nameless, but after WWII he featured in a number of text articles in the newly-launched Tintin magazine. In these articles, Tintin would "interview" the pilot and Captain Haddock on technical details concerning aircraft and ships, from models to full-scale versions. The questions in the interviews were based on readers' letters. The technical aspects of balloons and planes were explained by the seaplane pilot who was given the name Major Wings and often lapsed into English. The rank of Major would imply an American USAF commission—which would be odd for a European-based expedition—but it might be noted that continental writers have often given Army ranks to officers of the British RAF regardless of the fact that it does not use such a system. The comic book hero Colonel Clifton, who is retired from the RAF, is an example of this—his proper rank would be that of Group Captain.

• This book features a brief appearance of the Sirius (in Captain Chester's scenes), which is later used as the expedition vessel in Red Rackham's Treasure. The version of Sirius shown here looks somewhat different from its depiction in the later album.

• Tintin, who had disapproved of Captain Haddock's drinking in The Crab with the Golden Claws, actually gets him to drink alcohol in order to make him more co-operative—he would use the same tactic in The Red Sea Sharks and Tintin in Tibet.

• Although Hergé removed the ship's identity in the latest version, an American flag is still left at the "Peary" It is shown on page 35 panel 8.