Publication
The Shooting Star was first published in serial form in the newspaper Le Soir in black and white in 1941. It was subsequently published in a colour album in 1942, the first Tintin album to be in colour. It was also the first Tintin story that was restricted from the start to what would become the standard fixed length of 62 pages. The previous stories had all been about 110 pages long in their original incarnations due to the size of the panels.
The original version had some significant differences from later editions; for example the rival expedition is from the United States. There are also villainous Jewish characters which led to charges of anti-Semitism against Hergé: when the end of the world is announced, two stereotypical Jewish men are seen hoping that the disaster will mean they do not have to pay off their creditors. In addition, the main villain of the piece is an American financier with a Jewish name, Blumenstein.
The two Jewish debtors were removed when the story was published in book form. In post-war editions of the book, the villains hail from the fictional country of São Rico, and Blumenstein's name becomes Bohlwinkel, a name less immediately identifiable as Jewish. Despite these changes, traces of the original version remain: the Sao Rican ships still have American names (the Peary and the Kentucky Star) and Tintin uses a World War II Arado 196 German reconnaissance aircraft.
Finally, references to God were removed from the English language version to avoid offending the church. In the original French, in the scene depicting Philippulus at the top of the ship's mast, Captain Haddock claims that he is the only master of the ship after God and orders Philippulus to climb down. But Philippulus rejects this by claiming it is he who is the only master after God. Tintin also claims to be the voice of God the Holy Father when he uses the megaphone to tell Philippulus to climb back down.
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Famous quotes containing the word publication:
“An action is the perfection and publication of thought. A right action seems to fill the eye, and to be related to all nature.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“I would rather have as my patron a host of anonymous citizens digging into their own pockets for the price of a book or a magazine than a small body of enlightened and responsible men administering public funds. I would rather chance my personal vision of truth striking home here and there in the chaos of publication that exists than attempt to filter it through a few sets of official, honorably public-spirited scruples.”
—John Updike (b. 1932)
“Of all human events, perhaps, the publication of a first volume of verses is the most insignificant; but though a matter of no moment to the world, it is still of some concern to the author.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)