Tintin in The Congo

Tintin in the Congo (French: Tintin au Congo) is the second of The Adventures of Tintin, the series of comic albums written and illustrated by Belgian artist Hergé, featuring young reporter Tintin as the hero. Tintin and Snowy travel to the Belgian Congo to report on the country. Once in the central African nation, the duo become involved in various adventures involving wild animals, friends and foes amongst the local black and white people, and American diamond smugglers in the employ of Al Capone.

Originally serialised in the Belgian children's newspaper supplement, Le Petit Vingtième, between June 1930 and July 1931, it was first published in book form later that year. Hergé would later redraw and colour the work for a new edition in 1946, and then made alterations to one of the pages for republication in 1975. Commissioned by Hergé's boss, the Abbé Norbert Wallez, editor of Le Vingtième Siècle, in which Le Petit Vingtième appeared, its purpose was to highlight what Wallez believed to be the positive aspects of Belgian rule in the Congo.

Following on from the success of Tintin in the Land of the Soviets (1929–30), Tintin in the Congo also proved popular with the Belgian public, allowing Hergé to continue the series with a third installment, Tintin in America (1931–32). The book was also hugely popular in the Congo, and retained its popularity there throughout the 20th century. Since the late 20th century, however, the book has come under criticism from some for its portrayal of the Congolese people, which several critics have called racist. The book has also been criticised for its portrayal of big game hunting and the mass slaughter of African wildlife. Hergé himself was embarrassed by the work because of these elements, for which he expressed regret in later life, referring to the book as an error of his youth. It is because of its controversial nature that its publication in English was delayed until 1991.