Germaine Kieckens
Germaine Kieckens | |
|---|---|
| File:Herge and Germaine.jpg Germaine (right) and with Hergé (left) | |
| Born | 1906 |
| Died | October 26, 1995 (aged 88–89)[1] |
| Spouse | Hergé |
Germaine Kieckens (1906–October 26, 1995) was a Belgian secretary, the first wife of the Belgian cartoonist Hergé, to whom she was married from 1932 to 1977. They met while she was working as secretary for the Abbé Norbert Wallez, editor of [Le XXe Siècle] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) newspaper.
Biography
Early life
At the time of her birth, Germaine's parents were relatively elderly, and having lost an earlier child they were particularly overprotective of her.[2] A redhead described as "elegant and popular" by Hergé biographer Pierre Assouline, she obtained work as the secretary for Norbert Wallez.[3] Greatly admiring her boss, whom she looked up to as a father figure, she adopted his fascist political beliefs.[3] It was at the offices of the newspaper that she met Hergé, who was working there as an illustrator, in 1928.[3]
Kieckens was appointed editor of [Votre Vingtième, Madame] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help), a supplement for women for which Hergé sometimes drew the cover.[4] She also began writing articles for [Le Petit Vingtième] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) using the pseudonym Tantine.[4]
In 1930, Hergé escorted her home from work almost every night, though she expressed little romantic interest in him at the time. Instead she desired an older, or more mature man, such as the Abbé himself.[3][4] Wallez however encouraged the two to enter into a relationship,[3] and one evening at the Taverne du Palace she indicated to Hergé that she would be interested in a relationship.[4] Wallez encouraged his single employees to marry, and one day he ordered them all to find a spouse.[3][4] Following the syndication of Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, Wallez recognised its continued commercial viability, in September 1930 publishing it in book form through the Brussels-based Éditions du Petit Vingtième at a print-run of 10,000.[5] The first 500 copies were numbered and signed by Hergé using Tintin's signature, with Snowy's paw print being drawn on Kieckens.[6][3]
References
Footnotes
- ^ geneanet.org
- ^ Peeters 2012, p. 348.
- ^ a b c d e f g Assouline 2009, p. 33.
- ^ a b c d e Peeters 2012, p. 48.
- ^ Peeters 2012, p. 40.
- ^ Peeters 1989, p. 27; Lofficier & Lofficier 2002, p. 21; Peeters 2012, p. 41.
Bibliography
- Apostolidès, Jean-Marie (2010). The Metamorphoses of Tintin, or Tintin for Adults. Stanford: Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0-8047-6031-7.
- Assouline, Pierre (2009). Hergé, the Man Who Created Tintin. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-539759-8.
- Farr, Michael (2001). Tintin: The Complete Companion. London: John Murray. ISBN 978-0-7195-5522-0.
- Goddin, Philippe (2008). The Art of Hergé, Inventor of Tintin: Volume I, 1907–1937. San Francisco: Last Gasp. ISBN 978-0-86719-706-8.
- Hergé (1999) [1930]. Tintin in the Land of the Soviets. London: Methuen Children's Books. ISBN 978-0-416-19765-5.
- Lofficier, Jean-Marc; Lofficier, Randy (2002). The Pocket Essential Tintin. Harpenden, Hertfordshire: Pocket Essentials. ISBN 978-1-904048-17-6.
- McCarthy, Tom (2006). Tintin and the Secret of Literature. London: Granta. ISBN 978-1-86207-831-4.
- Peeters, Benoît (1989). Tintin and the World of Hergé. London: Methuen Children's Books. ISBN 978-0-416-14882-4.
- Peeters, Benoît (2012) [2002]. Hergé: Son of Tintin. Tina A. Kover (translator). Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-1-4214-0454-7.
- Theobald, John (2004). The Media and the Making of History. Farnham, Surrey: Ashgate. ISBN 978-0-7546-3822-3.
- Thompson, Harry (1991). Tintin: Hergé and his Creation. London: Hodder and Stoughton. ISBN 978-0-340-52393-3.