The Adventures of Tintin: Breaking Free facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Breaking Free |
|
|---|---|
Cover of the January 1, 1999 Attack International paperback edition.
|
|
| Date | 1999 (paperback edition) |
| Main characters | Tintin and "the Captain" |
| Page count | 176 pages |
| Publisher | Attack International |
| Creative team | |
| Writers | J. Daniels (pseudonym) |
| Original publication | |
| Date of publication | 1988 |
| Language | English |
| ISBN | 0-9514261-0-9 |
The Adventures of Tintin: Breaking Free is a unique comic book. It's a parody of the famous The Adventures of Tintin series. A parody means it takes something well-known and changes it to make a new, often funny or critical, version. This book uses a technique called détournement. This means it takes existing images and changes their meaning by adding new text.
The comic was written by someone using the pen name "J. Daniels." It was first published in 1988 by Attack International. Later, it was re-released in 1999. Recently, a publisher called Freedom Press printed it again. This new version includes earlier stories about Tintin from a 1986 pamphlet. Those stories were made to support printworkers during a big disagreement called the Wapping dispute.
The story features characters who look like those from the original Tintin comics by Hergé. You'll see Tintin and Captain Haddock. In this book, Captain Haddock is called 'the Captain' and is Tintin's uncle. However, the story and its ideas are completely different from the original Tintin adventures. Snowy, Tintin's dog, appears on the cover. He is especially easy to see on the first edition's cover. But Snowy doesn't appear in the story itself. The comic follows Tintin as he changes from a frustrated young person to a leader who wants big changes in society.
Contents
The Story of Breaking Free
Tintin's New Start
The comic begins with Tintin arriving at the Captain's apartment. It's in a made-up neighborhood in England. Tintin has just lost his job. He got fired for getting angry and hitting his boss. He feels very frustrated about being "pushed around." The Captain offers Tintin a job at a local construction site. This is where the Captain works.
As the story goes on, Tintin meets people living in the area. He also meets his new co-workers. The comic shows problems faced by the community. These include racism, which is unfair treatment based on someone's race. It also shows gentrification, which is when a poorer area becomes more expensive. This often pushes out people who used to live there. The story also highlights a general lack of care from the local government.
A Community Takes Action
The anger felt by the working people in this town grows. A construction worker named Joe Hill dies. He falls because of unsafe conditions at the building site. The managers don't seem to care. They even ask if Joe had been drinking. The local trade union official also doesn't seem to help much.
Because of this, the construction workers decide to stop working. They start an unofficial strike. This is called a wildcat strike. It means they stop working without their union's official approval. The builders demand better safety rules. They also want higher pay and new managers for the site. They ask for a large sum of money for Joe Hill's family.
Growing Protests and Change
The strike becomes bigger. The managers refuse to agree to any of the workers' demands. They even try to make secret deals with union officials. They want to bring in strikebreakers. These are people who work during a strike. Meanwhile, the strike starts to spread to other workplaces nearby. It becomes a symbol of people working together for change. It's about getting better conditions now and also about bigger changes in how society works.
The workers become more determined. They start using stronger methods. They even cause damage to the original building site. The strike begins to spread to other parts of the country. This happens without any official union help. The UK government becomes worried. They deal with the strikers using more force. Peaceful demonstrations turn into riots. The Captain is unfairly arrested on false charges.
The Beginning of Something New
As the story ends, a huge protest takes place in the town. Half a million people are there. Some people have brought rifles. The story mentions that "strike committees" are taking control in other areas. It also says the army is sent to Liverpool to "restore order." Similar unrest is happening around the world.
The last page shows the Captain, Tintin, and the Captain's wife, Mary, as dark shapes. Tintin holds a rifle above his head. The others raise their fists. Below them, it says: "This Is Not The End / Only the beginning…" This suggests that the fight for change is just starting.
