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Tintin in the Congo (in the original French, Tintin au Congo) is the second title in the comic book series The Adventures of Tintin, written and drawn by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. 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, who ran the right wing Roman Catholic weekly newspaper, Le XXe Siècle, it was designed to encourage children to learn more about what Wallez felt were the positive aspects of the Belgian occupation of the Congo. The plot revolves around the young Belgian reporter Tintin and his dog Snowy, who travel to the Belgian Congo to report on the situation of the country there. Once in the central African nation, he gets into various adventures with wild animals, angry natives, and American gangsters under the employ of Al Capone attempting to start a diamond-smuggling racket in the country. 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). In the late 20th and early 21st centuries however, the book came under criticism for its racist portrayal of the Congolese people. It 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 displayed 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 and, like Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, it has never been used as a basis for any theatrical, radio, television, or cinematic adaptations.
