Tintin has lost one of its leading experts. Belgian author Philippe Goddin, who was president of the Les Amis de Hergé association and had an encyclopaedic knowledge of the work of Tintin's creator, has died at the age of 81 following an illness, the association announced on Monday.
Described as "a key figure in the world of Tintin enthusiasts," he had published numerous works over the past 40 years, helping to raise awareness of the work of Hergé (1907-1983), and had written the preface to the reissues of some of Tintin's greatest albums, such as "The Blue Lotus" in early 2025.
Initially an art teacher, he became a friend and collaborator of Hergé – whose real name was Georges Rémi – and, after Hergé's death, served as secretary general of the Hergé Foundation for ten years (1989-1999).
Philippe Goddin published "Hergé, chronologie d'une oeuvre" (Hergé, chronology of a work), a seven-volume series (Editions Moulinsart, 2000-2011), as well as a biography entitled "Hergé. Lignes de vie" (Hergé. Lines of life - Moulinsart, 2007).
He jokingly referred to himself as a "Hergéologist," recalled author Benoît Peeters, another expert on Hergé's work, on his Facebook page on Monday. "The loss is immense," he added.
Philippe Goddin, born in May 1944 in Brussels, had over the years become a familiar figure at comic book festivals, as a specialist in the tufted reporter whose adventures are known worldwide.
Last autumn, Moulinsart (Tintinimaginatio) published a new collection, ‘Les Coulisses d'une oeuvre’ (Behind the Scenes of a Work), which provides a detailed account of the creation of each of the adventures of Hergé's famous hero. The text was written based on contributions from Philippe Goddin.
