UPDATED: Damien Presents A Full and Comprehensive List of Tintin Easter Eggs in The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn

By Damien.

Also known as 'The Big One'

Introduction

Before we start, I'll explain my intentions here. My objective is to deliver the ultimate list of nods to the Tintin books in The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn. As the movie is based on The Crab with the Golden Claws, The Secret of the Unicorn and Red Rackham's Treasure, these three albums won't be used as reference for the search of Tintin easter eggs, except for very specific ones - otherwise, I would have to make screenshots of almost the whole film.

Written in blue, you will also find book to film comparisons of characters. Just the opposite of the nods list, these comparisons will focus exclusively on characters from The Crab with the Golden Claws, The Secret of the Unicorn and Red Rackham's Treasure books. Not everyone will be treated. Only the characters I find the most interesting.

Warning: you shouldn't read this article if you've not seen the movie, as there will be massive spoilers ahead. Pretty much the same thing can be said about the books.

All right, shall we begin?

From left to right, click to enlarge:

-The rocket ship on the mug appears in Destination Moon and Explorers on the Moon.

-The wallpaper is based on the inside covers of the Tintin books. There is a lot of this in the opening credits.

-The Tintin and Snowy picture appears to be the same one that goes on top of the book covers, from The Red Sea Sharks to Tintin and the Picaros. The example I used is from The Red Sea Sharks.

-This is the same vehicle that is used to kidnap Tintin in The Secret of the Unicorn (book). Since this is from the opening credits and not the actual story of the film, this is an exception to the 'no listing nods to The Crab with the Golden Claws, The Secret of the Unicorn and Red Rackham's Treasure' rule.

-The Thompsons' Citroën 2CV can be seen for the first time in The Calculus Affair (the book example above is its first ever appearance). It's a nice touch that the Thompsons arrive in the opening credits at the same time as their car. The 2CV can be spotted in the actual movie. So you haven't seen the last of it yet.

-The ball Tintin and Snowy are running after in the credits is a reference to The Seven Crystal Balls.

-When the title appears, you can see a Hergé drawing in the background. It was made in 1932, to announce the upcoming publication of what would later be named Cigars of the Pharaoh by Le Petit Vingtième. It should also be noted that the main font used for the opening and closing credits is the same Hergé used for most of his covers.

-The Tintin drawing in the newspaper was taken from a panel of The Seven Crystal Balls.

-The mountains were taken from a panel of The Black Island.

-The auction director is none other that a member of the Marlinspike brass band, as seen in The Castafiore Emerald. He looks a lot like E. Cutts, the Marlinspike butcher, who can be seen in the same book. Sakharine and, of course, Marlinspike Hall can also be spotted in the screenshot.

-Tintin falls into a similar trap in Tintin in America.

-The black pelican is the symbol of the fictional country Syldavia, as seen in King Ottokar's Sceptre.

-The Arumbaya fetish is the MacGuffin of The Broken Ear.

-The license plate XP1333 can be spotted in Tintin in the Land of the Soviets. Also, some more inside cover pictures here.

Not really from the books, not canon, but still a Tintin nod. Tintin being followed by a spotlight is a clear reference to the Ellipse-Nelvana animated series from the 90s.

-Miramar is not a Tintin nod. It's a suburb of Wellington (New Zealand), where Peter Jackson built his big studios.

-Tintin goes to Peru in Prisoners of the Sun.

-Gaipajama is a fictional location in India, which Tintin visits in Cigars of the Pharaoh.

-San Theodoros is a fictional Latin American country. Tintin goes there twice: in The Broken Ear and Tintin and the Picaros.

-Redskin City is a fictional town, and features in Tintin in America.

-Wadesdah is the capital of the fictional nation of Khemed; it appears in Land of the Black Gold and The Red Sea Sharks.

-Tintin goes to Shangai in The Blue Lotus.

-Tintin is the first person to step foot on the Moon in Explorers on the Moon.

-Brussels is the home city of Tintin, until he moves to Marlinspike Hall (probably in Destination Moon).

-Tibet: where a lot of Tintin in Tibet takes place.

-Syldavia: fictional Balkan kingdom. Featured in King Ottokar's Sceptre, Destination Moon, Explorers on the Moon and The Calculus Affair.

-Black Island: the location of the climax of The Black Island.

-Tintin makes a stop in Akureyri in The Shooting Star.

-Moscow is featured in Tintin in the Land of the Soviets.

-Tintin visits Emir Mohammed Ben Kalish Ezab in Jebel Kadhed - from The Red Sea Sharks.

-You can see a lot of Djakarta's airport in Flight 714.

-Portsmouth: I have absolutely no idea what this is. Tintin never goes to Portsmouth in his canon adventures. This may be related to one of the film-makers, but I haven't be able to find anything. Is there somebody out there who can help me?

-Congo: featured massively in Tintin in the Congo.

-Ben More Castle from The Black Island.

-Once again, the rocket ship from Destination Moon and Explorers on the Moon.

-Bizarre statue from Flight 714.

-Tintin and Snowy on top of a train, having to get down when they enter a tunnel at full speed - from The Black Island.

-While this seaplane has been inspired by the one from The Crab with the Golden Claws, it's intriguing to notice that everytime Tintin took some sort of seaplane, the aircraft has been yellow. I thought I'd throw that in the mix. Drawings from left to right were taken from The Broken Ear, King Ottokar's Sceptre, The Crab with the Golden Claws, The Shooting Star, and The Seven Crystal Balls.

-The spot on the globe indicates the Balkan Peninsula, where the fictional countries of Syldavia and Borduria are located. One more appearance of the inside cover gallery here.

An obvious one. The Secret of the Unicorn cover.

-The Arumbaya fetish from The Broken Ear.

-?: I don't know what this could be. Probably not a Tintin reference. Thoughts?

-This looks like the sceptre from King Ottokar's Sceptre.
-The shark tank here is very similar to the one at the beginning of Tintin and the Lake of Sharks. The picture above was taken from the book adaptation of the 1972 animated film. Credit goes to Gray Catbird for the discovery.

-A black pelican, symbol of Syldavia. Can be seen in King Ottokar's Sceptre and Destination Moon.

-Possibly the crown of Syldavia, from King Ottokar's Sceptre.

Hergé, real name Georges Remi (1907-1983), author of The Adventures of Tintin. He also drew himself in several panels (Tintin in the Congo, King Ottokar's Sceptre and The Calculus Affair).

This drawing of Tintin is not from the books, but from an autograph drawing Hergé did in December of 1960, which you can see above. The inscription reads "With best wishes from Tintin and Snowy, Captain Haddock and Hergé".

Tintin

He's basically the same character as the one in the comics. What makes him work is Jamie Bell, who plays it in a sincere, realist - yet iconic - way. From time to time, you can see Tintin taking poses clearly inspired by Hergé's drawings. E.g., when Tintin shoots the seaplane, the way he's holding his gun references a panel from Land of Black Gold.

When Empire released the first pictures of the movie in 2010, some people were making a big fuss out of the black socks. This is mainly nonsense, as Tintin does wear black socks in his early adventures. Sure, he trades them for white ones in The Seven Crystal Balls, but there are two books where you see him wear the black socks and the blue jumper at the same time. Funnily enough, they are The Secret of the Unicorn and Red Rackham's Treasure.

1: R.W. Trickler, appears in The Broken Ear.

2: Unnamed salesman from Red Rackham's Treasure.

3: Mike MacAdam, appears in Tintin in America.

4: G. and Max Bird: they are the original villains of The Secret of the Unicorn. They were cut from the movie, and replaced by Sakharine.

5: Nestor and Alfred Halambique. Nestor smokes, is short-sighted and a good guy. Alfred is basically his evil twin. From King Ottokar's Sceptre.

6: Mr. Bohlwinkel, the main villain of The Shooting Star.

7: Colonel Fuad appears in Cigars of the Pharaoh.

8: Corporal Diaz from The Broken Ear.

9: Senhor Oliveira de Figueira, appears in Cigars of the Pharaoh, Land of the Black Gold and The Red Sea Sharks.

10: Professor Decimus Phostle, appears in The Shooting Star.

11: Kaviarovitch, seen in King Ottokar's Sceptre.

12: Sophocles Sarcophagus, can be spotted in Cigars of the Pharaoh.

13: Alonso Perez and Ramon Bada are the main villains of The Broken Ear.

14: The asylum director in Cigars of the Pharaoh.

15: Commandant Wizskizsek, from King Ottokar's Sceptre.

16: Al Capone can be seen in Tintin in America.

17: Didi, seen in The Blue Lotus.

18: Ramacharma, the Indian Fakir from The Blue Lotus.

19: The museum janitor from The Broken Ear.

20: The missionary priest from Tintin in the Congo.

21: Bill, appears in The Shooting Star and Red Rackham's Treasure.

22: Ridgewell appears in The Broken Ear and Tintin and the Picaros.

23: Basil Bazarov, from The Broken Ear.

Note: all these drawings were taken from the inside covers, as the blue and white stripe pattern hints at.

Just like in Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, the famous quiff is modeled by the wind. That Hergé drawing is the moment when the quiff appeared for the first time (published in Le Petit Vingtième on January 31st, 1929).

'Read The Daily Reporter, for news that hits you'. Scene from Red Rackham's Treasure. As it appeared in a very subtle way, and not like it did in the books, it doesn't fall under the 'no listing nods to The Crab with the Golden Claws, The Secret of the Unicorn and Red Rackham's Treasure' rule. Definitely an easter egg. The Daily Reporter can also be viewed as a nod to The Black Island, as this book features a fictional article from a newspaper of the same name, even in the original French version.

Ivan Ivanovitch Sakharine

The biggest change from the books, in terms of design, behaviour and backstory. While the album version of the character is simply a model ship collector, the film version is a dangerous man on a quest for gold and a revenge. By making him Red Rackham's descendant the writers found in Sakharine a perfect foe for Captain Haddock. Unfinished business between the two bloodlines. The rivalry is so big that Tintin plays a very small part in the last action scene, leaving the hero's role to Haddock. Giving a lot of meaning to Haddock's story is definitely a plus - and Sakharine works better than the Bird brothers would have for a movie - but it's a shame to leave Tintin in the background.

Another thing that should be noted, is that Sakharine appears to be the man in charge of the Karaboudjan. Therefore, Allan feels less important than in the books, and forms more of a comedic duo with Tom than a serious threat.

Also, going with a red costume looks very good indeed. But it's like giving away the big twist to fans, before they even saw the film.

-Another nod to the Arumbaya fetish from The Broken Ear.

-A very similar clock can be spotted in Tintin's apartment in The Shooting Star.

-This big jar is a highly probable reference to the Chinese one from The Blue Lotus.

-The same red chairs can be seen at Tintin's place in The Broken Ear, King Ottokar's Sceptre, and The Shooting Star.

-This blue jug comes from The Shooting Star.

-The envelope mentions Labrador Road, and you can see that Tintin lives at the 26. Just like in the books, where Tintin's address was revealed for the first time in The Broken Ear.

-The siamese cat is a nod to the Marlinspike Hall cat. This feline first appears in The Seven Crystal Balls. Although it remains unnamed in the books, it was inspired by Thaïke, Hergé's real life siamese cat.
-There's a framed picture of a Gorilla on Tintin's desk. This might refer to Ranko, from The Black Island. Credit goes to Britto for the discovery.

-A panel from Tintin in America.

-An article very similar to the one from The Blue Lotus.

-A realistic replica of a panel near the end of The Black Island.

-A reference to Tintin in the Congo. The most interesting bit here is the mention of Chicago - at the end of his Congo adventure, Tintin learns that his next mission will lead him to Chicago (the following book in the series being Tintin in America).

-The Daily Papyrus article is a nod to Cigars of the Pharaoh. You can discern the Kih-Oskh sign on the cigars. Then there's a picture that looks almost exactly like a panel from the book.

-One last appearance of the Arumbaya fetish. There's also a mention of R.W. Trickler in the San Theodoros article. All that is a nod to The Broken Ear.

-A couple more black pelicans, a newspaper called Syldavia, Snowy with the stolen Sceptre between his teeth. No doubt, these are references to King Ottokar's Sceptre.

-Another mention of The Daily Reporter. The first appearance of the name in the Tintin universe was in The Black Island.

-Snowy and the magnifying glass. This is from The Crab with the Golden Claws, but is small enough to be an easter egg.

-This dragon could be a nod to the cover of The Blue Lotus. The book also features a lot of vases using similar colours. Credit goes to Britto for the discovery.
-Snowy's head replacing another head (some sort of bovine here) could be derived from a famous scene in The Secret of the Unicorn, where Captain Haddock breaks a portrait of his ancestor with his head.

Snowy

A pretty accurate translation to the big screen. The first picture of Snowy released in Empire didn't look as good as the final result - and to some extent, even the dog we get in the movie doesn't look as cute or funny as the one from the books. But it's good enough.

In terms of behaviour  it's pretty much the same character. Really clever - sometimes even brighter than Tintin. Courageous, he saves the day more than once. Isn't scared by animals biggers than him (Hector, the Marlinspike Hall dog in the movie - Ranko, the gorilla from The Black Island in the books), but might be terrorized by very small ones (we'll have to confirm this one; hopefully with the sequel). And he loves alcohol as much as Captain Haddock. That's good old Snowy alright.

Nestor

The butler from the movie seems much nicer. Yes, he hits Tintin, but he later helps him find the scroll. And he is happier with Haddock in Marlinspike Hall than with Sakharine. Whereas, Hergé's Nestor was completely satisfied to work with the Bird brothers - but he wasn't aware they were bad guys. The Nestor from the albums listens through doors, peeks through keyholes; and is even xenophobic. Not a perfect gentleman. All those reasons are why I like the film version more.

The movie provides an original backstory for Nestor: his ancestor - Mr. Nichols - was Sir Francis Haddock's first mate on the Unicorn. Which gives us a clue to why Nestor is so attached to Marlinspike Hall.

-Le Petit Vingtième was the weekly youth supplement to Le Vingtième Siècle, a newspaper. Tintin first appeared in Le Petit Vingtième, with Tintin in the Land of the Soviets (which debuted on January 10th, 1929). 'Fox Terrier wins Best in Show' is obviously about Snowy; Hergé publicly acknowledged Tintin's dog was a Fox-Terrier.

-'The victim's name was Barnabé Dawes' says Thomson in the movie. Dawes is the last name of a Karaboudjan sailor who was killed. From The Crab with the Golden Claws.

-The Thompsons Citroën 2CV can be spotted twice during Snowy's chase sequence.

-E. Cutts is a nod to the Marlinspike butcher (Boucherie Sanzot in the French version). First appearance in The Calculus Affair.

The sword hidden inside a cane trick was also used by Hergé in Tintin in America.

Captain Archibald Haddock

Just like in the books, he is not at his best when Tintin meets him. His story arc is pretty much the same as in The Crab with the Golden Claws, as by the end of the book, he doesn't drink as much as he did before. But he still likes his alcohol more than any other character - except Snowy. Some fans feared a big budget Hollywood film would mean no drinking. They were dead wrong about that.

The trick with Haddock is to not make him the hero. Which is tempting, as Haddock is a more entertaining character than Tintin. Hergé himself made the mistake of making him the main character sometimes. Apart from the sword fight opposing Haddock and Sakharine at the end, the writers did a pretty solid job on that front.

His motivation speech to Tintin about failure in Bagghar is quite surprising for Haddock, and it's not something that you would see him say in the books. At first, I wasn't sure about it; but it works beautifully in the movie, and this scene is now one of my favorites.

Interesting fact: he reveals his first name to Tintin in his first scene, whereas in the comics, he waited for the last finished book of the series (Tintin and the Picaros).

-Tintin works as a telegraphist aboard the Speedol Star in Land of the Black Gold.

-This guy works under Allan in The Red Sea Sharks. It should be said here that most of the Karaboudjan sailors in the film can be spotted in The Crab with the Golden Claws or The Secret of the Unicorn books.

-The flying ball of whisky is a nod to a scene from Explorers on the Moon.

-Getting out of a flying seaplane is an idea that possibly references a scene from The Shooting Star.

-Bianca Castafiore can't be seen in The Crab with the Golden Claws, The Secret of the Unicorn or Red Rackham's Treasure. Therefore her presence in the film can be considered a nod to the fans. Her first appearance in a Tintin book is in King Ottokar's Sceptre (first ever drawing in the panel above).

-She was first called the Milanese Nightingale in The Seven Crystal Balls.

-Her dress in that picture (and the following scene) is similar to one seen in The Castafiore Emerald.

-The emerald replacing the 'O' is a nod to the cover of The Castafiore Emerald.

-Omar Ben Salaad's Palace in the film overhangs Bagghar. This is similar to Professor Smith's Palace situation above Wadesdah in Land of the Black Gold.

-This sculpture is a nod to a panel in Tintin and the Picaros.

-The crab is a nod to the main story of The Crab with the Golden Claws, which made Omar Ben Salaad the man behind a drug traffic operation: opium was hidden in tins of crab-meat. Since it was not developed in the film, it deserves its place here as an easter egg.

-This Castafiore look was taken from a scene of King Ottokar's Sceptre.

-Chosing between temptation and the right thing to do: a theme that appears more than once in Hergé's series. Most of the time with Snowy (here in King Ottokar's Sceptre), but also with Haddock. Similar scenes can be seen in The Red Sea Sharks and Tintin in Tibet.

-The red Jeep from Land of the Black Gold.

-Similar to the tank going through a building in The Calculus Affair.

-Another nod to the left-behind story from The Crab with the Golden claws: tins of crab-meat.

-The car Tintin is driving - a green Triumph TR2 - makes an appearance in the last panel of The Red Sea Sharks. It's difficult to say if it's a right-hand drive car in the book, but for some reason the filmmakers decided to make it one in the movie.

-Another clue to get to the wreck of the Unicorn. A tease that fans can immediately link to the events of the book Red Rackham's Treasure.

Conclusion

I've counted over 110 easter eggs to the Tintin universe in The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn. I think it shows the genuine affection and respect of the filmmakers for the source material. Some are obvious, some may be a little far-fetched, but in the end, it makes us believe this is truly Tintin's world.

If any of you spot an easter egg that escaped me, please let us know in the comments section. This post will be updated and you will be credited for your discovery. I'm especially eager to find out what that 'Portsmouth' means and if the weird shape between the Arumbaya fetish and King Ottokar's sceptre is related to Tintin in any way.

Thank you for reading and long live Tintin!