Dogs in Literature:
Under the pen name Hergé, Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi created “The Adventures of Tintin” featuring Snowy, one of the most popular dog characters of the 20th century…
Snowy is Tintin’s faithful companion, traversing continents with his adventurous master and saving his life on numerous occasions. Throughout all 24 Tintin adventures, reporter and dog are inseparable.
Hergé chose a fox terrier as Tintin’s canine companion. At the time, the fox terrier was popular for its character and intelligence — attributes abundantly evident in Snowy. Additionally, the landlord of a restaurant Hergé frequented was the proud owner of a fox terrier, and his dog became the inspiration for Snowy. In all likelihood, however, the landlord’s dog didn’t talk. In that way, Snowy is very much his own dog!
While heroic and intelligent, Snowy is still very much a dog. In The Shooting Star, he lies contentedly asleep, his stomach full of sausages. In The Black Island, he picks up a roast chicken from the British Rail restaurant car as Tintin rushes through in pursuit of villains. When faced with the choice between helping his companion and enjoying a delicious bone in King Ottokar’s Sceptre, Snowy hesitates just a bit before he chooses Tintin and saves the day.