Jolyon Wagg
Among the delights of The Adventures of Tintin is Herge's ability to echo the world at large in all its diversity, not only places, but particularly people. In his ever-expanding cast list he lacked, until The Calculus Affair, one type - the proverbial bore. Jolyon Wagg made his debut in The Calculus Affair when he barges into Marlinspike Hall during a violent storm after the windows of his car have shattered.
In which adventure does Jolyon Wagg appear for the first time ?
The Calculus Affair
Red Rackham?s Treasure
The Castafiore Emerald
What is Jolyon Wagg's profession ?
Financial advisor
Insurance salesman
Pharmacist
What is the name of the company which Jolyon Wagg works for ?
Rock Bottom Insurance
Close Call Coverage
Sober Securities
What is the name of Jolyon Wagg's uncle ?
Arthur
Anatole
Leon
How is Jolyon Wagg's character best described ?
Grumpy and bad-tempered
Cunning and mischievous
Talkative and cowardly
Where was Herge living during the war, when he encountered a salesman who partially inspired Jolyon Wagg ?
Boitsfort
Antwerp
Ghent
In which book do we see Jolyon Wagg's family?
The Castafiore Emerald
Prisoners of the Sun
The Calculus Affair
In which book does Jolyon Wagg play a final walk-on role ?
Tintin and Alph-Art
Tintin and the Picaros
The Red Sea Sharks
What does Captain Haddock buy from Ramo Nash in Tintin and Alph-Art ?
A car
A bottle of whisky
An H
What is one of the hallmarks of the typical Brussels or Belgian character Herge had in mind when creating Jolyon Wagg ?
Carrying a suitcase
Wearing belt and braces at the same time
Wearing a moustache
Name
After much thought Herge came up with the name Lampion - meaning a Chinese lantern - for his new character. As usual he listed various possibilities, including Crampon, which he rejected because he found it too explicit and harsh sounding.
He settled on
Lampion
, giving him the splendid first name Seraphin. The English translators named him
Jolyon Wagg
.
Profession
Jolyon Wagg is an insurance salesman who annoys everyone he meets by trying to sell them unwanted insurance policies.
The creation of Wagg
During an interview with Numa Sadoul, Herge reminisced: "I found the model for Wagg a long time ago. During the war, when I was living in Boitsfort, I had a visit from a character who came to sell me I no longer know what. He sat down and pointing to my chair said: "Do take a pew!" What marvellous gall!".
Herge also said that one of the special characteristics of some people in Brussels was to "wear both a belt and braces," which he added was "an excellent and convenient double security for an insurance salesman.".
Family
Wagg's family is ghastly. His wife, children, mother - in-law - that whole small world is frightful! In
The Calculus Affair
they ransack Marlinspike Hall. Wagg uninvited, has installed himself at Marlinspike for the rest of the holidays with his ?little brood? comprising wife, mother-in-law and seven frightful children, including twins.
Personality: A self-satisfied bore
With the creation of the smug, self-satisfied Jolyon Wagg Herge introduced a champion bore. His boundless, baseless confidence, his supreme vulgarity, the infuriating fixed grin and endless monologues are enough to exasperate not only Captain Haddock. Then as a bonus there are the uncalled-for anecdotes of his Uncle Anatole, suitably a hairdresser or barber, a profession notable for its perceived conversational skills.
Herge did not find Wagg repugnant: "He is not a malicious man, but he is very pleased with himself and therefore exasperating." Wagg's traits are the complete opposite to those of Tintin and just highlight the value of Tintin's personal characteristics.
Personality: A chattering funk
Like so many braggarts, Wagg is also a coward. He is visibly perturbed when his whisky glass shatters for no apparent reason and takes it as his cue to put on his jacket and coat and leave. Tintin and Haddock later find him cowering in the bushes in the park of Marlinspike, claiming that someone tried to kill him. Finally, one mention of chickenpox by Professor Calculus, and he packs his bags and hastily departs from Marlinspike with his awful clan.
Final banter
There is a postscript, a last brief part for Wagg, grinning as usual and sporting his bow tie, in the sketched out Tintin and Alph - Art where, after a long interval,he returns to Marlinspike. He then spots the sculpted "H" that Haddock bought and is having to explain to all and sundry to his great irritation. "My, my, what's that thingummy? Looks like an H, eh?"
He then asks what it is for - the question calculated to annoy Haddock most - and is offended at the answer: "It is a work of art. It is Alph-Art. It is by Ramo Nash and it is for absolutely nothing at all." At which point a perplexed Wagg makes his final exit from the adventures.