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"Was it really Hergé who created Tintin?" A sculptor and the Moulinsart company in court

2021-04-14T13:58:53.924Z


The beneficiaries of Hergé are claiming 200,000 euros in damages and the seizure of Peppone's sculptures. The latter counter-attacks by questioning the paternity of the little blond hero.


A "

relentlessness

" on the part of Moulinsart.

This is what denounces the artist Peppone, alias Christophe Tixier, once again accused of "

counterfeiting

" by the company responsible for the commercial exploitation of Tintin.

Based in Aix-en-Provence, Christophe Tixier sculpts in resin and laminated fiberglass known characters such as Spiderman, Snoopy, Mickey and above all, busts of Tintin.

But in 2017, the heirs of Hergé filed a complaint against the artist for infringement.

Finally, "

in view of my work and the elements presented by the opposing party, the Aix-en-Provence criminal court ruled that the citation against me was void

", explained, relieved, the artist to

Mediapart

.

This time, the company is claiming 200,000 euros in damages from the artist, as well as the return of his sculptures.

A Parisian gallery that exhibited his works is also attacked.

An incomprehensible request for Peppone.

When you're an artist, you spend your time getting inspiration from each other.

Does anyone say that Picasso plagiarized African art?

"He told AFP.

"

For an artist, being accused of being a cheater, a copier, is what is worse,

" laments Peppone.

The sculptor's lawyer, Delphine Cô, raised the question of the character's paternity: “

Was it really Hergé who created the character of Tintin?

".

A reference to the 1898 album

Tintin-lutin

, by the French illustrator Benjamin Rabier, which featured a little blond character, looking similar to that of Tintin d'Hergé.

Tintin-lutin, the character of Benjamin Rabier dating from 1898, long before that of Hergé.

Benjamin Rabier via Wikimedia Commons

However, "

to claim the copyright of a character, the work must be original for it to be protected,

" said Delphine Cô.

In addition, the lawyer questioned the accusation of counterfeiting, which would suppose that the Moulinsart company sells busts similar to those of Peppone, "

which it does not provide proof of

".

To read also: He offers sensual love to Tintin: an artist sued by Moulinsart for "attacking the moral order"

This is not the first time that an artist has suffered the wrath of Hergé's heirs.

Already in 2019, the cartoonist Pascal Somon was sentenced to ten months in prison for having sold representations of Tintin in the form of posters.

In March, this time it was a Breton painter who was sued for having merged two worlds, that of Hergé and that of Edward Hooper.

Business which could multiply even more in the years to come: it was not until 2053 that Tintin d'Hergé would fall into the public domain.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2021-04-14

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