Snowy (character)
| Snowy | |
|---|---|
Snowy (Milou), by Hergé
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Casterman (Belgium) |
| First appearance |
Tintin in the Land of the Soviets (1929) The Adventures of Tintin |
| Created by | Hergé |
| In-story information | |
| Full name | Snowy (Milou in the original French) |
| Species | Wire Fox Terrier |
| Partnerships | List of main characters |
| Supporting character of | Tintin |
Snowy (French: Milou) is a fictional character in The Adventures of Tintin, the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. Snowy is a white Wire Fox Terrier who is a companion to Tintin, the series' protagonist. He debuted on 10 January 1929 in the first installment of Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, which was serialised in Le Petit Vingtième until May 1930.
Snowy's conception was inspired in part by a Fox Terrier at a café Hergé used to frequent. Milou, Snowy's original French name, was the nickname of Hergé's first girlfriend (although Snowy is male).
In the first eight Tintin adventures, Snowy regularly addresses his internal monologue to the reader. Hergé diminished Snowy's speaking role after the introduction of Captain Haddock in the ninth story, The Crab with the Golden Claws.
Terriers were popular domestic dogs during the late 1920s and early 1930s. They were known for their intelligence and character, two traits which are also reflected in Snowy. Snowy was inspired by various breeds of terrier, especially the Wire Fox Terrier. A pure white Fox Terrier is highly unusual. Hergé always draws Snowy at particular angles, usually three-quarters-on, to align his expressions with the panel. Snowy's size relative to humans varies between strips.
Hergé never had a dog in his family until his last years; however, in 1929 he was a regular at a café where the proprietor had a terrier. This dog was a major source of inspiration for Snowy.
Snowy's original French name Milou—an abbreviation of Marie-Louise—is borrowed from the nickname of Hergé's first girlfriend, Marie-Louise Van Cutsem. Marie-Louise's father disapproved of Hergé's low social standing, and the young couple's relationship consequently deteriorated. Nevertheless, Hergé remained fond of Marie-Louise, and made her the namesake of Tintin's most trusted friend. The name Snowy was chosen for English-language translations not only because of the dog's colour, but because it's a five-letter word that fits in the speech balloons.
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