Jolyon Wagg
Encyclopedia
Jolyon Wagg is a fictional character in The Adventures of Tintin
, the series of classic Belgian
comic books written and illustrated by Hergé
. He is an gregarious, simple, and overbearing man who enters the story by barging in uninvited. He is disliked by Captain Haddock
, who finds Wagg frustrating, although Wagg remains cheerfully oblivious and believes himself a great friend of the Captain. Wagg often quotes his Uncle Anatole, who was a barber. Wagg is portrayed as a clueless tourist
in the exotic places where Tintin and the Captain have their adventures. Wagg is an insurance
salesman by trade, and he often tries to sell other characters insurance.
He is generally seen as a more modern character, as opposed to the older archetypes (crusty sea captain, absent-minded professor) that inhabit Hergé's earlier works.
, where his self-importance and insensitivity enrage Captain Haddock. Wagg also appears in The Red Sea Sharks
, The Castafiore Emerald
, Flight 714
and Tintin and the Picaros
.
Wagg appears four times in The Calculus Affair
, inviting himself inside Marlinspike Manor, interfering with a critical radio transmission, repeatedly interrupting Haddock's phone call to Nestor, and moving into the Marlinspike Manor with his family for a holiday while Tintin, Haddock, and Calculus are gone. Tintin, who rarely shows anger, is unaffected, however the Captain is goaded into memorable rants, for example:
Wagg cannot take a hint. He sees himself as Haddock's friend and cannot appear to appreciate the Captain's outbursts as genuine dislike for him: when Bianca Castafiore
insured her jewels for a large sum of money, Wagg gave the Captain a critical phone call, saying that as a common "friend" of his and Bianca's, Haddock should have seen to it that Wagg got the deal. (In fact Haddock sees both of them as nuisances rather than friends.)
In the final Tintin album, Tintin and the Picaros
, the tables are turned when Tintin and the Captain steal the costumes from the group with which Wagg is traveling.
Wagg has an unusual role in Tintin albums in that, unlike most recurring characters with a role in the plot, he is a relatively average human being (not being criminal, eccentric, dictatorial, or famous). He facilitated Hergé's bringing in a more realistic, domestic mood into some stories. Perhaps reflecting Hergé’s dislike of mediocrity, in his appearances, Wagg never accomplishes much, except to get in the way.
The Adventures of Tintin
The Adventures of Tintin is a series of classic comic books created by Belgian artist , who wrote under the pen name of Hergé...
, the series of classic Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
comic books written and illustrated by Hergé
Hergé
Georges Prosper Remi , better known by the pen name Hergé, was a Belgian comics writer and artist. His best known and most substantial work is the 23 completed comic books in The Adventures of Tintin series, which he wrote and illustrated from 1929 until his death in 1983, although he was also...
. He is an gregarious, simple, and overbearing man who enters the story by barging in uninvited. He is disliked by Captain Haddock
Captain Haddock
Captain Archibald Haddock is a fictional character in The Adventures of Tintin, the series of classic Belgian comic books written and illustrated by Hergé...
, who finds Wagg frustrating, although Wagg remains cheerfully oblivious and believes himself a great friend of the Captain. Wagg often quotes his Uncle Anatole, who was a barber. Wagg is portrayed as a clueless tourist
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
in the exotic places where Tintin and the Captain have their adventures. Wagg is an insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
salesman by trade, and he often tries to sell other characters insurance.
He is generally seen as a more modern character, as opposed to the older archetypes (crusty sea captain, absent-minded professor) that inhabit Hergé's earlier works.
Character history
Jolyon Wagg is based on a salesman who came to Hergé's door and invited himself in, but also on a stereotype of what Hergé called a belgicain (roughly, "an Ugly Belgian", one who is insensitive, for example, when visiting in foreign countries). Wagg appears late in the series, starting with The Calculus AffairThe Calculus Affair
The Calculus Affair is the eighteenth of The Adventures of Tintin, a series of classic comic-strip albums, written and illustrated by Belgian writer and illustrator Hergé, featuring young reporter Tintin as a hero....
, where his self-importance and insensitivity enrage Captain Haddock. Wagg also appears in The Red Sea Sharks
The Red Sea Sharks
The Red Sea Sharks is the nineteenth of The Adventures of Tintin, a series of classic comic-strip albums written and illustrated by Hergé, featuring young reporter Tintin as a hero...
, The Castafiore Emerald
The Castafiore Emerald
The Castafiore Emerald is an album in the classic comic-strip series The Adventures of Tintin by Belgian writer and illustrator Hergé, featuring young reporter Tintin as a hero....
, Flight 714
Flight 714
Flight 714, first published in 1968, is the 22nd and penultimate complete volume of The Adventures of Tintin, a series of classic comic-strip albums by the Belgian writer and illustrator Hergé, featuring young reporter Tintin as a hero. Its original French title is Vol 714 pour Sydney...
and Tintin and the Picaros
Tintin and the Picaros
Tintin and the Picaros is one of The Adventures of Tintin, a series of classic comic-strip graphic novels, written and illustrated by Belgian writer and illustrator Hergé, featuring young reporter Tintin as a hero....
.
Wagg appears four times in The Calculus Affair
The Calculus Affair
The Calculus Affair is the eighteenth of The Adventures of Tintin, a series of classic comic-strip albums, written and illustrated by Belgian writer and illustrator Hergé, featuring young reporter Tintin as a hero....
, inviting himself inside Marlinspike Manor, interfering with a critical radio transmission, repeatedly interrupting Haddock's phone call to Nestor, and moving into the Marlinspike Manor with his family for a holiday while Tintin, Haddock, and Calculus are gone. Tintin, who rarely shows anger, is unaffected, however the Captain is goaded into memorable rants, for example:
Wagg cannot take a hint. He sees himself as Haddock's friend and cannot appear to appreciate the Captain's outbursts as genuine dislike for him: when Bianca Castafiore
Bianca Castafiore
Bianca Castafiore, the "Milanese Nightingale", is a fictional character in The Adventures of Tintin, the series of classic Belgian comic books written and illustrated by Hergé...
insured her jewels for a large sum of money, Wagg gave the Captain a critical phone call, saying that as a common "friend" of his and Bianca's, Haddock should have seen to it that Wagg got the deal. (In fact Haddock sees both of them as nuisances rather than friends.)
In the final Tintin album, Tintin and the Picaros
Tintin and the Picaros
Tintin and the Picaros is one of The Adventures of Tintin, a series of classic comic-strip graphic novels, written and illustrated by Belgian writer and illustrator Hergé, featuring young reporter Tintin as a hero....
, the tables are turned when Tintin and the Captain steal the costumes from the group with which Wagg is traveling.
Wagg has an unusual role in Tintin albums in that, unlike most recurring characters with a role in the plot, he is a relatively average human being (not being criminal, eccentric, dictatorial, or famous). He facilitated Hergé's bringing in a more realistic, domestic mood into some stories. Perhaps reflecting Hergé’s dislike of mediocrity, in his appearances, Wagg never accomplishes much, except to get in the way.