Editing Hergé (section)

== Later life ==

=== Establishing ''Tintin'' magazine: 1946–1949 ===

[[File:Journal de Tintin Le Temple du Soleil.jpg|thumb|upright|300px|The first issue of ''[[Tintin (magazine)|Tintin]]'' magazine included an image based upon ''Prisoners of the Sun''.]]

Sinave devised the idea of naming their new magazine ''[[Tintin (magazine)|Tintin]]'', believing that this would attract a wide audience.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=165}} The Dutch-language edition produced for release in Belgium's Flemish north was titled ''Kuifje'' after the character's Dutch-language name.{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1p=124|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2p=173}} Adopting the slogan of "The Newspaper for the Young Aged 7 to 77",{{Sfn|Assouline|2009|p=124}} the magazine also used a logo featuring the Tintin character himself.{{Sfn|Assouline|2009|p=122}} The [[Capital (economics)|capital]] for the project had been put up by those involved: as executive director, Leblanc provided 50%, while its managing director Georges Lallemand provided 40% and Hergé, its artistic director, provided 10%.{{Sfn|Assouline|2009|p=120}} Hergé assembled a group of associates to aid him, including Van Melkebeke, Jacobs, Paul Cuvelier, and Jacques Laudy.{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1pp=120–121|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2p=171}} Van Melkebeke was initially appointed editor-in-chief, although he was arrested for having worked for the collaborationist ''Le Nouveau journal'' shortly after, with his involvement in the project thus being kept secret so as to avoid further controversy.{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1pp=118–119|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2p=172, 175}} Van Melkebeke continued to provide work for the magazine under pseudonyms, although this ceased during his imprisonment from December 1947 to October 1949.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|pp=175–176, 186}}

The first issue of ''Tintin'' magazine was published on 26 September 1946.{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1p=120|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2p=173}} Hergé was assigned to produce a two-page spread each week, and began by concluding ''The Seven Crystal Balls'' before embarking on its successor story, ''[[Prisoners of the Sun]]''.{{Sfn|Assouline|2009|p=124}} Alongside Hergé's ''Adventures of Tintin'', the magazine also included Laudy's ''The Legend of the Four Aymon Brothers'' and Jacobs' ''[[The Secret of the Swordfish]]'', the first in his new ''[[Blake and Mortimer]]'' series.{{Sfn|Assouline|2009|p=122}} While the magazine was in competition with a number of rivals, most notably ''[[Spirou (magazine)|Spirou]]'', famous for serialising the ''[[Lucky Luke]]'' and ''[[Buck Danny]]'' comics,{{Sfn|Assouline|2009|p=121}} it proved an immediate success, with 60,000 copies being sold in three days of its release.{{Sfn|Assouline|2009|p=122}} Its publication resulted in a massive boost to Hergé's book sales too.{{Sfn|Assouline|2009|p=124}}

In 1947, [[The Crab with the Golden Claws (film)|a Belgian film adaptation]] of ''The Crab with the Golden Claws'' was produced, and believing that cinematic adaptations were a good way to proceed, Hergé contacted [[Walt Disney Studios (division)|Disney Studios]] in the United States; they declined his offer to adapt ''The Adventures of Tintin'' for the silver screen.{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1p=133|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2p=187–189}} In May 1947, the artistic collaboration between Hergé and Jacobs ended after an argument. Hergé had been jealous of the immediate success of Jacobs' ''Blake and Mortimer'' series, and had turned down Jacobs' request that he be credited as co-creator of the new ''Adventures of Tintin''.{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1pp=126–127|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2pp=176–177}} That same month, Hergé broke from his manager, Thiery, after discovering that the latter had been siphoning off money for himself.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=179}}

Many Belgians were highly critical of the magazine due to its connections with Hergé, who was still deemed a collaborator and traitor by many; ''Le Soir'' and ''La Cité'' publicly criticised the decision without referring to him by name while ''Le Quotidien'' and ''[[Communist Party of Belgium|Le Drapeau Rouge]]'' specifically singled him out for denunciation.{{Sfn|Assouline|2009|pp=122–123}} Hergé believed that the children's author [[Jeanne Cappe]] was behind many of these accusations, and threatened her with a lawsuit.{{Sfn|Assouline|2009|pp=130–131}} Unhappy with life in Belgium, Hergé made plans to emigrate to Argentina, a nation that was welcoming many Europeans who had supported the defeated Axis powers and which had a thriving comic book scene. Ultimately, he changed his mind, for reasons that have remained unknown; it is possible that he was unable to secure any promise of work in the South American country.{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1pp=131, 134|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2pp=190–193}}

{{Quote box|width=246px|bgcolor=#c6dbf7|align=left|quote=I've just discovered ... that Tintin is no longer me, and that though he continued to live it is through a sort of artificial respiration that I must keep up constantly, and that is exhausting me more and more.|source=Hergé, in a letter to his wife, 1947{{Sfnm|1a1=Peeters|1y=2012|1p=183}}}}

In May, Hergé and Germaine holidayed near to [[Gland, Switzerland|Gland]] on [[Lake Geneva]], Switzerland, where they were accompanied by a friend of theirs, a young woman named Rosane. During the holiday, Hergé and Rosane embarked on an [[extra-marital affair]]. He felt guilty, and returned to Brussels in June.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=193}} Privately, he expressed the view that he had been led to commit such an act, which he viewed as immoral, through the influence of "amoral friends" with whom he was associating.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=194}} Hoping to reignite the passion and stability of his marriage, he arranged to return to Switzerland with Germaine soon after; here they argued and embarked on a temporary separation.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=194}} Remaining in Switzerland, he visited [[King Leopold III]], who was then holidaying in [[Pregny-Chambésy|Prégny]],{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=198}} before briefly returning to Brussels in July.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=201}} Back in Switzerland, he embarked on an affair with a married woman, although again informed Germaine before setting off to spend time in the [[Ardennes]].{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|pp=201–202}} In August, the couple sought to reunite by holidaying together in [[Brittany]], but there they broke up again and Hergé returned to his lover in Switzerland.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|pp=202–203}} In September, he finally returned to Brussels,{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=203}} but he then spent time with his close friend [[Marcel Dehaye]] in a retreat at the [[Scourmont Abbey|Abbey of Notre-Dame-de-Scourmont]].{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1pp=127–129|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2pp=204–205}} That month, he revived ''Land of Black Gold''&nbsp;– the ''Adventure of Tintin'' that had been interrupted by the German invasion of 1940&nbsp;– and began serialising it in ''Tintin'' magazine.{{Sfn|Lofficier|Lofficier|2002|p=59}} However, the story was again interrupted, this time for 12 weeks as Hergé took a further unannounced holiday to Gland, greatly annoying many of his colleagues.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|pp=210–214}}

Although they retained respect for each other, Hergé's repeated absences had created a tense situation between himself and Leblanc.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=214}} After a lengthy search, Leblanc had found a publisher willing to produce an edition of ''Tintin'' magazine in France: Georges Dargaud's [[Le Lombard]], which began production of a French edition in October 1948.{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1p=131|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2p=203}} However, Hergé was unhappy that Leblanc had appointed André Frenez as Van Melkebeke's replacement as editor-in-chief, describing Frenez as "a cold functionary".{{Sfn|Assouline|2009|p=142}} Hergé was stubborn and uncompromising as the magazine's artistic director, known for strongly criticising the work of old friends like Pierre Ickx if he felt that they did not meet his exacting standards.{{Sfn|Assouline|2009|p=139}} He was particularly critical of the work of two of the newly hired staff at ''Tintin'' and ''Kuifje'', [[Jacques Martin (comics)|Jacques Martin]] and [[Willy Vandersteen]], encouraging them to change their artistic style to better reflect his own preferences.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=215}} To Leblanc, he expressed the concern that most of those working at ''Tintin'' were better illustrators than storytellers.{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1p=169|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2p=237}} He also opined that ''Tintin'' was not keeping up with the times and what he perceived as the increased maturity of children, encouraging the magazine to better reflect current events and scientific developments.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|pp=235–237}}

=== {{Anchor|Personal crisis}}Studios Hergé and Fanny Vlamynck: 1950–1965 ===<!-- Other articles linked approximately here before the "Personal crisis" section heading was removed. -->

On 6 April 1950, Hergé established [[Studios Hergé]] as a [[public company]].{{Sfnm|1a1=Farr|1y=2001|1p=141|2a1=Assouline|2y=2009|2p=147|3a1=Peeters|3y=2012|3p=226}} The Studios were based in his [[Avenue Delleur]] house in Brussels,{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=226}} with Hergé making a newly purchased country house in [[Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve|Céroux-Mousty]] his and Germaine's main residence.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=229}} The Studios would provide both personal support to Hergé and technical support for his ongoing work.{{Sfn|Assouline|2009|p=148}} The Studio initially had only three employees; the staff would increase to 15, all of whom were working on Hergé's projects.{{Sfn|Assouline|2009|p=149}} He hired [[Bob de Moor]] as his primary apprentice at the Studios in March 1951.{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1pp=152–153|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2p=231}} Impressed by Jacques Martin's work on ''The Golden Sphinx'', Hergé persuaded Martin to join the Studios in January 1954; Martin insisted on bringing with him his own two assistants, [[Roger Leloup]] and Michel Demarets.{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1p=153|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2pp=249–250}} During the early 1950s, a number of those convicted for collaborating with the Nazi occupiers were freed from prison. Sympathetic to their plight, Hergé lent money to some and aided others in getting jobs at ''Tintin'' magazine, much to Leblanc's annoyance.{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1pp=149–150|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2pp=233–234}} For instance, as well as lending him money, Hergé used his connections to secure Raymond de Becker a job in Switzerland as a book shop sales inspector.{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1p=150|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2pp=234–235}} He also hired those associated with collaboration for his Studios; his new colourist, Josette Baujot, was the wife of a recently assassinated member of the [[Walloon Legion]],{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1p=149|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2p=250}} and his new secretary, Baudouin van der Branden de Reeth, had served a prison sentence for working at ''Le Nouveau Journal'' during the occupation.{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1p=150|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2p=248}}

Hergé had developed the idea of setting an ''Adventure of Tintin'' on the moon while producing ''Prisoners of the Sun''.{{Sfn|Farr|2001|p=135}} He began serialisation of ''[[Destination Moon (comics)|Destination Moon]]'', the first of a two part arc followed by ''[[Explorers on the Moon]]'', in ''Tintin'' magazine in March 1950.{{Sfn|Lofficier|Lofficier|2002|p=63}} In September 1950, Hergé broke off the story,{{Sfnm|1a1=Peeters|1y=2012|1p=227|2a1=Goddin|2y=2011|2p=13}} feeling the need for a break from work, having fallen back into clinical depression. He and Germaine went on holiday to Gland before returning to Brussels in late September.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|pp=227–228}} Many readers sent letters to ''Tintin'' asking why ''Explorers on the Moon'' was no longer being serialised, with a rumour emerging that Hergé had died.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=230}} ''Explorers of the Moon'' would resume after an eighteen-month hiatus, returning in April 1952.{{Sfnm|1a1=Thompson|1y=1991|1p=149|2a1=Farr|2y=2001|2p=141|3a1=Peeters|3y=2012|3p=232}} Alongside his work on the new stories, Hergé also made use of the Studios in revising more of his early works.{{Sfn|Assouline|2009|p=159}}

In February 1952, Hergé was involved in a car crash in which Germaine's leg was shattered; she had to have a steel rod implanted in it, and was confined to a wheelchair for several months.{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1p=179|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2p=239}} Their relationship was further strained when they received news of Wallez' death in September 1952.{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1p=179|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2p=240}} His friendship with Van Melkebeke also broke apart in this period, in part due to advice gained from an alleged [[Clairvoyance|clairvoyant]], [[Bertje Janueneau]], upon whom both Hergé and Germaine were increasingly relying for guidance.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|pp=240–242}} In January 1955 a young woman named Fanny Vlamynck [[:fr:Fanny Rodwell|(fr)]] was hired as a colourist at the Studios. Hergé embarked on an extramarital affair with her in November 1956, with the rest of the studio staff soon finding out.{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1p=180|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2pp=260–361}} Germaine grew suspicious of her husband's affections for Fanny, but was also experiencing a strong romantic attraction to her ballroom dance partner.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=261}} Hergé and Germaine went on a cruise for the former's 50th birthday in May 1957, during which they visited [[Casablanca]], [[Rabat]], [[Palermo]], and [[Rome]]. They went on a second holiday to [[Ostend]] in October.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=262}} Following the trip to Ostend, he revealed his affair with Fanny to Germaine.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=263}} He began experiencing traumatic dreams dominated by the colour white and, seeking to explain them, he visited Franz Ricklin, a [[psychoanalysis|psychoanalyst]] who was a student of [[Carl Jung]] in [[Zürich]] in May 1959.{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1pp=190–191|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2pp=275–278}} In February 1960, he returned to Switzerland, and upon his return to Brussels, he began renting an apartment in [[Uccle]], away from Germaine.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=285}} His relationship with Germaine had ended, although due to restrictions under Belgian law he was unable to obtain a divorce until 17 years later.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=285}}

[[File:Herge's abstract artwork.jpg|thumb|right|One of Hergé's abstract artworks]]

In September 1958, ''Tintin'' magazine moved its headquarters to a newly constructed building near the [[Brussels-South railway station|Gare du Midi]].{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=265}} Hergé continued to feud with Leblanc over the direction of the magazine; his constant absences had led to him being replaced as artistic director, and he demanded that he be reinstated. Leblanc relented in early 1965, although Hergé soon departed to [[Sardinia]] for six weeks.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|pp=291–292}} In October 1965 Leblanc appointed the cartoonist [[Greg (cartoonist)|Greg]] to be editor-in-chief of the magazine, believing him capable of reforming the paper to remain relevant to the youth of the day.{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1p=197|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2p=292}} By this point, ''Tintin'' magazine was at its commercial peak, with sales of 600,000 a week, although Hergé had lost much of his interest in it.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=292}}

Supported by his studio, Hergé produced ''[[The Calculus Affair]]'' in 1954–1956 and ''[[The Red Sea Sharks]]'' in 1956–1957.{{Sfn|Assouline|2009|pp=175–8; 260}} Hergé's book sales were higher than ever, and translations were being produced for the British, Spanish, and Scandinavian markets.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=264}} He was receiving international press attention, with articles on his work appearing in ''[[L'Obs|France-Observateur]]'', ''[[The Listener (magazine)|The Listener]]'', and ''[[The Times Literary Supplement]]''.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=266}} Paul Vandromme authored an uncritical book on Hergé, ''Le Monde de Tintin'' ("The World of Tintin"), published by [[Éditions Gallimard]] in 1959; Hergé vetoed the inclusion of a proposed preface by [[Roger Nimier]] after finding its praise for his own work too embarrassing.{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1pp=181–183|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2pp=266–267}} Radio adaptations of ''The Adventures of Tintin'' were produced,{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=267}} as was an animated cartoon series produced by [[Belvision Studios]], ''[[Hergé's Adventures of Tintin]]''.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=267}} Two live-action films were also produced, ''[[Tintin and the Golden Fleece]]'' (1961) and ''[[Tintin and the Blue Oranges]]'' (1964), the former of which Hergé had been closely involved with.{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1p=227|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2p=268}}

Developing an interest in [[modern art]], in the early 1960s Hergé befriended the art dealer Marcel Stal, owner of the Carrefour gallery in Brussels.{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1pp=216–217|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2p=303}} He was a particular fan of the work of [[Constant Permeke]], [[Jakob Smits]], [[Lucio Fontana]], and Jean-Pierre Raynaurd, as well as the [[pop art]] movement, in particular the work of [[Roy Lichtenstein]].{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=304}} He built up his own personal collection, which consisted of both modern paintings as well as [[African art]] and [[Chinese ceramics]].{{Sfn|Assouline|2009|pp=215–216}} In 1962, Hergé decided he wanted to paint. He chose [[Louis Van Lint]], one of the most respected Belgian [[Abstract art|abstract painters]] at the time, whose work he liked a lot, to be his private teacher.{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1p=218|2a1=Farr|2y=2007|2p=39}} Hergé took up painting as a hobby,{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=295}} producing abstract art works which were influenced by the styles of [[Joan Miró]] and [[Serge Poliakoff]].{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=302}} He showed his work to the art historian Léo Van Puyvelde, who was the chief conservator of the Musées des Beaux-Arts, who believed that they showed promise, but that Hergé's real talent lay with cartooning.{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1p=218|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2p=302}} Hergé abandoned painting shortly after, having produced 37 paintings in all.{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1p=218|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2p=302}} Spending less time on new ''Adventures of Tintin'', from June to December 1965 ''Tintin'' magazine serialised a redrawn and newly coloured version of ''The Black Island'' prepared by staff at Studios Hergé.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=293}}

=== Final years: 1966–1983 ===

[[File:Tintin magazine 50th anniversary issue.jpg|thumb|right|An issue of ''Tintin'' magazine celebrating the 50th anniversary of ''The Adventures of Tintin'' (1979).]]

In the 1960s, Hergé became increasingly annoyed at the success of [[René Goscinny]] and [[Albert Uderzo]]'s ''[[Asterix]]'' comic book series, which various commentators had described as eclipsing ''The Adventures of Tintin'' as the foremost comic in the [[Franco-Belgian comics|Franco-Belgian tradition]].{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|pp=297–298}} Hoping to imitate the success of the recent animated films ''[[Asterix the Gaul (film)|Asterix the Gaul]]'' (1967) and ''[[Asterix and Cleopatra (film)|Asterix and Cleopatra]]'' (1968), Hergé agreed to the production of two animated Belvision films based on the ''Adventures of Tintin''. The first, ''[[Tintin and the Temple of the Sun]]'' (1969), was based on pre-existing comics, whereas the second, ''[[Tintin and the Lake of Sharks]]'' (1972) was an original story written by [[Greg (cartoonist)|Greg]].{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1p=226|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2p=299}} In 1982, the US filmmaker [[Steven Spielberg]] requested the film rights for a live-action adaptation of one of ''The Adventures of Tintin'', a prospect that excited Hergé, but the project would not come to fruition until long after his death.{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1pp=228–229|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2pp=338–339}}

In a wide-ranging interview with the journalist [[Numa Sadoul]] in October 1971, Hergé opened up about many of the problems he had experienced in his personal life. Sadoul planned to publish the interview as a book, but Hergé made many alterations to the transcript, both to improve its prose and to remove sections which cast him in a negative light. Editors at Casterman then removed even further sections, particularly those in which Hergé expressed a negative view of Catholicism. The interview was published as ''[[Tintin and I|Tintin et moi]]'' ("Tintin and Me") in 1975.{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1pp=207–208|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2pp=315–317}} Hergé followed this by agreeing to be the subject of a documentary film produced by Henri Roane, ''[[I, Tintin|Moi, Tintin]]'' ("I, Tintin"), which premiered in 1975.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=318}} In January 1977 he attended an early comic book convention at [[Angoulême]], where he was widely heralded as one of the masters of the discipline.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=238}} To mark the fiftieth anniversary of ''The Adventures of Tintin'' in 1979, a celebratory event was held at Brussels' Hilton hotel, while an exhibit on "Le Musée imaginaire de Tintin" ("The Imaginary Museum of Tintin") was held at the Palais de Beaux-Arts.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=329}}

In April 1971, Hergé visited the U.S. for the first time, primarily to visit a liver specialist in [[Rochester, Minnesota]]; however, on the trip, he also visited a [[Sioux]] reservation in [[South Dakota]], but was shocked at the conditions in which their inhabitants lived. On this visit he also spent time in [[Chicago]], [[San Francisco]], [[Los Angeles]], [[Las Vegas]], and [[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]].{{Sfnm|1a1=Goddin|1y=2011|1p=168|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2p=301}} In April 1972, he travelled to [[New York City]] for an international conference on the strip cartoon, and there presented Mayor [[John Lindsay]] with a cartoon of Tintin visiting the city and also met with the pop artist [[Andy Warhol]].{{Sfn|Goddin|2011|p=174}} Several years later, in 1977, Warhol visited Europe, where he produced a pop art portrait of Hergé.{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1p=218|2a1=Goddin|2y=2011|2p=190}} In April 1973, Hergé took up an invitation to visit [[Taiwan]] by the nation's government, in recognition of his promotion of Chinese culture in ''The Blue Lotus''. During the visit he also spent time in Thailand and Bali.{{Sfnm|1a1=Goddin|1y=2011|1p=177|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2pp=318–319}}

Hergé had long sought to regain contact with his old friend [[Zhang Chongren]], with whom he had lost contact. He regularly asked any Chinese people that he met if they knew of Zhang, and in 1979, had some success when a staff member in a Brussels Chinese restaurant revealed that he was Zhang's godson. Hergé was thus able to re-establish contact with his old friend.{{Sfnm|1a1=Goddin|1y=2011|1p=184|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2pp=319–320}} The journalist [[Gérard Valet]] organised for Zhang to visit Brussels so that he and Hergé could be re-united. The event took place in March 1981, and was heavily publicised; Hergé, however, found the situation difficult, disliking the press attention and finding that he and Zhang had grown distant during the intervening years.{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1p=225|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2p=333}}

In June 1970, Hergé's father died, and after the funeral he holidayed near Lake Geneva.{{Sfn|Goddin|2011|p=168}} In 1974, his assistant Branden suffered a stroke and was left unable to write, with Hergé replacing him with a young man, [[Alain Baran]],{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|pp=328–329}} who Hergé biographer [[Pierre Assouline]] later termed Hergé's "surrogate son".{{Sfn|Assouline|2009|p=211}} In March 1977, Hergé's divorce with Germaine was finalised; although Hergé continued to visit her and financially support her, Germaine took the divorce badly, viewing it as a further betrayal.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=328}} Hergé was then able to marry Fanny several weeks later, in a low-key ceremony on 20 May; he was 70 years old and she was 42.{{Sfnm|1a1=Goddin|1y=2011|1p=190|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2p=328}}

==== Death ====

[[File:Tombe d'Hergé Friedhof Uccle Bruxelles.JPG|thumb|150px|Hergé's grave in the ''[[Uccle#Main sights|Dieweg]]'' cemetery in Brussels.]]

In 1979, Hergé was diagnosed with [[Primary myelofibrosis|osteomyelofibrosis]], necessitating a complete blood transfusion.{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1p=232|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2p=330}} His need for blood transfusions had increased, as he came to require them every two weeks, and then every week.{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1p=232|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2pp=333, 334}}

On 25 February 1983, Hergé suffered [[cardiac arrest]] and was hospitalised in [[Intensive care medicine|intensive care]] at Brussels' [[Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc]].{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1p=234|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2p=334}} He had been scheduled to meet with Steven Spielberg, who later made [[The Adventures of Tintin (film)|''The Adventures of Tintin'']] (2011). He died at Saint-Luc on 3 March, at the age of 75.{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1p=234|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2p=334}} His death received [[headline|front page]] coverage in numerous francophone newspapers, including ''[[Libération]]'' and ''[[Le Monde]]''.{{Sfn|Thompson|1991|p=205}} In his will, he had left Fanny as his sole heir.{{Sfn|Assouline|2009|p=233}}

In November 1986, Fanny closed Studios Hergé, replacing it with the [[Hergé Foundation]].{{Sfnm|1a1=Thompson|1y=1991|1p=210|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2p=338}}

In 1988, ''Tintin'' magazine was discontinued.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=338}}