Special Sub-Topic: Tintin in America Click Here To Play: Tintin in America

The setting for this adventure is a US city. Crime rates are very high and Mob bosses are ruling the city. Which city is the focal point of 'Tintin in America'?

Chicago. The year was 1931; Herge even introduces a real life character Al Capone in this book (something he didn't do in later books). Tintin comes to the city to help the cops clean up the city.

On arrival at this city, Tintin asks a cab driver to escort him to a particular hotel. On the way, he gets kidnapped (not once but a series of times). He finally makes it to the hotel after quite a few days. What was the name of the hotel?

The Osborne Hotel. Even though Tintin was late, the hotel still kept his reservation (partly due to his fame as a reporter).

After thwarting another attempt on his life, Tintin is kidnapped again; this time from the hotel! Who is responsible for his kidnapping?

Gangsters Syndicate of Chicago. Gangsters Syndicate of Chicago (G.S.C) represents all the mobsters who are fighting Al Capone and his men.

Tintin soon meets the head of the syndicate which kidnapped him from the hotel. This person offers Tintin a contract to eliminate a certain rival of this syndicate. What was the name of the head of this syndicate?

Bobby Smiles. Bobby Smiles offers him $2000 if Tintin worked under him and another $20,000 if he killed Al Capone. Tintin, of course, refuses and tries to arrest him.

The Head of Syndicate tried to kill Tintin by a poisonous gas O.X2Z. However his henchman bungled up and put another gas. What was the name of the gas they used?

Z4. According to Smiles, Z4 is a sleeping gas and the person (who has been exposed to it) can be woken up by cold water (sprayed onto his face).

Of course, after Tintin's escape, the cops (along with Tintin) capture most members of the Syndicate. However their head escapes. In a few days, Tintin receives a telegram which states the location where the head is hiding! Where is he hiding?

Redskin City. Redskin City is very close to an Indian settlement.

What was the name that the Indian tribe gave Tintin?

Paleface. The Indians were made to believe that Tintin was an evil man (thanks to Bobby Smiles). Smiles, incidentally, was called 'Paleface with eyes of the moon'.

After their return to the city, Snowy was captured by another syndicate. What was the name of the hotel detective that tried to help Tintin find Snowy?

Mike MacAdam. Mike is a Sherlock wannabe and his antics pretty similar to the latter. The Syndicate demanded a ransom of $50,000 from Tintin.

Despite all the efforts of the mobsters going in vain, there was no shortage of attempts. The next attempt involved a mobster recruiting an employee of a company to kill Tintin by pushing into a sausage grinder! What was the name of the company?

Grynde. One of the employees of this firm, Maurice was an old ally of a mobster. However his attempt to kill Tintin failed as the employees of that company went on a lightning strike!

Now with frustration creeping to an all time high, all the mobsters united in their attempt to kill Tintin. Which of the following accounted for the fact that Tintin escaped once again?

Wrong Dumb-bell. The plan was to kidnap Tintin and throw him into Lake Michigan with a dumb-bell (400 pounds) tied to his feet. However they screwed up when they tied a fake dumb-bell (made of wood) to his leg. This was the last chance they got. Of course, Herge doesn't make any mention of whether Al Capone was caught by Tintin.