Tintin in America America"). The dog Snowy was given a diminished role in "Tintin in America", which contained the last instance in the "Adventures" in which Tintin and Snowy have a conversation where they are able to understand each other. In the banquet scene, a reference is made to a famous actress named Mary Pikefort, an allusion to the real-life actress Mary Pickford. That same scene also featured a prototype for the character of Rastapopoulos, who was properly introduced in the following "Cigars of the Pharaoh" story. The strip's serialisation coincided with the publication of another of Hergé's comics set in the United
Tintin (character) from his stories." It is this sense of humour that makes the appeal of Tintin truly international. "The Adventures of Tintin" was one of the most popular European comics of the 20th century, and it remains popular today. By the time of the centenary of Hergé's birth in 2007, "Tintin" had been published in more than 70 languages with sales of more than 200 million copies. The study of Tintin has become the life work of many literary critics, observers sometimes referring to this study as "Tintinology". A prominent literary critic of Tintin is Philippe Goddin, "Belgium's leading authority on