Snowy/Milou Tintin's faithfull White Wire Fox Terrier Dog

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Snowy/Milou

Snowy is forever linked to Tintin. There have been great heroic pairings over the years with the likes of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson and The Lone Ranger and Tonto. Snowy the white wire fox terrier and four-legged companion of Tintin who is forever at his master’s side are another valiant twosome. The two buddies have saved each other numerous times through out the Tintin albums. The union between them is very strong.

In the earlier episodes Snowy is shown to speak (e.g. Cigars of the Pharaohs p1, frame 4. Interestingly, in this frame, Snowy refers to Marlinspike (but not in the Frenchtintin_tibet_extract3.jpg edition)—a place that he and his master will not know about until much later, in Red Rackham's Treasure) but later on this part of his character is absent although the reader can see him thinking in human words (Herge used the bubble speech technique founded in America).

Herge was attempting to make Snowy more “dog-like”. This obstacle doesn’t however stop Snowy from being able to communicate with Tintin. Snowy character is written in such a way as to interest the reader. Snowy is the only one for instance in Flight 714 to remember being abducted by aliens. Snowy the wire terrier is seen to save Tintin a numerous times over the years (often by gnawing through restraints or seeking help) or has managed to get them out of convoluted conditions by biting or distracting a villain.

Snowy does have his weaknesses that only serve to make him loved by Tintin fans. Snowy like the irrepressible Captain Haddock has a taste for Loch Lomond brand Scotch whisky and also aversion to spiders as the dog suffers from arachnophobia.

_39969669_tintin8.jpgSnowy went through a transformation over the years as Herge developed the character with the introduction of Captain Haddock leading to Snowy becoming a more light-hearted character and offering comic relief such as drinking the whisky. Snowy is often seen chasing the cat Marlinspike (although at the end of The Calculus Affair they become friends).

Before the transformation Snowy had been a balance for Tintin’s constantly positive, optimistic outlook by being delivering a dry and cynical dialogue in the Tintin albums. This cynical trait fell to Captain Haddock when he was introduced in The Crab With the Golden Claws.

Snowy known as Milou in the original French language format was named after Herge first girlfriend Marie-Louise Van Cutsem (“Malou”), although Snowy is very much a male dog in the albums.

Pings on Snowy/Milou Tintin's faithfull White Wire Fox Terrier Dog

August 26, 2011
September 18, 2011

Comments on Snowy/Milou Tintin's faithfull White Wire Fox Terrier Dog Leave a Comment

May 17, 2009

Louise @ 8:48 pm #

Fantastically interesting about Snowy . . I loved him so much as a child that 2 month ago I bought a wired haired Fox Terrier to be my Snowy !

April 20, 2010

caren harmon @ 1:07 pm #

I love,love,love,love,love,love,love
SNOWY.I have a real Snowey we live in Cape town,
South Africa.
I grew up with wire hair fox terriers.
They are always up to something naughty.
So cute.
The love of my life!!!

September 13, 2010

E Boo @ 4:53 pm #

I grew up with Snowy…we have a white Mini-Schnauzer now named Snowy who looks exactly like him. His adventures continue. He is the love of our lives….great family dog. Snowy loves our cats, as well.

October 21, 2011

nobbhorn @ 11:45 pm #

I really love Tintin and Snowy:))) Would like to see in the movie.

November 12, 2011

clar @ 8:33 pm #

well we are schnauzer lovers, (although i love all dogs) and snowy looks like a white mini schnauzer in the latest film. yee ha he's a schnauzer

November 14, 2011

"Monsieur" Picard @ 7:15 pm #

Yikes ! Milou ("Snowy" en anglais) was not a mini schnauzer! He was either a Fox Terrier or a Wheaton Terrier. But I don't think Wheatons existed as a breed in the 50's, so he was likely a Fox Terrier.

December 23, 2011

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March 18, 2012

Sal Gonzales @ 7:00 pm #

We have 3 wire Fox Terriers… They are all like Snowy…. Love them..

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