Year: 1939, continued 1948

Important Characters: Tintin, Snowy, Captain Haddock, The Thompsons, Doctor Muller (alias Professor Smith), Emir Ben Kalish Ezab, Abdullah, Senior Oliviera de Figuera

French Title: Au Pays de l'Or Noire

Land of Black Gold went through three different versions, each one very different from the other. The first version began to appear in Le Petit Vingtième on September 25 1939, taking over fron King Ottokar's Sceptre. The outbreak of war brought an end to Le Petit Vingtième and , with it, Land of Black Gold, which was abandoned at the end of page 26 of the modern version.

The story was finally resumed in Tintin magazine on September 6, 1948. Before Hergé could continue, however, he had to recast some of the previously completed pages. The years which had passed brought new elements into The Adventures of Tintin. Haddock, Calculus and Marlinspike Hall, for example. Hergé had to integrate these new elements into the old story. This explains the mobilisation of Captain Haddock on page 3 and his sudden reappearance on page 54. Hergé uses comical effects to prevent himself having to explain the Captain's sudden reappearance. The Captain continues to attempt an explanation but is constantly thwarted. Abdullah's final joke on page 62 leaves the Captain so frustrated that he declares never to explain the story. He is, indeed, a spokesman for Hergé's own views.

The third version was made in 1960 at the request of Hergé's British publishers, Methuen. Some aspects of the book were quite dated, like the portrayal of Jews and Arabs battling the British, or each other, in British mandated Palestine. The conflict became one between the Emir Ben Kalish Ezab and his rival who tries to usurp his emirate. The simplifying of the content was accompanied by a freshening up of the book. Uniforms were updated and oil tankers were used as models for the Speedol Star.

The book sees the return of Dr Muller, who reappears under the alias of Professor Smith, but it is the invention of the Emir and his delinquent son Abdullah which is the most striking innovation of the story. Hergé could not resist their later reappearance, to the consternation of Nestor and Captain Haddock.