Mike (Mateo in French) is a Romani traveller who debuts in The Castafiore Emerald. He is a musician and basket weaver who looks out for his community. Mike is Miarka's uncle from her mother's side.
History[]
Mike is travelling with his niece and their family among the Romani caravans. He often acts as a spokesman or a bodyguard for the group. He has a strong distrust for outsiders, especially the police; his anger is made worse when the police force the caravans to stay near the landfill on the edge of town, due to one man in their camp being ill.
Personality[]
Miarka finds gold scissors and shows them to Mike.
Mike appears to be gruff and irritable to most outsiders. He has a quick temper, going on to call Captain Haddock a "gajo" (an informal Caló word for a non-Romani man).[1] It takes him a while to trust Haddock and Tintin, but he eventually respects them. However, he is much kinder to his own people. By day, he helps weave baskets, and by night he will play guitar for the rest of the camp.
In the animated version, Mike is less standoffish than he was in the comics. In addition, he does not call Haddock a "gajo" when they meet.
References[]
- ↑ The Castafiore Emerald. Mammoth, 1963. pg. 4.