This episode features one of the biggest changes in terms of adaptation of the whole series, which is generally very close to the source material. In the comic book, Tintin initially refuses to go to San Theodoros with Haddock and Calculus, correctly suspecting a trap, and disappears for part of the story (the longest narrative section without him in the whole Tintin series), leaving Haddock as the main character. In the episode, however, Tintin's reluctance is omitted and he travels with his friends from the beginning. In addition, the original story, published in 1975, was drawn to be explicitly contemporary in style such as Tintin wearing bell-bottomed trousers instead of his traditional plus fours and riding a motorcycle with gear of that era. This adaptation explicitly alters the imagery to keep it consistent with the older stories in the series.