In 1929, a French cartoon series appeared as a children's supplement in Belgian newspaper Le Vingtieme Siecle. Very few would have suspected the international success story that would follow. Written and drawn by Belgian artist Herge, the series focused on the adventures of boy reporter Tintin and his faithful sidekick french terrier dog Snowy. The stories revolved around Tintin's globetrotting adventures in the post depression world, with a number of stories drawing upon real world events (such as the moon landings). Tintin's adventures were infused with Hergé's own sense of wonderment, adventure and humor. A colorful cast of supporting characters such as Captain Haddock, Professor Calculus and the Thompson twins rounded out the ensemble. Although Herge may not have known it his beautiful art style and knack for adventure storytelling ensured that on January 10 1929, a star was born.
Tintin books have entertained fans for almost a century now. The series spawned a set of comics (24 in all). Its legacy remains as one of the most popular European comics of the 20th century. It has been translated in over 50 different languages and sold more than 200 million copies.
My earliest memories of Tintin come from reading the comic series as a child in the library. My parents would leave me for hours at a time at the local library while they went grocery shopping and I quickly became familiar with Tintin's adventures. I was immediately drawn to Tintin because I loved the art style of the books and enjoyed the swashbuckling nature of the stories. It reminded me in many ways of the classic serialized adventure stories of Indiana Jones as Tintin seemed to have the same quality of jumping from one inescapable predicament to the next. It was a classic formula of adventure and humor which I always thought would be perfect as a feature motion picture. As the years passed, I stopped reading Tintin as real life took hold. However, recent news of a Tintin movie being produced brought with it a wave of nostalgia.
Finding and collecting classic comic books for fun and profit is something interesting, but it can be difficult. With so many places to see, narrowing the choices can be painstaking, until now. Consider finding a rare book and get yourself on the right path to ground imagination or commercial success.
Tintin Books and the Hollywood Treatment
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