The iconic comic character, Tintin, turns ninety years old on January 10th. The date marks the first time when the young reporter’s story was published in 1929, in a newspaper called Le Petit Vingtième. It is a fictional character, created by the Belgian cartoonist Hergé. A reporter by profession, Tintin travels around the world with his dog Snowy. His adventures and escapades form the crux of all the comics.
On his birthday, here are some interesting facts about Tintin, that very few would know –
He conquered the moon way before human beings –
Yes, this is true. Tintin visited the moon 15 years before Neil Armstrong set foot there. Tintin’s lunar adventure, featured in the comic ‘Explorers on the Moon’ is a result of Hergés intensive research into the possibility of humans visiting the moon.
The story was told in weekly installments in Tintin Magazine.
Snowy goes beyond Tintin –
Tintin’s dog Snowy was as famous as Tintin himself. The adorable white fox terrier was not only his pal, but also saved him in many tricky situations. Snowy was also a dog with a difference – he loved whiskey. Tintin’s dog also appeared in ‘The Simpsons’ for an episode and in ‘South Park’.
Hergé never visited Tintin’s countries –
The creator of these comics, did not visit most of the countries that Tintin actually visits. He never went to Congo and Soviet Union and visited USA much later. Yet he describes the locations so intricately.
Some other interesting facts are –
– Since its first appearance, Tintin comics have been published in more than 70 languages with sales of more than 200 million copies worldwide.
– Georges Remi created the pen name by reversing his initials G and R (Georges Remi), making it RG or Herge.
– Tintin’s face is very plain, expressionless and neutral, hence ideal to reflect the emotions felt by readers.
– Herge himself featured in several comics as a background character.
– When Herge died, on March 3, 1983, he had written 23 Tintin comics. He died of a leukemia-like illness.
Here’s wishing our lovable Tintin a very happy birthday!
