Tomorrow is the big day. Tintin (or Kuifje as he's called in some languages) celebrates his 75th birthday..... The comics have sold more than 200 million copies around the world and were translated into 55 languages. His last completed adventure was published in 1976. To celebrate Tintin's birthday two Belgian newspapers (Le Soir and La Libre Belgique) will fill their Saturday editions with Tintin strips. All other Belgian newspapers plan to have several articles on Tintin or his creator Hergé.... An exhibition of Tintin art will be opened tomorrow in Brussels. More exhibitions are planned in Europe later this year. Also yesterday , a 10-euro silver coin featuring Tintin (Kuifje) and his faithful dog Snowy (or Bobby) was unveiled by Belgium's Finance Minister Didier Reynders. For collectors: 50.000 Tintin coins have been produced. The frontside shows Tintin (Kuifje) and his dog, the backside shos the logo of the European Union and the value. The Tintin coin is presented in a package with illustrations of Hergé and costs € 31.00. Tintin coins can be ordered on the Royal Belgium Mint's website or by post, and they will be posted to fans in February.
I loved Tintin growing up, and when I visited Belgium, I took great pleasure in going to the Tintin store and purchasing a few items...
I like these stories (most of all the "Moon", the "Inca", and the "Aliens" story; I don't know the English titles), but the older ones (from the 30's and 40's) are - from today's point of view - politically extremely incorrect and even insulting when it comes to other cultures: silly Native Americans, naïve Africans, insidious Asians, ugly South Americans. An old ghost of Belgian colonialism from the beginning of the last century? But after all: Happy Birthday Tintin!
I bought a T-shirt, and now that I think of it, I don't know where it is. Maybe I'll have to go back to Bruges to get another. That wouldn't suck. Jupiler!