Tintin is the name of a famous European comic strip hero. Tintin was created by the Belgian cartoonist Hergé (the pen name of Georges Prosper Remi). Tintin is a reporter. The comic strip follows his many adventures throughout the world. Some of the stories have elements of mystery, science fiction, and fantasy. Others include satire and political and social commentary. However, they all contain humor. Hergé did extensive research when preparing the stories.
Tintin’s pet fox terrier, Snowy, accompanies him on his adventures. Other continuing characters include the bad-tempered Captain Haddock, Professor Calculus, and the bumbling detectives Thomson and Thompson. Hergé never indicated Tintin’s age but presented him as a teenager. Hergé drew Tintin with a round face, black dots for eyes, and reddish hair with a tuft in front. The boy only used the single name.
Tintin first appeared in a story published in a children’s supplement to a Belgian newspaper in January 1929. The strips were collected into an “album” called Tintin in the Land of the Soviets (1930). Hergé published 23 Tintin albums through 1976. A 24th album, Tintin and Alph-Art was unfinished at Hergé’s death in 1983.
The Tintin comic strip has been enormously popular throughout Europe and has influenced many European cartoonists. The character’s adventures led to a Tintin magazine. The stories have been adapted for motion pictures, radio, television, and the stage. The American film director Steven Spielberg directed the animated movie The Adventures of Tintin (2011).
The Tintin stories have also created controversy. For example, some stories, especially the earlier ones, have been criticized for expressing racist stereotypes and supporting colonialism. In later years, Hergé revised some of the stories to remove offensive material.
