Tintin turns 87: Facts, trivia about the iconic comic character

Tintin the amazing young reporter and sleuth with the unforgettable quiff created by Georges Remi better known as Hergeacute appeared for the first time in Jan 10 1929 in the comic strip called Le Petit Vingtiegravemerdquo together with his loveable trusted canine partner Snowy A look at some interesting facts and trivia about this timeless character who went on to appear in several forms of media over the yearsTintin and Snowygtgt Belgian cartoonist Georges Prosper Remi known by his pen name Hergeacute partly based Tintin on his own brother Paulgtgt Hergeacute also drew inspiration from the protagonist of his first comic strip Totor for Tintins characterizationgtgt Since its first appearence Tintin comics have been published in more than 70 languages with sales of more than 200 million copies worldwidegtgt Tintin was also transformed into a movie titled The Adventures of Tintin Secret of the Unicorn in 2011 directed by legendary Hollywood director Steven SpielbergA still from The Adventures of Tintin Secret of the Unicorngtgt Hergeacute who started drawing as a hobby sketched out scenes from daily life along the edges of his school books Some of these illustrations were of German soldiers because his four years of primary schooling at the Ixelles Municipal School No 3 coincided with the First World War during which Brussels was occupied by the German armygtgt Hergeacute developed a love of cinema which influenced his work as a cartoonist in later years He favoured Winsor McCays Gertie the Dinosaur and the films of Charlie Chaplin Harry Langdon and Buster Keatongtgt Many parts of Brussels have played an integral role in Tintin Its creator Hergeacute neacutee Georges Prosper Remi belonged to Belgian capital Its also home to Museacutee Hergeacute a futuristic building that a mustvisit for all fansgtgt Two The Adventures of Tintin comic books Seven Crystal Balls and Prisoners Of The Sun were adapted for a stage play in 2010 and performed at the Summertime Festival at Prithvi Theatre Elements from other Tintin books were also incorporatedgtgt A Hindi translation of The Adventures of Tintin comic book series hit book stores in 2011 Tintins wellknown catchphrase Great Snakes was translated as Baal ki khaal His fourlegged companion Snowy was rechristened Natkhat and detectives Thomson and Thompson were renamed Santu and BantuThe cover page of Tintin Congo Mein the Hindi translation of Tintin in Congogtgt The comic book Tintin in Congo attracted controversy in 2009 when a Congolese accountant named Bienvenu Mbutu Mondondo claimed that the work is propaganda for colonialism and amounts to racism and xenophobia The book was later banned for children over racism fears in 2011gtgt The Adventures of Tintin Secret of the Unicorn went headtohead with Ranbir Kapoor starrer Rockstar in the boxoffice in 2011 and was touted by many as the highest opener in India The film also bagged the Golden Globe for best animated filmThe Adventures of Tintin comics The Secret of the Unicorn Cigars of the Pharoah and The Broken Eargtgt A big Tintin fan Steven Spielberg bought the international movie rights to the character in the early 1980s itselfgtgt Herges personal life also affected the series Tintin in Tibet perhaps his most cerebral and emotional story was heavily influenced by his nervous breakdowngtgt There have been exhibitions festivals and musicals galore in the honour of Tintin The Belgian Government has also released Tintin coinsgtgt The comic strip series has been admired for its clean expressive drawings Its engaging plots straddle a variety of genres fantasy mysteries political thrillers and science fictiongtgt Hergeacutehimself features in several of the Tintin comics as a background character