Tintin turns 75

2004-01-10 20:55

Brussels - Herge, the Belgian creator of Tintin, would have been "astonished" at the worldwide success of his intrepid boy reporter, the author's widow Fanny Rodwell said on Friday.

Speaking on the eve of Tintin's 75th anniversary, Rodwell, who heads the Herge Foundation, said the late author never envisaged the iconic heights his most famous creation would reach.

"He would have been astonished but also very touched," she told reporters at a series of events in Belgium marking the anniversary.

Herge, whose real name was Georges Remi, died in 1983, leaving Tintin's 24th adventure unfinished. The books have been translated into more than 60 languages and sold over 200 million copies worldwide.

The fearless reporter (who is only actually seen filing a story once in his travels) first appeared in print on January 10, 1929, in a comic supplement to the Brussels newspaper Le Vingtieme Siecle.

"Tintin is 75 years old on Saturday and he doesn't have a single wrinkle to show for it," said Etienne Pollet of Tintin's publisher Casterman.

The Belgian company is re-issuing in book form the draft sketches of Herge's final adventure, called "Tintin and the Alpha-Art", a foray into the worlds of occult sects and modern art.

Fanny Rodwell's husband Nick, who also helps to keep the Tintin flame burning, confirmed plans to open a Herge museum on the outskirts of Brussels in 2007, the centenary of the author's birth.

Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg meanwhile is working on plans to produce a trilogy of Tintin movies, according to Nick Rodwell.

The Belgian Royal Mint on Thursday brought out a commemorative silver 10-euro coin depicting Tintin and his faithful dog Snowy, which goes on limited sale next month.

One setback has been the cancellation of a comedy musical inspired by Tintin which was to be produced in Paris. "We took a risk and we lost," Nick Rodwell said.

Aside from exhibitions in his homeland, Tintin is being honoured with celebrations in several countries including Britain, France and the Netherlands.

In France, where notwithstanding his Belgian roots the boy reporter enjoys the status of a national hero, the parliament even has a "Tintin club" for diehard fans among French MPs.

In London, the National Maritime Museum will in March open a major exhibition called "The Adventures of Tintin at Sea" in association with the Herge Foundation.

- AFP