One of the iconic comic characters, Tintin was brought to life by Gorges Prosper Remi, more lovingly known as Herge. Herge was born on May 22, 1907, in Etterbeek, Belgium. He was a Belgian cartoonist was most popularly known for his work The Adventures of Tintin.
He created Tintin as a young reporter and adventurer who, along with his dog Snowy, travels around the world to collect stories. Herge published the first Tintin book in 1930 with title Tintin in the Land of Soviets.
As the creator celebrates his 112th birthday today, here are a few lesser-known facts about the comic character Tintin.
1. Tintin comics have sold more than 240 million copies worldwide and has been translated to over 70 languages.
2. In his comic Prisoners of the Sun, Tintin explored the moon in 1954. This is 15 years before Neil Armstrong first landed on Moon.
3. While Tintin has explored many countries in his comics, Herge hasn’t visited a single country in his lifetime.
4. Tintin’s dog Snowy has stolen many hearts and even made cameo appearances in 'The Simpsons' in the episode 'Husbands and Knives' and in 'South Park' in the episode 'Imagination land Episode III'.
5. Tintin’s adventures were transformed into a movie titled 'The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn' in 2011, which directed by legendary Hollywood director, Steven Spielberg, who bought the international movie rights to the character in the early 1980s itself.
6. The series 'Tintin in Tibet' was the most cerebral and emotional story of Herge, and the series was heavily influenced by his nervous breakdown.
7. Remember the famous characters of Thompson twins? It was inspired by Herge’s father and uncle, who were twins. In fact, the character of Opera singer Castafiore is said to be inspired by Herge’s grandmother.
8. In September 2017, French philosopher Vincent Cespede created a buzz with his theory that Tintin was a girl. However, he accepted that it was his perspective and was fake news.
9. In the original version of the Tintin comic, written in French, Tintin’s dog is named Milou, which is a tribute to Hergé’s first girlfriend, Marie-Louise Van Cutsem, whom he fondly called Milou.
10. Tintin universe is an all-men universe, where the protagonist and all his friends are men. There is no female character in the lead role, except for the opera singer Bianca Castafiore.
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