I never read Tintin when I was younger, however after reading the Blue Lotus recently I really
enjoyed it and found the detail of the settings, characters and situations that
Tintin found himself in much more appealing than I would have when I was younger.
Perhaps this is because I can now understand some of the underlying messages
that Herge has placed in the comics. For example when the Chinese man is yelled
at by a Western man and is called a “dirty little China man”. I found that
reading the comic now I could interpret Herge’s underlying message of class
structure and culture. However, my brother read a lot of comic books when he
was younger and enjoyed Tintin. Maybe this was because Tintin was aimed towards
a young male audience. The adventure section of Tintin seems to appeal to
younger audiences and the character of Tintin is easily relatable to teenagers.
Tintin is a teenage boy and has characteristics such as loyalty, bravery, a
passion for adventure and he is somewhat naive towards other characters. Children
can relate well to Tintins character as they too, are around the same age and
can relate to some of Tintin’s traits.
Tintin has become
a global brand. There are owebsites where people are able to order Tintin
merchandise online. The Tintin store in England also offers a full range of Tintin products for shoppers, they are able to purchase items such as books,
posters, t-shirts, Snowy toys, shopping bags and much more. The brand that has
come out of Tintin can appeal to both adults and children and the generation of
Tintin readers who are now adults are able to escape back their childhood
through Tintin comics and comic books in general.
With the release
of the Tintin movie in 2011 both children and adults were able to enjoy a film
version of Tintin’s adventures. Stephen Spielberg directed the film, which must
have appealed to him, and being an adult shows that comics can appeal to both
adults and children. Tintin may also appeal to adults as they can appreciate the
amount of research the Herge put into his comics “before drawing the red sea
sharks, Herge and his studio assistant Bob de Moor spent several weeks on a
Swedish cargo ship, sketching and photographing everything they could” Horrocks
(2003). Many adult readers can regognise the settings in the comics and this could appeal to them as they understand and appreciate the amount of effort and time
that Herge put into his work. Both adults and children can enjoy comic books and
I believe that the genre is suitable for any age group.
Reference:
Horrocks, D. The
Perfect Planet. Comics, Games and World-Buidling. Retrieved from
http://www.hicksville.co.nz/PerfectPlanet.htm
I agree with you Emily TIntin represents many qualities that young teenage boys would want. TIntin is brave, smart and loves adventure. Most teenagers want to be brave, go on journeys and catch the "baddies" and TIntin is your perfect role model. I also think adults relate to TIntin not only because it brings back childhood memories but also true events that happened at the time. Herge is so accurate in the way he portrays politics (especially in The Blue Lotus) as he does his research
ReplyDeleteLike Hannah, I agree with you. I myself had never read Tintin in my childhood, or growing up. I agree that children can relate to Tintin. Not only children, but mature audiences, too. Herge had inserted some real-life situations, events, and places. With the different serious situations, there would be some comical consequences thrown in there for the younger readers. It's really refreshing to see Herge have some realistic approaches in the Tintin series; although with a lot stereotypes and what-not.
ReplyDeleteGood points made here. My only problem is the with the comment about Speilberg - he might have just seen a market opportunity
ReplyDeleteHi Emily,
ReplyDeleteWell done on a good post. I agree with you, with the viewing of Tintin. I never watched it growing up nor did I ever hear about his adventures as a child. I think that when you're young and you watch a character like Tintin with his adventures you seem to not care about the underlying meanings of what the character or storylines are trying to say, but you made a good point as to how the Chinaman is treated by the Westerner. Good analysis and insight :)