Week 2: How does Farr (1991) justify Tintin's appeal to adults?

Tintin, a young reporter from Belgium, travels around the world to unravel mysteries; along with his sidekick dog, Snowy.
Truthfully, Tintin had never really appealed to me in my childhood. I am not too sure if it was because comics were a foreign form of media in my culture, but in very recent days, I can honestly say that it appeals to me now; after exploring a bit of the Tintin world in class, that is. Its popularity with children 'was' the main goal, but why was/is it so popular among adults, too?

Tintinologist, Michael Farr, explains Tintin’s appeal to different generations. Farr (1991) mentions that Herge’s formula of a hero is what appeals to the masses of different age groups. He is your average kid (with a not-so average job for a kid his age) who is as flawed as any person. The things that make Tintin appealing are the qualities that he possesses which constitute this heroic image he has maintained for many decades. As stated by group member Sam, “the appeal is … self-generating” (Farr, 1991). A Tintin-loving child will eventually become an adult, adding to the popularity among mature readers. Yip (2011), from a Singaporean newspaper, also mentions that Tintin fans of many decades ago are still reading the nostalgic Tintin series.

Tintin does not deal with trivial matters. In fact, there is more to every adventure that Tintin goes through. Younger age groups are inclined to join Tintin in this partially fictional world with your typical enemies and your usual sidekicks, while learning a little bit from Tintin himself. But adult readers see the underlying messages that Herge inserts into his comics. At the time of each comic, Herge would draw things or events to keep some realism in the world of Tintin. Farr (1991) states that Herge had kept an archive of photos, from vehicles to foreign towns, and used them as a model for his comics. Yip (2011) reports that another factor adding to Tintin’s popularity among adults is the “complex language” that Herge uses. 

The Tintin series are still popular around the world today, but more with the older generation than the new. The most recent Tintin movie, "The Adventures of Tintin" (2011), is believed to be the form of media that has pulled in some new young and mature fans.


Reference

Farr, Michael. (1991). Tintin: the complete companion. London: John Murray.

Yip, W. Y. (2011, Nov 12). Tintin fans mostly adults. The Straits Times, pp. n/a. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/903501643?accountid=8440