Who is Tintin?

Tintin is a young Belgian reporter who through heroic action solves mysteries that are presented at the start of each comic book.  Tintin was first introduced to the world in Tintin in the Land of the Soviets. Created by George Remi the first adventure was released in a Belgium paper in 1929-1930.

Tintin and the Land of the Soviets was a political satire that poked fun at the Soviets claims to having a thriving economy and found an audience due to many people’s unease with the Soviet Empire. Remi himself had distrust for the Soviet Empire.

The Tintin comic series have an almost formulaic feel about it. Most of the books deal with Tintin having to solve a mystery of some kind whilst also having to write a story for his paper.

Tintin and The Black Island is a good example of how the books work. In The Black Island Tinitn sees a plane make an emergency landing and goes to try and help. As Tintin goes to the pilot’s aid the pilot shoots him. Tintin then recovers in hospitable where he finds out that a similar plane crashed in a field in Sussex from the detectives Thompson and Thompson.

Tintin then obviously decides to investigate the mystery for himself. The adventure thus starts leading Tintin to be accused of assault and theft of a fellow passenger on a train journey and later kidnapped and forced to jump off a cliff (saved by his dog Snowy before he is made too). The trail leads to an Island off Scotland where stories of a strange beast is said to kill humans. Tintin discovers the Island to be the hideout of forgers and cleverly captures them and holds them till the police arrive.

Tintin is always able to solve the mysteries that are put before him although some are set over two books such as Destination Moon and Explorers on the Moon.  Tintin may solve these mysteries but funnily enough he not often seen handing in a article. The end of the comic strips often sees him receiving a hero’s reception  along with Captain haddock and Snowy.

Tintin is a heroic young man but lacks the colour of many of the other characters that appear in the comic books. He shows more or less neutral attitudes that make him understandable and easier to identify with for the target audience.