Tintin is a fictional character in The
Adventures of Tintin, the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Herge (Georges
Remi). Tintin is the eponymous protagonist of the series; he is a reporter and
adventurer who travels around the world with his dog Snowy. Farr (1991)
believes that this series defies time, language and culture. When I was younger
I was not a fan of comics, I knew of Tintin however I had never viewed an
episode until this paper.
Farr (1991) believes that adults who love the
Tintin series now were children when it first aired so they have grown up with
it being an all time favorite of theirs. The children who grew up within the 20th
century knew and related to the social and world issues that were occurring within this time era so this meant they were drawn in to Tintin because Herge displayed them in the
series. The ones who are purchasing books today seem to be the very same group
of – now maturing – folks who became fans of the series when they were kids,
all those years ago (Yip, 2011). These fans have been defined by Farr (1991) as Tintinophiles due
to their constant interest with Tintin. By incorporating specific world events
in Tintin mean that adult viewers are able to relate more to the comic,
combining non-fiction events with fictitious stories which makes them seem more
realistic and makes audiences feel as if they can relate to them in some
senses (Farr, 1991). Tintin’s popularity can also be understandable from all ages as it
provides a source of entertainment. Farr (1991) highlights that Tintin creates
a character that showcases interest for all of the different age groups for the
dissimilar basis and themes. In addition to this, adults will highlight
political themes and parody, puns and prescience within Tintin as oppose to
children who may only see the entertainment factor due to lack in knowledge on certain
world events which is self-generating, for in due course the children become
adults and then parents themselves, allowing the Tintin tradition to be carried
on (Farr, 1991).
I believe that Tintin positively caters
older audiences because it focuses on certain elements of world history which
in turn creates their interest for Tintin. I watch certain programmes primarily
because I can usually relate my own experiences to them and I suppose that this
is why the viewers of Tintin enjoy watching the series is because of this reason. Its relatable and reasonable at the same time.
References:
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://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/docview/903501643?accountid=8440
Good, thanks Grace. You have clearly engaged with the secondary readings and you have provided a good summary of the arguments for Herge's Blue Lotus as a work that can engage adults. Keep an eye on the clarity of your language. In some places, shorter sentences would make your work clearer (ie. breaking some of your longer sentences into two or three sentences).
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