Tintin store in Shanghai a big hit among fans of classic comics

Sun Yueling, a documentary filmmaker in Shanghai, sees the opening in the city of the country's first flagship shop with the theme of the classic Belgian cartoon character Tintin as a blessing.

At least it saves him the traveling cost every time he wants to buy toys based on the heroic, adventurous reporter created in 1929 through the comic-book series The Adventures of Tintin by Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi, also known by his pen name Herge, he said.

He recalled that years ago, when he was on a business trip to Liege, Belgium, he came across a store selling Tintin-theme toys and gadgets.

"I needed three luggage cases to bring a whole set of garage kits back to China," said Sun, 39, adding that he now makes two to three visits a week to the 100-square-meter store in Shanghai.

Since its soft opening in early February, the store has been witness to the comics series' enduring popularity, attracting fans from across the country, according to Wang Yue, 51, a representative of China for Moulinsart, the company set up to promote the works of Herge and also the intellectual property owner of The Adventures of Tintin.

As one of the best-known and admired cartoon characters of the 20th century, Tintin started to attract Chinese fans in the late 1970s, and has since become a window for Chinese children to learn about the outside world.

Wang said he first learned about Tintin at the age of 10 when his French teacher introduced the series to improve his proficiency in French. He has since become a die-hard fan of the comic character.

Wang said the store's popularity has exceeded his expectations.

"A customer from Qingdao, who visited my store on opening day, was the mother of a 15-year-old boy. She said she used to read Tintin as a bedtime story to her son," said Wang, 51, who runs the store along with three partners.

A limited-edition sculpture of Tintin with a suitcase and his dog Snowy has been the most popular among Tintin fans, according to Wang.

The sculptures are based on Tintin's adventure to Shanghai in The Blue Lotus, published in 1936.

Since Herge had never been to Shanghai, he turned to Zhang Chongren, a Shanghai architectural student in Belgium, for help in creating the story. As a token of gratitude, Zhang was included in the story.

Fang Xin, a 42-year-old translator, said he started reading the comic when he was 5 years old and was attracted to the brave and humorous Tintin immediately.

Impressed by The Blue Lotus, Fang, who then lived in Changshu, Jiangsu province, wanted to visit Shanghai, where his grandparents lived. "I was surprised the book was so close to reality," said Fang, who now lives in Shanghai.

He has collected many books, newspapers, magazines, stamps and coins related to Tintin.

According to Sun, Tintin has had a big impact on people from his generation. "The comic has taught me to be a man of integrity and curiosity with a spirit of adventure," he said.

heqi@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Global 04/25/2019 page1)