Tintin is indeed a one-of-a-kind journalist – he traveled to the moon 19 years before Neil Armstrong did, battled drug runners, becomes involved in supernatural experiences (thanks to the curse of an Inca mummy) and experiences other breathtaking adventures.

Belgian artist Georges Prosper Remi or better known as Hergé created Tintin in 1929. However, today you can still find people who have a soft spot for this eternally young reporter. Many Indonesians in their thirties who grew up reading Tintin comics make up the majority of members of  online club www.tintin_id@yahoogroups.com.

The globetrotting reporter was hugely popular in the 1980s and many members of the online club say that Tintin gave them company throughout their growing pains. Recently, I met 12 of them, all of whom are men.

The group moderator, Surjorimba Suroto, soon brushed off suggestion that Tintin_Id is a male-dominated club — there are after all some female members — and the only thing that bond them together is their vast knowledge of the cartoon character, that each member knows each story by heart down to the last word of each caption.

Members of Tintin_id, Tony Tumpak (from left to right), Syaiful Bahri, Johan Santoso, Berthold Sinaulan, Yoga Nandiwardhana, Surjorimba Suroto, Harri Baskoro, Yoga Wisaksono, Rizki Jaya, Budi Haryanto and Danny Rahardian, pose for a photograph during a recent gathering. JP/Susanna Tjokro

And they would love to pass on their for Tintin that they would love to pass on to the younger generation. “Tintin comics have a wealth of information and can help young readers explore geography and culture with fun,” says Surjo. Even in the information-saturated Internet era, where kids could get as much information as possible with a click of a mouse, Tintin is still worth your time, he says.

Some of subjects in Tintin comics were no doubt serious, but Hergé had a way with story-telling and his unironic humor help lighten up the doom and gloom. Some of plotlines in Tintin comics are based on true event and one of real incidents on which the story was based in the Mukden Incident in which the Japanese imperial government accused China of blowing up a railway line, a plot devised to justify the entry of the Japanese occupation army into China. It does not take a historian to judge which side Hergé was on when in the Blue Lotus, he put Tintin in a situation where he could bear witness to a bomb set off by a Japanese secret agent.

“When we were kids, we only saw the slapstick side of Tintin stories. Later when we grew up, then we realize that the reporter was actually involved in serious issues,” club member Harri Baskoro Adiyanto said, adding that Tintin comics in fact promotes tolerance and race-blind friendship, like when Tintin developed a strong bond with Chang Chong Chen in Tintin in Tibet.

For many readers, it was Tintin who first introduced the thrills of traveling. Inspired by Tintin’s adventures, online club member Syaiful Bahri set his foot on several places that have been visited by Tintin, such as Scotland, Belgium, Saudi Arabia, China, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia among others.  

Rizki Jaya, another fan of Tintin in the club said that just like any devoted fan, he has read Tintin comics far too many times and they never fail to entertain him. “I am 36 years old and still read them again and again,” he says.

“Except for Tintin in Congo, the other Tintin series are still relevant, because the issues featured on those pages still have resonance today, such as the issue of human-trafficking and drug smuggling,” says Yoga Wisaksono.

Tintin, however, is not without his flaws just like any other fictional characters. He does some of the most deplorable acts in the Congo episode, printed in 1931, an episode which has largely been shunned by fans for its portrayal of colonialism and animal cruelty perpetrated none other by the hero himself.

In Congo, Tintin killed 13 antelopes and he even killed a rhinoceros with (gasp!) dynamite – Tintin himself drilled a hole in that poor animal’s back and then put the dynamite inside its body, the result was a horrific death. Hergé drew the native Congolese with rubbery lips and portrayed them as irrational tribes who worship the whites, including Tintin.

Most (if not all) Tintin and Hergé fans, however, believes that the incidents were not racially motivated, he was just deliberately provocative (later, Hergé regretted those scenes and made revisions).

Many people believe that Hergé was being fed the prejudices of the society in that era; after all, later he regretted his early works. “Hergé just portrayed attitudes in that era. I think, if Hergé were to do it again, he would do it differently,” says Berthold Sinaulan. Besides the Congo episode, some of Tintin’s other early comics were altered by Hergé in subsequent editions as well.

In spite of the flaws, people still get hooked on Tintin. Extensive research is part of Tintin’s success as it makes the story closer to reality. One of Tintin_Id members says interestingly the space suits that wore by Hergé’s characters  in Explores on the Moon (in 1954) are similar with the ones that later used in actual, future moon exploration.

“Hergé was a very smart, forward thinking writer. Through Tintin’s adventures, he invented things that have never been produced before. For instance, instead of using nuclear or chemical weapons, a super sonic device is used to destroy steel, as told in The Calculus Affair,” says Surjo.

As for the price, for many kids who grew up in the 80’s, the price of Tintin comics was expensive. “In 1980, I bought my first Tintin comic, entitled Red Rackham’s Treasure at Rp1,000. Back then, for comparison, a cassette was priced at Rp700 and teh botol drink was just Rp50, so it was expensive, but as a kid, I was not aware that Tintin comics were expensive,” says Surjo who started reading Tintin at the age of 11.

Once a luxury, when the little fans grow up, they collect Tintin comics in various language versions. Interestingly, many Indonesians collect Flight 714 in various language editions. The main draw is the fact that Tintin and friends stopped over Jakarta’s Kemayoran airport.

Besides comics, surely they also collect a wide variety of all things Tintin. Budi Haryanto showed me On the Roof of the World, a 2009 calendar issued by International Campaign for Tibet (ICT). , Tumpak Tony showed me a cute Tintin car. For many fans, Tintin cars, replicas from various scenes from Tintin comics, are among favorites.

Another popular merchandise is Tintin rocket. One of Tintin_Id members bought a second-hand rocket, priced at Rp 1,250,000. This fan admitted he had to hide things he bought and sometimes lied to his wife that he got the merchandise for free as his shopping habits are more than pocket-deep.

Indeed, the fans, especially the married ones, have to be careful so that their hobby will not eat into household expenses and hopefully they will never have to sneak Tintin stuff discretely into their homes.

Danny Rahardian and Yola Kardona is a dream couple for Tintin fans, as these husband-and-wife both love collecting Tintin merchandise, such as Tintin books in various language versions (including the limited classic edition ones), figurines, soft toys and cars of Tintin. They have a noteworthy collection of 50 Tintin cars in total.

Widiani and Dianasari (Dina) are living proof that women are as crazy as men are when it comes to collect all things Tintin. Widiani, who started reading Tintin when she was 6 years old, bought Tintin rocket in Brussels — she quenched her thirst of Tintin merchandise when she visited Paris and Brussels. Besides Tintin watch, that iconic rocket is her most-prized collectible item. Tintin comics in French, Dutch and Indonesian, books on Tintin (such as The Complete Companion), t-shirts, movies, umbrellas, clocks and backpack are among her collection.

Dina is another example of an avid Tintin fan, her collection of Tintin comics in various languages is hard to beat. “In total, Tintin comics have been translated into more than 70 languages, including Tahitian, Faeroe, Singhalese et cetera. Some countries even published those comics in their regional dialects — for example, in Spain, Tintin’s adventures are also printed in Basque, Catalan and Esperanto. I only have 26 languages in total, including the ones in Slovenian, Hebrew, Czech, Turkish, Bengali, Icelandic, Egyptian, Greek and Vietnamese,” says Dina.

On January 9, 2004, a Belgian national newspaper Gazet Van Antwerpen published a special edition to commemorate Tintin’s 75th birthday. Scenes taken from various panels in Tintin comics replaced all photos of the actual events.

“For example, instead of putting a photo of the real incident, the news on a car accident is accompanied by a picture of a car accident taken from one of the panels in Tintin comics. However, for the news on Saddam Hussein, they placed the real photo of him,” says Surjo. Due to its rarity and uniqueness, this item is priceless; Surjo and Dina are among the lucky ones who got this treasure.

There are members of Tintin_Id who collect other comics besides Tintin. Yoga Nandiwardhana’s comics collection is include Asterix, Lucky Luke and manga (Japanese comics). Another member, Johan Santosa, also collects other comics, particularly the European ones, such as Trigan and Fishboy: Denizen of the deep. “I do not like American superhero comics,” says Johan.

Hergé’s stories are so engaging, no wonder readers become personally invested in their favorite characters. Syaiful Bahri sometimes attends Tintin_Id community gathering in kilt — Tintin also wore a kilt when he visited Scotland.

Berthold Sinaulan, a big fan of Captain Haddock, sometimes goes to Tintin_Id gathering dressing up as that that retired sailor. When asked whether his characteristics are like Haddock’s attitudes, Berthold laughed. “Well, one thing for sure, unlike him, I neither drink nor smoke,” he says. Mr. Haddock is notoriously famous as a hot-tempered man – however Berthold says that despite his flaws, the captain is a kind-hearted man

All things considered, despite its flaws, The Adventures of Tintin comics are certainly worth a read – Tintin teaches his readers, including members of Tintin_Id, many valuable lessons that shape their view of life.

Community: www.tintin_id@yahoogroups.com

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