Category Archives: Fan of the Month

Meet the April Tintin Fan of the Month: Henny van Halderen!

Q: Where were you born and where do you live now?

A: The Netherlands. Canada.

Q: What is your favorite Tintin book and why?

A: The Crab with the Golden Claws. That was the first time I read about Captain Haddock. To me this was a real good mystery. It also had my favorite characters of Thomson and Thompson in it. I was about eight at the time I first read it and I loved the coloured drawings.

Q: Who is your favorite Tintin character and why?

A: Snowy first. Captain Haddock and Professor Calculus. One because he is so amusingly abusive and the other because he is so charmingly mixed up.
The two books about South America were fascinating to us children in Europe

Q: What was the first sign of your obsession?

A: After having read one book we couldn’t wait until the next one came out. There was trading of favorite toys around the neighbourhood for a chance to read it if your parents didn’t buy the new book for you. I rather object to the word “obsession”  It was really a very favorite thing to have a Tin Tin book.

Q: How do you express your obsession?

A: No. When I was first introduced to the Tin Tin books it was during the second World War (the Forties) They were then read in Dutch and the characters whith whom we had gotten familiar all changed their names to English ones. That took some getting used to. To us the hero was Kuifje. Yes, I managed to collect 22, although regretfully in paperback. The originals were in hardcover such as Tin Tin in the Soviet Union.We didn’t like those drawings and the book was in black and white. At the time the books were in hardcover they were not available here in Canada (Fifties) I started to collect them in the Seventies when I introduced them to my own children who are now also totally crazy about the books. In my own youth we went as far as to trade our most prized possessions just to have a Tin Tin book. My brother traded a chromed hand pistol that fired bee bees for one book.

Q: What is your favorite piece of Tintin merchandise and where did you get it?

A: Snowy. A stuffed animal and I ordered it through your site. I am disappointed at the smallness of all the things. To display something it should have a certain size, not just one or two inches. I also find the prices too high to create a collection. I will just stick to the books I have. Vintage things are out of my budget.

Q: Anything else we should know?

A: It would do the Tin Tin merchandisers much good if they could bring the cost of Herge paraphanelia down to an affordable level. It may be alright for Europeans to pay with Euros, but in dollars it is too much for the average families with children to introduce the books and discourage the kids from owning a favorite piece. [authors note: "Amen"]

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The Tintin Fan of the Month receives fame and notoriety through this blog and a $25.00 gift coupon to be used toward any purchase at ShopTintin.com. For more information on how to become a Fan of the Month, please visit the Fan Page.

Meet the March Tintin Fan of the Month: Becky S.! Her entry caught our eye when we noticed her mention of “Fanfiction”. That’s Tintin-nerdy at a whole new level and worthy of our praise.

Q: Where were you born and where do you live now?

A: San Francisco/Bay Area. Moraga, CA USA

Q: What is your favorite Tintin book and why?

A: My favorite TinTin book is Cigars of the Pharoah because at an early age I’ve been interested in ancient Egypt. In addition to being the first of the comic strip albums that I read, it filled my my mind with all sorts of facts about Egypt- some relatively factual, and others quite fictional which were distinguished by my Mother having to explain for example that sarcophagi were not intended to hold living people. The mystery shrouding Egypt was successfully portrayed in the comic.

Q: Who is your favorite Tintin character and why?

A: Oh, TinTin for sure. He just has this..innocence, yet also a universal appeal. Everyone can probably relate to him in some way- no matter what age or gender you are. He’s dependable, fiercely loyal to his friends, and has got an insatiable appetite for adventure and doing the right thing. Plus I love his sense of style, especially those plus fours! But on a more serious note, I feel he’s something to aspire to. An excellent role model for sure. At times one could label him as naive but who isn’t when they’re young? What more can I say, he’s just the perfect blend of traits to make up a great comic book hero! He’s got moxie.

Q: What was the first sign of your obsession?

A: Probably the first sign of my obsession would be that when I was little and my Mom would take me to the library I remember always going to the Kids section and heading straight to the comic books as at an early age I was interested in comics, cartoons, and the like. I’d check out two or three of the TinTin books at a time and read them for hours on end. Sometimes I’d even read them in the car even though this resulted in motion sickness. The next visit, I would return the previous ones and check out two or three more. This continued in a similar pattern until I had read them all. Then a week or two later I would reread them all.

Q: How do you express your obsession?

A: I’ve certainly drawn some TinTin fanart, though I’m sure many have. I also have TinTin merch but they’re not displayed in any fancy way. What I’ve been doing is, well, writing a fanfiction. Now I know what you’re thinking. A fanfiction? Really? How nerdy can she be? Well the answer is very. But besides being an excuse to work on my writing skills which I so desperately need, it’s a chance for me to add a new dimension to the world of TinTin. Since, of course, no more TinTin books are being published this allows me to feel as though I’m really contributing to something greater- a whole huge fandom out there for the beloved boy reporter and his trusty sidekicks. Plus it’s just so fun to write about TinTin! The humor that Herge sprinkles in the books is perfection and it’s enjoyable to incorporate that into my own work. Though a work in progress, it’s definitely heading in a good direction and I plan on continuing it for a long while. Here’s a brief sypnosis: Originally TinTin and the gang are off to locate Prof. Calculus, who’s gone missing again. Soon they discover something greater at hand- a series of painting thefts with no connection to each other. ALSO, for the first time, TinTin falls in love. Writing romance into this story will be a challenge, but should also prove to be interesting. Even as a kid I wondered what kind of woman would be the right match for somebody like TinTin!

Q: What is your favorite piece of Tintin merchandise and where did you get it?

A: My favorite piece of TinTin merchandise would have to be the original version of Prisoners of the Sun (actually titled “Le temple du Soleil” which translates to The Temple of the Sun) which I acquired on a trip to France in the town of Avignon. When I first got the book it was hard for me to read as I was only a level one French student. But now, two years later, as a level three I can actually understand quite a bit of it which is exciting to say the least! That’s the other thing I really like about the TinTin series- it’s helped immensely in improving my French. Recently I tried to convince my parents that we should venture to Belgium this coming summer to visit the possibly soon to be open TinTin museum and perhaps acquire some more cool stuff but they declined my request as that is pretty much the only reason I took an interest in the country. So it goes.

Q: Anything else we should know?

A: If anybody is interested in reading my TinTin fanfiction here is a link to it: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5431679/1/TinTin_and_the_Art_Thief

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The Tintin Fan of the Month receives fame and notoriety through this blog and a $25.00 gift coupon to be used toward any purchase at ShopTintin.com. For more information on how to become a Fan of the Month, please visit the Fan Page.

Meet February’s Tintin Fan of the Month: Ricki Zulkifli!

Q: Where were you born and where do you live now?

A: Indonesia. Jakarta, Indonesia

Q: What is your favorite Tintin book and why?

A: Flight 714, this is the only evidence that Tintin and all transited in Jakarta Airport, Herge make Indonesia, specially Jakarta well known for all Tintin’s readers. I am proud of it, Thanks Herge.

Q: Who is your favorite Tintin character and why?

A: Captain Haddock, I love his Curse, remind me of him everything I mad with my student in front of the class because they didn’t do their homework..  haha.

Q: What was the first sign of your obsession?

A: I want to collect every Tintin car, but is so expensive to buy and we don’t have a Tintin store in Jakarta.

Q: How do you express your obsession?

A: Yes, at home, on special event during gathering with Indonesia Tintin Community, during Magazine, radio talk show and TV show interview for Tintin community of indonesia. Oh ya, on my working desk at school where i am teaching.

Oh by the way I also attached a picture of my pre-wedding [photo], you may see my collection there. I used this photo for my wedding book souvenir cover, so everyone known I love Tintin and other superhero stuff. Even my friend who is the art teacher, gave us special gift: Tintin shoes that she painted her self special for my wife.

Q: What is your favorite piece of Tintin merchandise and where did you get it?

A: Tintin Cars, Thomson and Thompson  gren car, got stuck their head on the roof of the car haha..i love them.

Q: Anything else we should know?

A: Tintin is part of my life since I was in elementary school until I am become computer teacher in Binus Internatinal School Jakarta and every year we have Halloween costume party. The first year Halloween costome party, I was Tintin and it was amazed my students that I colored my hair blonde just to look like Tintin hehe..

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The Tintin Fan of the Month receives fame and notoriety through this blog and a $25.00 gift coupon to be used toward any purchase at ShopTintin.com. For more information on how to become a Fan of the Month, please visit the Fan Page.

Meet January’s Tintin Fan of the Month: Shelly Lam!

Q: Where were you born and where do you live now?

A: Taiwan. Now living in Houston, TX.

Q: What is your favorite Tintin book and why?

A: I honestly love them all, but if I have to pick one, I will say it’s the Secret of the Unicorn.  I was (and still is) fascinated with the entire treasure hunting process with a little map with a marked X!!

Q: Who is your favorite Tintin character and why?

A: Milou.  Because he’s ever loyal but still has a mind of his own.

Q: What was the first sign of your obsession?

A: I brought the entire set with me when I moved across the Pacific Ocean.  And where I moved to after that, I took the set with me.  My first set was in Chinese and it only contained 12 books.  I purchased the entire set and the DVD collection later in English.

Q: How do you express your obsession?

A: We set out to find a dog that looks like Milou when we were searching for a pet.  Because of my allergy, we settled for a white mini Schnauzer instead of a wire fox terrier.  Of course we named him Milou, and his middle name is Snowy!  Also, I have three sets of sheets with different Tintin pattern / characters as well as Tintin towels & cushions.

Shelly Lam's own Milou

Q: What is your favorite piece of Tintin merchandise and where did you get it?

A: It was a Milou plush keychain my sister got me from a gift shop in Sausalito, CA.

Q: Anything else we should know?

A: I received the set of books when I was 3.5 year old.  Only 12 Tintin books were translated into Chinese and my mother ordered me a set as my first books from the publisher (which was a luxury on my mother’s teacher salary).  I can still vividly recall my mother holding my hand taking me to the military base (Taiwan was still under martial law then and all packages required inspection) every evening to see if the package had arrived.  (No online tracking 30 years ago! )  When they finally arrived two weeks later, I could hardly wait until we got home to read them.  Even my mother had left this world, I still haven’t put down these first books she got me 30 years ago and on top of being a great read after all these years, they also bring back my fondest memory.

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The Tintin Fan of the Month receives fame and notoriety through this blog and a $25.00 gift coupon to be used toward any purchase at ShopTintin.com. For more information on how to become a Fan of the Month, please visit the Fan Page.

Everybody say “hello” to our December 2009 Tintin Fan of the Month, Gregory Gordon!

Q: Where were you born and where do you live now?

A: Los Angeles, CA, USA. Living in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA

Q: What is your favorite Tintin book and why?

A: My favorite Tintin book is Le Lotus Bleu.  It combines my favorite Tintin features: exotic destinations, simulations of real international incidents (in this case, the Japanese blowing up of the railway line, known as the “Mukden Incident” leading to the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, League of Nations withdrawal, and Japan’s withdrawing from the League in protest), great heroism by Tintin, the beginning of the friendship with Tchang, masterful illustrations showing great research.  Le Lotus Bleu is the first Tintin adventure that hews so closely to reality (which would become a trademark of Herge).  I find this period of history fascinating and Herge renders it brilliantly.

Q: Who is your favorite Tintin character and why?

A: My favorite Tintin character is Milou (or Snowy).  He’s the true hero of the series — very intelligent, loyal, and always saving the day.  Plus, he looks a lot like my dog (my dog looks like a black version of him)!  It’s neat that you are privy to his thoughts and he has that wonderful wry wit.  Whether it is through his sarcasm or pratfalls, he’s always good for a few laughs.  I believe he is the inspiration for Charles Schulz’s Snoopy.

Q: What was the first sign of your obsession?

A: My love of Tintin is intimately linked with my love for Belgium.  I worked there (making deliveries for a chocolate warehouse in the Ardennes Forest) for a summer as a teenager and became close to a local family.  We have remained close over the years and they introduced me to Tintin.  I started reading the books and then purchasing them.  Then I started seriously purchasing Tintin merchandise.  When I lived in Washington, DC, I would always frequent a store called “Bashi Bazouks!”  I guess you could say I first realized my “obsession” when I told my wife that the only gifts I wanted for my birthday or the holidays were Tintin merchandise.  She told me I was crazy.  I suppose it was also apparent when I realized that wherever I went in Europe, I would always check to see if there was a Tintin store (and if so, I would buy more merchandise!).  I visit the Comic Strip Museum in Brussels and I am planning to visit the new Herge Museum next time I am in Louvain-la-Neuve.

Q: How do you express your obsession?

A: Every day of my life, I eat my cereal out of the various Tintin bowls I own.  I drink juice out of Tintin glasses.  I put my keys on Tintin key chains.  I wear Tintin T-shirts, ties, and a watch.  I use a Tintin umbrella.  I have a stuffed Tintin sitting on a bookshelf.  I have a resin statue on my piano and own various figurines.  I own the complete animated series on DVD and watch it with my daughter (and read her the books in French).  Also, as I say, I have instructed my wife only to get me Tintin merchandise for my birthday and holidays.

Q: What is your favorite piece of Tintin merchandise and where did you get it?

A: My favorite piece of Tintin merchandise is my resin statue of the Tintin emerging out of the vase from Le Lotus Bleu.  I keep it on my piano, which is the center of the living area in my house.  My favorite thing in the world is Tintin resin statues and this is my favorite.  I purchased it at the Boutique de Tintin in Brussels and then carried it with me through Lithuania (where I taught summer school) and then back to the Ardennes Forest where I visited my Belgian family.  It made it all the way back to North Dakota in one piece!  So it has great sentimental value.

Q: Anything else we should know?

A: Tintin is more than a comic strip — it is a work of art.  His travels around the world and his gripping adventures always amuse and inspire.  Seeing his image on a daily basis always makes me feel that sense of adventure and the great possibilities in life.  That is why I decorate my life in Tintin.  Thank you for taking the time to read this.

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The Tintin Fan of the Month receives fame and notoriety through this blog and a $25.00 gift coupon to be used toward any purchase at ShopTintin.com. For more information on how to become a Fan of the Month, please visit the Fan Page.