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Is there an age limit to have an interest in Tintin?

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cafe_noir
Member
#11 · Posted: 26 Aug 2007 14:18
I'm 41 and as long as I can appreciate good storytelling and artwork, I'll appreciate Tintin.
Incidentally, I was watching an old episode of 'The Avengers' recently (from 1967) and John Steed was shown relaxing at home having a chuckle whilst reading a French copy of 'The Blue Lotus' (which wasnt available in english until over 15 years later). So I think they aren't necessarily perceived as being for kids only.
Harrock n roll
Moderator
#12 · Posted: 27 Aug 2007 10:34
cafe_noir wrote:
I was watching an old episode of 'The Avengers' recently (from 1967) and John Steed was shown relaxing at home having a chuckle whilst reading a French copy of 'The Blue Lotus'


See our Spot Tintin in TV Programmes page for more instances of Steed enjoying Tintin!
mjdh1957
Member
#13 · Posted: 17 Jan 2008 13:47

1. How old are you?

2. Do you think there is an age limit to have an interest in tintin?

3. Are you afraid of showing an interest in tintin?


I'm the oldest so far.... I'm 50, and have loved Tintin ever since I was a child. I was about 10 when I bought my first book (Destination Moon).

There is no age limit.

For my 50th birthday my partner bought me the DVD box set of the Canadian TV series and I've just finished watching them.

I was over in Brussels last year and as well as a couple of the French books, bought a poster and a couple of small framed prints of book covers in the shop attached to the Museum of Comic Art (Musee de la bande desinee).

Nobody else I know seems to like him as much as I do though! But I'm not worried about showing an interest. One of the things I've learned as I've got older is that it's OK to like things that no-one else likes or understands.

And I've just joined this site and this is my first post!
John Sewell
Member
#14 · Posted: 17 Jan 2008 17:13
Well, if it's good enough for Steed, it'll do for me! ;)

Wasn't it Herge himself who said that Tintin was for everyone aged 7 to 77 (and later gave someone older than that personal permission to carry on reading the books)? I'm 40 this year, and I'm still getting as much out of Tintin as I did 30 years ago... possibly more, as I've gone from just reading to becoming fascinated with the whole process and stories behind the adventures. How they were put together, the inspiration, the personal factors in Herge's life which led to them, that sort of thing.

In my opinion, the best childrens' literature, cinema and TV is that which can also be enjoyed by adults. I still get a kick out of Tom & Jerry cartoons, Arthur Ransome's Swallows & Amazons books, the Beano, Doctor Who, and any number of others.

I also think it's good to be able to still make that connection with the childhood things I loved - keeps me feeling young in my head, even if looking in the mirror tells me something different! So many of my old friends, in adulthood, have lost that connection, and now it seems that all they're interested in are things like mortgages, soft furnishings, making a deal at work and their new washing machines. I suppose I'm lucky in that the job I've got and the lifestyle I lead means that I can still indulge myself, and more importantly, that I can afford to! (I live in and manage a youth hostel, and all my accommodation and food needs are taken care of, as well as not having to pay any bills or council tax, so I've got less worries in that respect than most others in my age group!)

It's also great to be able to introduce a whole new generation to these things. My nephew's 9, and he's steadily been making his way through the tattered Tintin books me and my brother first read at his age. I got him the boxed set of DVDs for his birthday, and apparently he didn't watch anything else for weeks. his younger brother's only 2, and he can name all of the characters if you point to them on the covers of the books! They're lucky, as their Dad, my brother, still "gets" Tintin - he bought Congo to complete the set, was fascinated by stuff I've got like the B&W facsimiles and Rodier's Alph-Art, and he's even got a copy of Benoit Peeters' book in French! He recently said to me that the thing he liked about Tintin was "he used to go all over the World having adventures in places like Egypt and China, and I wanted to do that!"
Diego the Dreadful
Member
#15 · Posted: 18 Jan 2008 15:20
1. How old are you?

18
2. Do you think there is an age limit to have an interest in tintin?

Absolutely not. My 47 year old uncle loves it even more than I do!
3. Are you afraid of showing an interest in Tintin?

Not at all. I admit I don't have any of the Tintin posters or clocks, etc. but I do have every Tintin story ever published, except for Tintin and Alph-Art.
Almost all of my friends know I have a love of Tintin.
Rajaijah
Member
#16 · Posted: 21 Jan 2008 12:54
As I get older, I appreciate Tintin from different perspectives. At the age of 10, it was the action, at the age of 15, it was because of the globetrotting and the attention to detail. At 20, I appreciated the mood, the characterisation. At 26, i admire them for their simplicity, their straightforward (which I believe is also because of the superb ligneclaire atrwork).

Life can become very complex as you grow older... but I always believe that unless one keeps things simple, one loses perspective. One should like what appeals to someone, and should not be scared to admit it.

Another thing, if adults keep forgetting Tintins (or any good stuff) as kids stuff, then how does one pass it on? You see, its not about simply buying a book and giving it to a child. Especially because Tintin books take time to grow on you. One has to create the interest. Despite their innocence, you can't fake interest with kids.
Jeeves
Member
#17 · Posted: 26 Jan 2008 17:00
There is no age limit to Tintin, I realised this when I reread Tintin and the Picaros and thought that it was hilarous and then realised that a lot of the jokes about Latin American polotics had totaly gone over my head before but now I got them, if you go through Tintin you will realise that each one of them has some sort of historical context or satire! Kids enjoy some aspect but there is a lot there for adults and teenagers to love to, they're classic.

My question is is there a gender limit? It seems like nost of the people who are realy into Tintin are men, and as a female Tintin fan I don't see why more women aren't in to them. Any theorys as to why that is?
Grey
Member
#18 · Posted: 23 Feb 2008 22:33
1. How old are you?

15.

2. Do you think there is an age limit to have an interest in Tintin?

Nope. Tintin should be enjoyed by all ages.

3. Are you afraid of showing an interest in Tintin?

Na, not really. Most of my friends know about it, and respect it. They don't mind when I read TT because it's historical in a way, and it's interesting to read! Some people at school can understand because they read it from a young age, and some went on the trip with me to see Tintin in Tibet.

It just irritates me to the bone when people start thinking I'm a kid for reading Tintin and other graphic novels at my age.
John O
Member
#19 · Posted: 25 Feb 2008 09:46
lintondrums wrote:
1. How old are you?

67 and a half.

lintondrums wrote:
2. Do you think there is an age limit to have an interest in tintin?

Possibly, but I'm not there yet.

lintondrums wrote:
3. Are you afraid of showing an interest in tintin?

Sorry, I don't understand the question ...

lintondrums wrote:
or any other views on the matter?

What's to worry about? I missed out on a lot of Tintin in my childhood and rediscovered him about 15 years ago. I now have all the Herge books, plus the Companion, which I enjoy re-reading whenever the mood takes me. Also, when in Paris last year, I bought a few Tintin models which are now displayed at home with my collection of truck, car and motorbike models. And yes, I am happily married with a grown-up family!
So relax, lintondrums, no reason why you can't continue your interest for many years yet... Enjoy.

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