Tintin Forums

I was wondering if anyone here had kids who are into Tintin - or is it mostly nostalgic adults who read Tintin books these days?
When 'Tintin in Tibet' was on TV recently I sat down to watch it with my 7 year old nephew and he wasnt interested at all. Maybe its because kids these days are brought up on Pixar style films with lots of whizzy effects, that the world of Tintin seems a bit flat to them perhaps? Has anyone else found this to be the case?

Hi Cafe_noir,

I hope you are well.

I was very interested to read your post, as I also had a very similar experience this Easter but with a different and somewhat surprising outcome. Firstly, my 6 year old nephew is Norwegian, he does not speak English at this stage but does understand it to a reasonable level- so to encourage bilingualism I buy him books and films in English.

Last Christmas I had the idea of gently introducing him to Tintin. However, having seen him recently start to look at Star Wars comics I was not at all sure of what reaction I might expect from him. I began with the Destination Moon and Explorers on the Moon books, as he had an interest in astronauts and space. He responded with quiet enthusiasm and in the following months I sent him related gifts such as a Tintin Rocket Keyring and Tintin on the Moon figures to try to keep his interest (I do feel that one important fact is that his Father now lives in Holland, so on his regular visits to see him he has grown accustomed to seeing Tintin and Company in the many book and comic shops). So, admittedly, when finally we did sit down to begin watching the Adventures on the Moon on DVD this Easter, I was unsure whether he would show the slightest interest. He too had also grown up on the visual delights of Pixar and the science fiction and action of Star Wars. To further add to my pessimism, my childhood affection for the Nelvana series had began to wane as my appreciation and understanding for the art of Hergé increased. So sitting with books on laps we began to watch the Moon adventures on TV while following the action in the books. To my utter delight he was engrossed from the start, he was transfixed. We went on to watch the same 2 episodes at least 6 times over Easter.

Now of course this led me to view the series from then on rather differently. I tried to observe the series through the eyes of child, and visually I found them colourful and stimulating and the action full of suspense, drama, intrigue and good morals. I now plan to watch the series myself in full with a slightly different approach.

So I am glad to say that when my nephew comes to stay with me he insists at some point we watch a Tintin cartoon. So far we have only added Tintin in Tibet to the have watched list. But this unexpected pleasure of having my nephew show such an interest in Tintin at an early age is fantastic, as I know from experience that his enjoyment and understanding can only grow as he starts his very personal journey into the world of Tintin and Hergé.

I hope you enjoy your weekend,

Lee

Hi Lee
that's great to hear your nephew has discovered the joys of Tintin. And you are lucky, it has enabled you to see the series again with a new perspective.
(I have a feeling my nephew will only become interested when the Spielberg/Jackson movie verson is released).
all the best
Kieran

cafe_noir
Maybe its because kids these days are brought up on Pixar style films with lots of whizzy effects, that the world of Tintin seems a bit flat to them perhaps?

I wouldn't see it as a Tintin versus Pixar thing. I think the success of Pixar's films has less to do with any "whizzy effects" and more to do with the same qualities that you'd find in a Tintin book - intelligent, witty writing; fabulously stylish art by a very talented team of people; and exciting, superbly constructed storylines. I bet the geniuses at Pixar read Tintin books, and I bet Hergé would enjoy Pixar movies if he were alive today.

In comparison to Pixar movies and Tintin books alike, the Tintin animated cartoons are more than a little flat, from what I've seen of them. I think they lack the flair, genius and movement of both Hergé's work and Pixar's work. But they've obviously drawn Lee's nephew in, so maybe I'm being too harsh on them and should buy the box set for my children (who like the books).

Anyway, with a bit of luck, the forthcoming movie will have old book purists like me flocking to the cinema in awe, and film fans flocking to the books.

On the question of getting kids into the books, I've never found a way of satisfactorily reading comic books like Tintin to really young children as a bedtime story. You either have to "narrate" the pictures (which kind of spoils it and skims through it too fast) or you have to read every single bit of dialogue (which makes getting through a whole book take a while).

The Tintin cartoons are great but nothing beats the original comics!
I don't know many young kids who watch Tintin, but I know that the books are very popular with people of all ages in Australia (although mainly younger people).
At 23, I seem to be one of the older fans. (lol)

I think one of the great things about the Tintin series is their timelessness. They are still as enjoyable to read as an adult as when you were a child. As a younger reader I suppose I identified best with Tintin, now as a midde aged man I can also relate more to Captain Haddock. Maybe eventually I'll sympathise with Professor Calculus..

Actually, my brother buys Tintin VCDs from the town area in Singapore. Everytime he visits a VCD Shop, he looks for Tintin VCDs and came back to me, disappointed. Sometimes, he was lucky. Thanks to the shop guide here at Tintinologist.org, he found some at Borders and some other shops around the area at Orchard

yes for kids nowadays tintin seems to be below there dignity

When 'Tintin in Tibet' was on TV recently I sat down to watch it with my 7 year old nephew and he wasnt interested at all

I can't speak for the stuff on tv (which is, surely, nowhere near the level of the books) but I've been buying the books for my god-daughter (8 years old) recently and she seems happy enough. I don't think they'll challenge her love of The Famous Five, but they seem well-liked.

George

My nephew got all 21 books when he was younger but never took to them. Kids have way to many distractions and no imagination nowdays. That is not his case but just a general thing I see.