Tintin Forums

While researching the rare Tintin books in the other thread, the early 1990's comes up an awful lot, with 1992 perhaps being the golden year for Tintin fans!

Was there any special reason for this that anyone knows of? As far as I can tell it wasn't really a major anniversary like 75 years.

It just seems that Methuen blitzed the market with all kinds of weird and wonderful stuff as well as seeing the first Sundancer editions around this time.

Were they hoping for some knockback from the new cartoon series perhaps?

After 1992 it seems that new stuff went a little barren as well, many of the new titles were never reprinted again, was it all a big test to see how the UK would respond to new Herge stuff and we all failed?

It seems we're having a sort of rennaisance now of new stuff but it's a long time coming

Rik

1992 golden year of Tintin fans! The reason for me would be that it was the year I bought some heavy Tintin books for Covent Garden - The sundancer books, Herge and Tintin-Reporters and I diary which I dug out the other day and had to laugh at my 11-12 year old scribblings (only lasted about a month). 60 years of adventure was brought in a Secondhand shop and Tintin and the World of Herge (may have been brought in 1991) for Volume One's Red Rocket. I agree with Rik that there did seem to be a surgence of Tintin refference books. This may have co-incided with the Nevalda-Eclipse series.
Also that year I visited the 'Into Tibet' Exhibition that was held in Belgium, which was how I would have responded at the time ' Most Excellent'.
1992, Indeed a vintage year for myself as it kick started a real intrest in the whole Tintin world outside of the adventures! Alas the glory days are just a distant memory away...

I can only guess at the moment that Methuen wanted the new publications to tie in with the first UK broadcasts of the Ellipse/Nelvana series.

Ed

I think 1989 was the pivotal Tintin year, at least here in the UK. The 60th anniversary exhibition was really the launchpad for all thoses early 90s releases - it certainly revived a lot of interest coinciding with the release of Soviets and the zillions of other Tintin-related products from that time.

I remember seeing black and white T-shirts of the 60th anniversary.

As it happens, I am wearing my T-shirt today. I got it from the "60 years of Adventures" exhibition in London in 1989 (I can't believe it was 20 years ago). I had come over from New Zealand on a working holiday and could not believe my luck. I enjoyed looking at the early artwork and sketches but mainly I was so impressed that Tintin was being taken seriously. I think "In the Land of the Soviets" had just been published in English and it could be bought at the exhibition. A small newspaper was published with Tintin news and several T-shirts were available for groupies. I bought a couple. The one I am wearing today has been sitting in a drawer for about 20 years until I started wearing it about a year ago. It is black with a large silver "60" in the middle, "Tintin" above it, "60 ans d'aventures" below it and an early 30's image of Tintin and Snowy racing across it.
I actually think there is more of a Tintin revival today than back then. Possibly thanks to the internet. The english language facsimiles, the early colour Black island in english, Michael Farr's books. I could only dream about such treasures 20 years ago.
Having said that, I think the T shirts were better back then though.

Got a 60th Anniversary t-shirt myself (still do, but well worn). I got it from the Floral Street shop in Covent Garden plus a few others after that (still have them too).
Compared with them the 70th Anniversary tee was rubbish - hope there is an 80th one?