Studio Brillantine first came across the Tintin merchandise when we first opened over 25+ years ago. We were seeking new lines for our then "new shop". Prior to this, only the Tintin comics were all that we had previously encountered. It was exciting and also a nostalgic reaction to see the world of Tintin on all the giftware and merchandise showing the Tintin characters in their adventures.

It was decided that the Tintin products would be a part of our new shop offering and to introduce Tintin as one of our product lines. The immediate enthusiasm on our part was such that we placed a large order with the Canadian distributor for Tintin-Moulinsart while not even considering if there would be a lot of interest as we were just starting our shop.

An early introduction: The earliest encounter with the Tintin comic books begins way back as a child in grade 3 when classmates would be trading and lending each others Tintin comics and one of my childhood and family friend Jaime de Vega had several of the Tintin comics. He had shown me "Destination Moon" and "Explorers on the Moon" and I recall him being so absorbed with reading them. What was most fascinating and intriguing was how the comic itself was drawn, its composition, clean lines and colour and how each comic panel would be perfect on its own making each of the drawn panels a work of "art" in its own right.

In hindsight, without even reading the actual storyline of the comics the world of Tintin and work of Hergé had already transformed and already made one an unknowing admirer of his work on a purely visual and technical level with his skilfully drawn panels.

Snowy-Milou: Tintin's cute and most adorable dog, Milou or Snowy in the English version has always been one of the main reasons for having the Tintin collection at our shop.

Snowy-Milou as a plush collectible is available in various sizes:

The Rocket: One of the most iconic Tintin objects is the red rocket and its dynamic depiction on the Tintin comic book covers of "Destination Moon" and "Explorers on the Moon". These Tintin book covers are also available as posters have always captured the imagination of Tintin admirers and likewise, upon seeing them as a youngster these graphic and striking images have always been remembered.

The iconic Tintin Rocket has been released in several sizes and limited editions:

A classic adaptation: "The Adventures of Tintin" animation by Nelvana has brought the comic books to life with an impressive recreation of Tintin's universe. This 10 DVD set from 1990 showcases 20 Tintin adventures and after watching this for the first time the full picture of Tintin's significance became clear. It revealed as to why there were so many Tintin admirers worldwide and why these adventures have been translated to so many languages [trivia: 110 languages so far!!!].

Viewing this now classic adaptation of the comic books as an animation coming to life is true to Hergé's vision. My partner who read Tintin as a child has this DVD series as part of their collection. It is available to watch for free on the Tintin YouTube channel or online from the Official Tintin site.

The adherence to Herge's clean compositions and drawing style, the perfect choice for the voice talents for each character has definitely made "The Adventures of Tintin" in DVD come to life right out of the comic book pages. After  watching -- and also rewatching-- all these episodes there was a shift to a greater appreciation of Hergé's work and one could understand why Tintin is so revered by so many all around the world and is a worldwide cultural phenomenon.

Hergé: A master storyteller using line, colour and composition

When a comic panel from any one of Tintin's adventures is studied one can fully appreciate the genius of Hergé inherently drawn in each comic panel through its composition and colour -- not to forget about the compelling storyline from which it is from -- unfolding with each turn of the page. This is evident in the Tintin Wall Calendars released each year which reveal this idea as each frame at times cropped from Herge's original Tintin comic drawings and by doing this are easily transferred to different formats and sizes for each year. 

Tintin Wall Calendars are released each year revealing 12 selected images from the various Tintin Adventures. The images are selected thematically as some examples: 2002 [Automobiles], 2005 [Running], 2010 [Evening], 2021 [Nature]. In these calendars one can fully appreciate Herge's artistry with these graphic calendars. Whether the comic panels are small, large, as is or cropped, the Hergé drawings and their graphic impact is not diminished.

A selection of some of our Tintin Calendars from the SB collection:

An example from the Canvas Limited Edition [140 x 140cm] of Moulinsart-Marlinspike Hall as shown here:

Tintin: A positive and virtuous role model for everyone!

What is most apparent as we have noticed in over the 25+ years with Tintin customers and collectors is that the "Tintin customer" is very much like their hero with good values, respectful, trustworthy, polite, etc. 

Tintin's virtuous personal characteristics to name a few: balanced, logical, polite, brave, honest, upstanding, adventurous, respectful, etc. -- a perfect role model for all. Perhaps this is really the most valuable aspect of Herge's work to inspire readers of all ages to be more like their hero, Tintin and to assimilate his good virtues into oneself. 

We definitely have observed and come across all these admirable Tintin enthusiasts who are our customers and they too, emulate all good values just like their hero, Tintin!!!

Studio Brillantine is a design shop in Toronto, Canada and carries an extensive selection of gifts, international design objects from all over the world.