Email Address: dadrjajknhsn@hotmail.com
75th Anniversary
The reporter who rushed into the world at the opening of Tintin In The Land Of The Soviets is now 75, though he hardly looks it. Today, around the world, readers still cling to copies of his 24 globetrekking adventures, which have sold over 200 million copies, and are still as timeless and brilliant as they were decades ago. Although the reporter is seventy-five today, there is no doubt that he will still retain the same level of popularity, influence and success a century from now. Bon anniversaire Tintin! Et bon anniversaire Milou aussi!
Apology
I apologize for not updating the site for nearly two months. I have fortunately, found time to update the site in time for the 75th Jubilee, celebrating three quarter-centuries since Le Petit Vingtieme No. 11 was first sold and read, bearing the debut of Tintin and Snowy.
Tintin And Dyslexia
The BBC and DITT are involved with Moulinsart S.A. in the fight against dyslexia. This is the first time since Nick Rodwell became company president that Tintin has been licensed and that Herge's artwork has been allowed to sponsor or aid a cause. For more info, go to www.ditt-online.org to find out more about the new multimedia CD.
75th Birthday Preparations
January 10, 2004 will be the anniversary of the publication of issue No. 11 of Le Petit Vingtieme, and the world debut of The Adventures of Tintin. 75 years later, Moulinsart S.A. is planning to commemorate the event through several actions.
A contract with Delacre Biscuits S.A., of Belgium, has assured the appearance of Tintin and Snowy on several biscuit tins to be sold throughout Belgium starting in December. This move is unprecendented in Moulinsart's history after a long period of licensing protection. Also, next January, a facsimile of the 1946 publication of The Blue Lotus will be released by Casterman as part of an ongoing series.
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But more importantly, in January 2004, Moulinsart S.A. will authorize for the republication of Tintin And Alph-Art, in the original French, the first and unexpected reprint of the book in any language. The book will feature a new cover created the Fondation Herge, something that Moulinsart has never done. The publication will make all Tintin books readily available in mass bulk to the Francophone population. Since Moulinsart S.A.'s products are typically expensive, Tintinophiles will be surprised to hear that the new edition will be mass printed and will cost less than the original, appearing in paperback, an event awaited by many fans since 1986, when the publication of only a small number of copies created an immediate shortage.
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Also, the edition will contain several preliminary but recently found documents that just might shed light on the giant enigma of Herge's last, unfinished masterpiece. The private files of Herge included in the book may reveal the identity of the villainous Endaddine Akass and the pre-planned, ultimate, unknown fate of Tintin himself...
Further events to commemorate the anniversary will be announced through press statements in December.
The Crab With The Golden Claws in Japan
After a hiatus of four years, the translators of the Adventures of Tintin at the Tokyo publishing house Fukuinkan Shoten, which publishes a number of Japanese children's books and has run Tintin in the Far East since 1994, have come out with their 18th translation. The last book to have been translated being King Ottokar's Sceptre, this new edition is The Crab With The Golden Claws. Its publication in Japan, one of Tintin's most popular foreign outlets, comes 35 years after the publication of The Secret of the Unicorn, which started off a wave of Tintin mania in the land of the rising sun. The Crab With The Golden Claws is the most widely translated of the books, published in over 50 languages, and is often an introductory book to the series upon Moulinsart's entry into a new country.
Moulinsart has paid close attention to the Oriental market, having broken out into China two years ago with unprecendented success, as well as opening up major branches in Taiwan and increasing translation rates in South Korea as well as releasing a DVD box set in the Far East which is set to hit the shops in Europe next year. Japanese museums also housed the travelling exhibition The Adventures of Tintin, which attracted over 30,000 viewers during its showcasing in Tokyo and a visit from the Crown Prince and Princess of Japan.
Le site-maintenant en français
This site is now available in French. Although translation has just begun, you can access the new domain (WARNING: HEAVILY UNDER CONSTRUCTION) at www.freewebs.com/tintinfr.
Chronologie d'une oeuvre-Tome 4
October 2003 opened with the release of Chronologie d'une oeuvre: Tome 4 (1939-1943) into the market. This new anthology, part of an ongoing series released by Editions Moulinsart, contains the original unfinished 1939 version of Land of Black Gold, as well as The Crab With The Golden Claws, The Shooting Star, The Secret Of The Unicorn, and Red Rackham's Treasure. The book is a limited edition and will retail for 105 Euros. A lithographic edition will sell for 140 Euros.
Tintin et moi
The debut of the documentary Tintin et moi on Flemish TV in Belgium on 10:50 PM on September 2 caught much attention. It is the first documentary in years Moulinsart S.A. has allowed for broadcast on Hergé and actually funded. The program was organized by the Fondation Hergé and directed by a Danish TV producer.
The program was inspired by a synonomous documentary, filmed 27 years ago and the famous interviews with Herge conducted by then-student Numa Sadoul. The audio and video transcripts of the interviews, filmed and recorded in 1971 at the artist's studio in Brussels, will be used in the documentary, which also features a walk-through guide of the Fondation Hergé and Moulinsart S.A, not only contains vintage footage, but new material as well.
Filming for this project began with the blessings and full support of Fanny Rodwell, widow of Hergé and manager of the Fondation Hergé, on July 1 2002. The film examines the life and work of the artist, shedding light on one of the most pivotal artists of the century who has not themselves been thrown into the limelight.
The unedited version of the film is 73 minutes, and was shot in Belgium, France, Holland, Denmark, and the United Kingdom. The film is in Dutch and French and is expected to be licensed and exported throughout the world. For now, confirmed broadcastings are to be in Belgium, France, and Switzerland.
Egmont Package
The Egmont Package, released in Great Britain on September 4, 2003, contains a mini-size edition of the following five books: Tintin In America, The Broken Ear, The Seven Crystal Balls, Prisoners Of The Sun, and Tintin And The Picaros. Egmont, part of Reed International Books, Inc. , is now getting its hold once more of Tintin publishing.
The Egmont Package is the first of its kind and no doubt it will be the first of a long succession. It is available only in English and retails in the United Kingdom for 35 pounds (58 dollars) and has caught much attention.
