The animated and live action Tintin stuff has always been fairly shite.
The books however were groundbreaking for their time, and even now are equal to the best DC or Marvel have to offer.
Most were written before & just after world war 2.
They showed a consitent treatment of non europeans as humans that was unprecedented and not a little controversial at the time.
As in Japan, continental european comic books are geared toward a more adult audience than those found in the UK and America, at least until Judge Dredd in the UK and The Dark Knight Returns in the US.
Tintin, while keeping the art fairly simple, had quite complex story lines covering everything from drug & weapons smuggling to the corruption & exploitation of developing nations by western corporations and governments.
The mood was often only lightened by Tintin's comic sidekick/faithful hound Snowy, and later by Captain Haddock.
Additional comic relief was later provided by the detectives Thompson and Thomson
I hope Spielberg & Jackson manage to keep that balance of gritty reality and humour.
Earlier attemps have all been recalibrated for children, disposing with the grittier themes like Haddocks recuring struggle with alcoholism......


(Edited by Wesley 15/05/2007 12:41)