Where to Start With Tintin?

Why itâ??s daunting: Comprising 24 volumes published between 1930 and 1986, the Belgian-produced The Adventures Of Tintin is one of the worldâ??s most popular and enduring comic-book seriesâ??the thrilling, globetrotting exploits of the intrepid boy reporter Tintin, his loyal dog Snowy, and his quirky band of comrades. So why is the series scarcely more than a cult phenomenon in the United States? Chalk it up to odd timing. During Tintinâ??s initial run, American audiences were accustomed to consuming comics in one of two ways: adult-friendly newspaper strips and kid-aimed newsstand pamphlets. To its credit,Tintinâ??created as a serial by Belgian cartoonist Georges Rémi, better known as Hergéâ??boasts higher production values and an intentionally broad appeal. In fact, it helped pioneer the graphic novel long before it was known as such. But Tintinâ??s run ended soon after Hergéâ??s death in 1983, just as American comics were set to enter a new era of accessibility and acceptability. Then again, Tintin has always existed outside the trends of the comics industryâ??and beneath the radar of a large part of todayâ??s burgeoning geek culture.