Blistering barnacles!

May 22, 2008 3:44 PM

But is it art? Apparently so - A page of original Tintin artwork by Belgian artist Hergé becomes part of the Pompidou Centre's permanent collection of Modern Art, the first comics artwork to do so despite Frances vibrant comics culture.
posted by Artw (18 comments total)

It's actually surprising that it took them this long. As you mention in your post, the French love of comics is huge, and they've got truckloads of really talented comic artists over there.

Also, it's really interesting to see such an excellent picture of the Pompidou Centre, on their opening page: due to how tightly wedged in it is, among other buildings, it's in fact difficult (as I recall) to take it in in its entirety when you're there in the flesh. But what seemed such a radical building when it first went up is, well, not nearly so radical anymore! Time marches on...
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:19 PM on May 22, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Billions of bilious blue blistering barnacles, it's about time!
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 4:24 PM on May 22, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

flapjax at midnite - I was going to link to the English version of the Pompidou Centre site, but I liked that picture on the entry page too much.
posted by Artw at 4:25 PM on May 22, 2008

I know in Belgium they love the character, but I've never talked with any belgian about the whole Tintin crazyness. Problem is, I don't know any real belgian. All the people I know in belgium come from other countries and they are often as puzzled as me.

I understand Hergé style was influential, but I've never seen an affection like this for a comic book character in any other part of the world. And anyone got the national comic book hero (we have a cowboy and Rupert Everett, among the others)
Also why tintin and not Spirou, XIII or The Smurfs?

Also, this will probably derail into the old argument "is tintin racist or not?" in a few exchanges.
posted by darkripper at 4:33 PM on May 22, 2008

Also, this (via MefiFightClub)
posted by darkripper at 4:36 PM on May 22, 2008

HA! Take that France!
posted by phrontist at 4:46 PM on May 22, 2008

Of course it is art... but Krazy Kat is much cooler art. Seems that half of the artists I know have this book.
posted by R. Mutt at 5:06 PM on May 22, 2008

Of course this is art - and exceptionally well done art, at that.

I just wish I could get a life size statue of Tin Tin making a lasso with a certin body fluid.
posted by Joey Michaels at 5:13 PM on May 22, 2008

I remember being 10 or so , and rushing to tell my elderly neighbor Mr. LeBeau about this wonderful new comic book I'd recently discovered in our town's public library.
"It's called 'Tin-tin', and it is really neat!" I gushed. "Have you ever seen it?"
A boy who has discovered a marvelous treasure must share his finds with trusted friends.
A boy who craves approval, and affection, from his Exotic Older Model.
(My mother once whispered to me that he'd been in the War, the Big One.)
Now, I'd never had French toast, let alone a Belgian waffle, mind you, and I pronounced the title just like it looked-- Tin-Tin, just like it said on the cover. Like a soda can.
Mr. LeBeau suddenly looked as sour as the ratty little endives he would give my mom each Spring, stuffed in creased paper bags he saved from the Food Basket Supermarket.
Far away a donkey brayed.
"Foolish child. Eet ees said lahk thees: ' Taahhn-Taahhn'. Why are you such a worm?"


People who put mayo on their fries suck.
posted by Dizzy at 6:36 PM on May 22, 2008 [2 favorites has favorites]

I know in Belgium they love the character, but I've never talked with any belgian about the whole Tintin crazyness. Problem is, I don't know any real belgian. All the people I know in belgium come from other countries and they are often as puzzled as me.

To be precise, all the puzzled Belgian people come from other countries.
posted by theiconoclast31 at 7:28 PM on May 22, 2008

People who put mayo on their fries suck.

No. It is Miracle Whip, and her fans which suck. Real mayonnaise ain't "mayo", Dambit.
posted by R. Mutt at 7:32 PM on May 22, 2008

Tournesol? pah! Tintin et l'alph-art!
posted by mwhybark at 8:40 PM on May 22, 2008

That's really cool. Bandes dessinees are the main reason that I got a degree in french.
posted by eclectist at 8:58 PM on May 22, 2008

Who is this Frances Vibrant? I've never heard of her.
posted by nthdegx at 12:58 AM on May 23, 2008

Great, may be one day Leo Baxendale will be in the Tate
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 4:18 AM on May 23, 2008

Oh and Belgium, is that still a country? Have they got a government yet?
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 4:18 AM on May 23, 2008

I love Tintin, however I am afraid Spielberg is going to ruin it for me.
posted by Vindaloo at 5:03 AM on May 23, 2008

But is it art?

Perhaps it should apear with an Asterix beside it?
posted by Kabanos at 10:59 AM on May 23, 2008