Tintin: The Art of Hergé
Tintin, the teenage reporter who’s been trekking around the world since 1929 in a beloved series of graphic novel adventures, remains not just perpetually young but perpetually popular. Attesting to the character’s continued renown is a museum near Brussels devoted to the life and career of his creator, the Belgian cartoonist, Hergé. The holdings of that institution form the basis for this massive compilation. The seven chapters, based on the sequence of rooms in the museum, document Hergé’s early years; the series’ cast members; the sources, largely cinematic, that influenced Hergé; the worldwide journeys taken by both Tintin and his creator; and the two dozen Tintin books themselves. These themes are visually traced through reproductions of Hergé’s juvenilia and pre-Tintin work, sketches and other preliminary drawings as well as panels from the finished books,  and photographs and other memorabilia. A 2011 film adaptation directed by Steven Spielberg (with a sequel in the pipeline) boosted Tintin’s profile stateside. Libraries where the series is popular should consider augmenting those titles with this handsome volume. --Gordon Flagg