A young journalist in a blue jacket is looking for a solution to the most difficult cases with the help of his loyal dog. He wanders around the world until he reaches the moon. , otherwise known as Hergé.
The first appearance of the adventures of "Tintin" was on January 10, 1929, in the "Le Petit Vingtième" supplement for children issued by the Belgian newspaper "The Twentieth Century". After that, adventures and publications follow until they fill 24 volumes. The first adventures sent "Tintin" to the lands of the Soviets, the Congo and America.
Then the young reporter decides to take a vacation, and on board a cruise ship he meets an Egyptologist who invites him to accompany him on a journey to discover the tomb of the pharaoh, so the “vacation” turns into an “adventure” in the heart of the Egyptian desert, under the title “Tintin and the Pharaoh’s Cigarettes.”
After a full 90 years have passed since this adventure, and “Tintin” solved its mystery, the hardworking journalist returns to Egypt through an exhibition whose activities ended successfully at the “National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.”
About that memory and about this return, Yves Vivrier, head of digital communication at the Belgian company “Tintin Imgenito”, which is responsible for preserving and promoting Hergé’s works, speaks to Al-Ahram, explaining: “The exhibition experience was unique and special, especially as we celebrate the 90th anniversary of publishing an adventure ( Tintin and the Pharaoh's Cigarettes) On this occasion, the exhibition was held to celebrate the coloring of the adventure, which was published for the first time, like all the first adventures, in black and white. The new colorful offering also celebrates the centenary of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun, and the bicentenary of the decoding of the Rosetta Stone.
Vivrier explains that there is a direct link between these occasions, noting that Hergé was affected by the news of the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb by Howard Carter in 1922, and the controversy surrounding it regarding the curse of the Pharaohs. This was reflected in his writing style, which was full of excitement, dynamism and suspense.
The reasons for choosing the “National Museum of Egyptian Civilization” to hold the exhibition, pointing out that this choice is in harmony with the spirit of the adventure of “Tintin and the Pharaoh’s Cigarettes.” The cover of the adventure includes “Tintin standing in the face of the mummies, in addition to the details that the following pages bear about the step pyramid, the mummies, the curse of the pharaohs, Tutankhamun and Anubis.”
This event is the fourth organized by the Tintinimaginatio Foundation and the IFFDA Foundation, which are the organizers of the exhibition. Every two years, one of the first nine issues of The Adventures of Tintin is colored and republished. So the adventure of “Tintin in the Land of the Soviets” was colored, and the launch of the modern version coincided in 2017, with the celebration of the centenary of the outbreak of the Soviet Revolution.
He believes that the secret of "Tintin"'s ability to persist and spread through time and societies is mainly due to the fact that Hergé's drawings are technically simplified, and this is part of his global appeal. And he adds, explaining: “The lines of the face carry the simplest ways of expressing the human face, but they leave an imprint in the memory, and Hergé’s works always contain culture, responsibility, initiative, and innovation. Therefore, we turned this concept into a work methodology through which we seek modernization so that Tintin can keep pace with modern developments. During the next six months, a new project will be launched that will give readers of The Adventures of Tintin the enjoyment of a modern and modern interactive vision.
Regarding upcoming projects in Egypt, Vivrier reveals efforts to hold the “Tintin and the Pharaoh’s Cigarettes” exhibition again in Luxor.