Forever Young! Tintin’s Adventures as an Example of Physical Activity and Sport

Abstract

Created by Hergé in 1929, Tintin is a truly successful publication, since these comic books have been translated into about a hundred languages and published throughout the world during the 20th century. Several studies have already been conducted on Tintin. However, the place and role of physical and sports activities practiced by this tireless journalist in the promotion of these highly sustainable activities have never been analyzed. Through both quantitative and qualitative analyses (descriptions, counts, frequencies and percentages), this work studies all the panels of the 23 albums of Tintin’s adventures dealing with any form of physical exercise or sport. The results indicate that the representation of physical and sporting activity in Tintin’s adventures remains steady and consistent from the first (1931) to the last book (1976). Thus, Hergé had never ceased to believe in the beneficial, physiological, psychological, moral and social effects of physical activity on his young, tireless hero. To summarize, the eternally youthful and perfectly fit, Tintin leads both his core band and occasional characters and may serve as a role model influencing young 20th century readers toward the benefits of an active lifestyle.