MANILA – Media and invited guests were on hand for the inauguration of Bonifacio High Street’s newest retail attraction in the form of the Philippines’ first Tintin Shop. Located within Fully Booked, the Tintin Shop is dedicated to books, merchandise and apparel featuring Belgian artist Georges Remi’s (better known by his nom de plume of Hergé) boy reporter of the same name.
Consisting primarily of 24 graphic novels that have been translated into 70 languages and sold over 200 million copies worldwide, The Adventures of Tintin series tells the story of the titular character and his adventures around the world. Joining Tintin are his faithful dog, Snowy, and a colorful cast of characters including crotchety seafarer Captain Haddock and the bumbling detective duo of Thomson and Thompson.
A perennial favorite in Europe and much of Asia, Tintin has – aside from his titular comic books – been the subject of live action films, an animated television series, and a plethora of merchandise over the years. In 2011, the character received perhaps his biggest global exposure to date with the release of the 3D animated The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn by director Steven Spielberg (Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List). With a sequel on the way from director Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings) once he completes his duties on The Hobbit, awareness of the character is at an all-time high, and there’s never been a better time to be a fan.
Fully Booked went all out to to introduce the Philippine Tintin Shop, staging an event that honored the legendary franchise, with activities, games and activities awaiting visitors. Staff were decked out in full Tintin attire, cheerfully inviting guests to try their hands at crafting an origami Snowy, pore through a Tintin-themed word jumble, or attempt to identify the speakers behind some of the series’ more colorful quotes. Taking centerstage through the festivities was a buffet of themed treats that could be enjoyed amidst individually-decorated cocktail tables.
The main attractions, though, were guided tours through the Tintin Shop itself, wherein the costumed staff introduced guests to the character’s history while walking them through what the store had to offer. Aside from the expected graphic novels (referred to as “albums” in Europe), the Tintin Shop offers everything a fan could want, from the affordable (postcards, posters, keychains and t-shirts) to the sort of high-end collectible that wouldn’t look out of place in an art collection (small-to-medium-sized statues and replicas of iconic props and scenes from the series).
“I’m a huge comic book fan and I believe The Adventures of Tintin is the biggest, if not the most important comic book out there,” said Fully Booked managing director Jaime Daez, of the launch. “Hergé really paved the way…if not for Tintin, we might not have all these new, popular comic books we have now.”
The Tintin Shop is open during store hours at Fully Booked, Bonifacio High Street. Guided tours are available on July 12 and 13 at 2.30pm.
