In what specific ways is Tintin a forerunner of late 20th – 21st century transmedia storytelling franchises?
In Mountfort’s (2016) review, it is said that Tintin has been recalled as one of the greatest global transmedia franchises of the early twenty-first century and quickly gained popularity in popular culture through its dependence on its spread over different medias. From its first success in the magazine Le Vingtième Siècle (The Twentieth Century) as a strip cartoon, Tintin then got published into an album a year later in the same newspaper. This spurred Tintin from being a simple strip cartoon to a more novelistic form of media. This also influenced Hergé to create more fully plotted stories for Tintin which in turn made it easier to be commodified and more appealing to the public audience. Tintin also presented new aesthetics in its medium as Tintin’s first colorized debut, The Shooting Star was published. Colorization during this period of printmaking made the product a more “premium” product and elevated its appeal for the market as it cost more to produce. This marked a big transition for Tintin, from being a strip cartoon to a finished comic book. Tintin also easily became a brand that was merchandised across puzzles, calendars, cushions, etc, further increasing its spread over different mediums.
Moreover, Tintin was published in many different forms of media such as albums, and feature film adaptations. Tintin had rapidly gained popularity and dominated the popular culture in Europe and is seen as one of the forerunners of late 20th-21st century transmedia franchises from its beginnings as a simple strip cartoon to fully fleshed out comic books. Tintin’s influence on popular culture encouraged its transmediation as Tintin became published in a range of narratives of film, comics, and more.
References
Mountfort, P. (2016). Tintin as Spectacle: The Backstory of a Popular Franchise and Late Capital. Journal of Asia-Pacific Pop Culture, 1(1).
Pop Genres 2020 