When I Grow Up I'm Going to be A Reporter, Like Tintin

You may have heard of Tintin because a movie starring him came out recently, but I know Tintin from his comics. Tintin comics are the best. Tintin is the reason I have always wanted to be a reporter. I don't actually know what a reporter is, but if Tintin is any indication, it's the best job in the world. In his comics, Tintin gets to travel the world, fly airplanes, fight drug-runners, overthrow governments, solve mysteries and in one very weird adventure, meet up with aliens.

My local library had about half of the 23 Tintin books and I checked them out in an endlessly repeating loop. I have large chunks of The Shooting Star impressed onto my brain. Unfortunately, the library didn't seem to take my suggestion (which I helpfully wrote down and shoved in their suggestion box) to buy “MORE TINTIN,” leaving me no choice but to ask for all the Tintin books I didn't have for Christmas. (The Library did take my suggestion to buy “MORE HORSE BOOKS” and “MORE NANCY DREW,” so I can't be too mad at them.)

Asking for Tintin books for Christmas was a desperate move. Christmas is for getting toys! Books and clothing are down at the weak end of the gifts spectrum. Once my dad returned home from a trip and brought me a book as a present. I was outraged. A book? What was this nonsense! The book ended up being a comic book version of The Black Stallion and I read it until it fell apart and it was THE BEST BOOK EVER. (Besides Tintin.)

So I asked for all the Tintin books I didn't have for Christmas. King Ottokar's Sceptre. Flight 714. The Calculus Affair.

Christmas came, and my parents got me all those Tintins and more. My brothers and I read them until the spines broke and the pages fell out and I memorized practically every line. I don't remember many of the toys I got at Christmas, but I remember the year I got the Tintin books.

I never ended up becoming a reporter like Tintin, but I make comics for a living, so it's pretty close. I get to draw people going on adventures, running through forests, fighting zombies, being stalked by ghosts ... I think Tintin would be proud.

 - Faith Erin Hicks' first book, Friends With Boys, is on sale 02/28!