Tintin versus the big noses

Rudi de Vries’ dissertation Comics and co-evolutions : a study of the dynamics in the niche of comics publishers in the Low Countries, attempting to explain why the Dutch comics industry lags behind that of France and Belgium, sounds interesting:

Hergé’s exciting but wholesome adventures of Tintin were originally published in a refined Catholic magazine, and soon found their way to France and the Netherlands. The ‘big nose’ style favoured by Dupuis, publisher of the Robbedoes comic strips, became very popular, inspiring Goscinny and Uderzo, the creators of Asterix. De Vries: ‘The fierce rivalry that developed between the Belgian publishers only served to stimulate production.’ Cartoonists like Hergé (Tintin), Morris (Lucky Luke), Peyo (Smurfs) and Franquin (Guust Flater or Gaston) grasped this opportunity to exercise their influence on the development of comic culture.

[…]

The Dutch comic culture is lagging behind the rest of the world. The swift rise of comics in Belgium and France can be traced back to historical developments. Back then, Dutch publishers were happy with translations of foreign comic strips. De Vries: ‘There are other reasons for Dutch comics failing to thrive, but they are more difficult to pinpoint. I think it has something to do with our Calvinistic outlook on life.’

The complete dissertation can be downloaded from the University of Groningen website. Found via Dutch comics journalist/blogger Michael Minneboo through the interview (Dutch only) he did with de Vries last year.

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