Looking back when I was a young boy, I had lots of hobbies. Like most kid at my age, I played robots, action figures, mini vehicles, cartoon, etc. One of my interest was collecting books and comics. This was started earlier even listening to music.

Some name to be mentioned in my favourite list, Lucky Luke : the poor lone some cowboy who shoot faster than his shadow. Choose Your Own Adventure, The Secret of Blue Whale : a classic encounter of cold war. Three Detectives’s series created by maestro of thriller, Alfred Hitchcock. I even had read Agatha Christie’s in early junior high years. Of all, it is clearly seen that my favourite was a mystery packed with detective sense and action. But one left to mention, my all time favourite : The Adventure of Tintin.

Tintin, created by Georges Remi known as Herge, is a wonderful story, a complete journey of a Belgium journalist. Skilled with his curiosity that lead him to many adventures. He and his long life mate, Mileu (a spaniel white dog), travel across the globe, visiting many countries for right reason confronting villain Communist Regime in USSR, Al Capone (Tintin was the only comic character to face The Scarface in his lifetime), Sydavian Kingdom (old Germany before WW II), central America guerilla, legacy and ruined of Inca’s old tample in Machu Pichu Peru, UFO, and even landing his feet in the Moon 15 years earlier than Neil Armsrong did. From bottom of the sea (Red Sea Sharks) to outer space (Explorers on The Moon). Meeting new people, some of them later became his close family, like Captain Haddock, Cuthbert Calculus, Dupont and Dupond, and others.

I remember one day, I went with my father to Majestik in Kebayoran Lama searching and hunting for some old edition of books and comics. There I got the The Crab With The Golden Claws. In another chance when I went to Senen old book market, I purchased The Seven Crystal Balls along with The Prisoners of The Sun. The first series I read actually The Black Island, which I borrowed from my long mate. After that came The Shooting Star and Cigars of The Pharaoh. The Broken Ear, Flight 714 To Sydney, Castafiore’s Emerald, Tintin And Picaros, King Ottokar’s Skeptre and Tintin In America was next on the line. The hardest series for me to collect was The Red Rackham Treasure, it took me almost five years of searching which I finally got the hardcover version with high rated edition. The rest of album mostly I got from bookstores.

Else, Tintin wasn’t just an individual hobby. It was a family interest actually. Since my sister and my father liked it too. This condition was truly an advantage for me as my father wouldn’t hesitate to buy them for me. He wouldn’t complain nothing about books. I remember one time, he laughed loudly when he read Destination Moon. It was quite funny, though.

After sometime collecting, searching and hunting, it was set to completion. I was proudly announced to all my friends that I had all the Tintin’s album. Shortly, they came after me and asked for lending some titles. I had to give it to them, as they pursued over me. I would be kind to all my friends. Unfortunately, some of them didn’t give back the album. So I lost one by one, even most of them. I was careless at the time. I couldn’t blame noone but myself.

And now, more than 20 years after, I still have a kind interest of collecting Tintin. The one I used to collect in the past was publish by Indira. News for past years they have bankrupt and so Tintin was no longer available in stores. The recent collection is publish by Gramedia with a book format and glossy page papers. The difference was the old Indira translated from UK published version of Tintin. This included all the characters mentioned in English name. The Gramedia version translated from the original Casterman Belgium, which I think have a very close similarity and reality to the story (as Tintin is Belgium, he speaks French). So, it is more natural and more enjoyable to read.

Tintin is a very smart story. A brilliant character. It is down to earth. Natural and reality of life. By reading it, you will be able to travel to the past, knowing some piece of history. Learnig new culture in another part of the world. An alternative way of education for all ages, yet entertaining. The album itself is worth of a collectibles. The whole is a masterpiece.