Having devoured all 23 volumes of illustrator Herge's "The Adventures of Tintin" during my childhood, I've never since felt inclined to pick them up again. Nonetheless -- though the scrapes of the Belgian boy reporter and his canine sidekick Snowy began life as a cartoon strip in the children's weekly Le Petit Vingtieme -- the series has always had legions of adult admirers, too.
Such young-at-heart fans will doubtless flock (with their children in tow) to "The Adventures of Tintin," now at the Bunkamura Museum of Art. And they may well be satisfied, for with its plethora of models and tableaux, this colorful exhibition draws visitors into the visual world of Tintin and his companions.
Unfortunately, those seeking insight into Herge himself will be disappointed, as here the created, not the creator, most definitely takes center stage. However, in the case of Herge -- real name Georges Remi (the pen name derives from the French pronunciation of his initials, R.G.) -- this may serve to cast a convenient shade over certain areas of his life.