How a 1990s animated series brought Hergé’s iconic comic book world to life

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The 1991 animated adaptation of The Adventures of Tintin remains a benchmark for comic-to-screen fidelity. By transposing original panels directly into its visual language, the series captured the spirit of Hergé’s work. It even featured the creator himself in hidden cameos, mirroring the playful tradition established in the books.

Produced by French studio Ellipse Programme and Canada’s Nelvana, the 39-episode series aired between 1991 and 1992. It was the second television attempt to adapt the Belgian cartoonist’s work, following an earlier effort by Belvision. Directed by Stéphane Bernasconi, the production was a meticulous labor of love that prioritized visual accuracy, often lifting compositions directly from the original comic panels to ensure the show felt like a living extension of the source material.

The production process was notably labor-intensive, utilizing traditional animation techniques. Each frame was printed, recopied onto celluloid, hand-painted in gouache, and placed against detailed backgrounds. While the series maintained a consistent artistic style, it introduced cinematic camera work and more intricate backgrounds than the original books. A rare technical experiment occurred in the 'Moon' episodes, where the team utilized 3-D animation for the rocket—a bold, unusual choice for 1991.

Beyond the visuals, the series maintained a clever nod to its origins through the frequent cameos of Hergé. Much like Alfred Hitchcock or Stan Lee, the creator appeared in various episodes as a passerby, a reporter, or even a gangster, often alongside his collaborator Edgar P. Jacobs. Though the original production language was English, the show retained French signage and posters, grounding the series in its European roots. Today, the show remains accessible through digital platforms, preserving a unique intersection of traditional hand-painted animation and modern digital restoration.

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