The hearts of fans of the popular comic characters Tintin will beat faster here very quickly: near Frankfurt Cathedral, a pop-up store all about the comic world from the pen of Hergé opened on Saturday, October 12. Until November 16, the Cologne-based Hergé licensee Atomax Merchandising will make a guest appearance at Frankfurt's Last Century Modern. There are real treasures to be discovered here: In addition to rare silkscreens, limited edition figurines and a precious bronze, there are also many lifestyle objects for every budget.
But that's not all: from comic books to posters, postcards, coffee mugs, espresso cups, cereal bowls, writing utensils and stationery, as well as secondary literature on Hergé or Tintin, will be on offer for five weeks at Domstraße 6 (right next to the Kaiserdom). Key rings, figurines and objects in all available sizes up to rare pieces that were only produced in small editions are also available here exclusively and for a short time. Anyone who loves Tintin should not miss this guest appearance.
One of many highlights of the Frankfurt pop-up store, however, is a bronze figure from the volume "Tintin in the Land of the Soviets", of which there are only 17 copies worldwide. No less coveted are the extremely rare silkscreen prints that Hergé produced for the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) in the early 1980s. This portfolio was limited to 250 copies in total, all signed by Hergé - one of these special portfolios of ten signed prints can be found in the store.
"In addition to our enthusiasm for comic book characters, we place a great deal of importance on design and an appealing presentation. With Last Century Modern, we have found the ideal location to present the exclusive Tintin products," says Atomax owner Thomas Schützinger. Tintin experts will be thrilled by the variety of objects on offer, but interested newcomers are also invited to immerse themselves in the fascinating comic world of Hergé.
The beautiful business premises of the two-storey shop gallery are known far beyond the borders of Frankfurt for their particularly aesthetic selection of goods, which is more reminiscent of a museum than retail. "Here, customers can browse among beautiful rare and precious things to their heart's content," says Last Century Modern managing director Arman Khoschbonyani, who has also long been a fan of the world of Hergé.
Georges Remi, known as Hergé, developed his own artistic drawing style in the Tintin comics, the "ligne claire" (French for: clear line), with precise contours and flat coloring. With this clear formal language, which makes it easier for the reader to identify with the characters depicted, the Belgian achieved cult status. Hergés first Tintin story appeared in 1929, all 24 comic volumes always reflect themes of the zeitgeist of the time. His home country celebrates the famous comic artist and honors his work with a foundation and its own museum.
As a monument to comic book history, the adventures of the young reporter with his clever dog have captivated comic book fans for 90 years: the issues have sold more than 230 million copies worldwide and have been translated into more than 80 languages. Following on from this successful history, Atomax Merchandising is now placing greater emphasis on the artistic appreciation of the work and is advocating a new valuation of Tintin in Germany. The Cologne-based comic retailer is regularly represented with its range at trade fairs, where the aesthetic style of its presentations and the cult status of the comic characters (not only around Hergés heroes) convince customers and retailers alike.
October 12-16. November 2019:
90 Years of Tintin Comics by Atomax Merchandising
Address: Last Century Modern, Domstraße 6, 60311 Frankfurt am Main
Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday, 10am - 7pm, closed on Sundays
More info also at: http://www.atomax.de
