Fullybooked BGC is open everyday from 10am to 11pm. You may reach them at 858-7000
When I was a kid way back in the early 90's, I was introduced to Herge's masterpiece titled "The Adventures of Tintin". I remember back then we only had a few of his comic books such as "The Red Sea Sharks" and the the whole "Land of Black Gold, Destination Moon and Explorers on the Moon" 3-book collection, later on we would add to that collection through our periodic visits to National Bookstore and one occasion a visit to Barnes and Noble in New York completed our collection. Back then the comics were priced at an affordable Php. 98 (but this was the early 90's so it was probably just as expensive today) and all of us would voraciously read the adventures of Tintin, Snowy, Captain Haddock, the Thompson and Thomson twins and many more. In many ways, we all got to explore the world that Herge created and it really helped our family bond over a common topic. For me, seeing all of these exotic locations probably helped me choose the Social Sciences as a major later on in life. When I found out that Fullybooked opened the very first Tintin store here in the Philippines yesterday, I made it a point that I will not end its opening weekend without visiting it. For my family, Tintin was never just some character in a comic book, he was a conversational starter in our family. Even after having read the comics back and forth multiple times, on our sick days and when I revived it by gifting my family the entire collection a few Christmases ago, Tintin was always there. He is a character that lives in our humor, where we would relive our favorite scenes and retell our favorite lines in some random scenario while we traveled. Our love for Herge's character even made my sister look for the country of Syldavia in Compton's Encyclopedia (ca. 1980's), buy the Broken Ear idol in a shop in Boracay (aptly named The Broken Ear shop or to that effect), and watch the film on its opening day while whispering to each other the iconic symbols during the opening credits. We were true fans and simply going to the Fullybooked branch brought back a lot of memories of our childhood growing up with him. Now who is Tintin? Well Tintin was created by Belgian comic book writer and artist Herge back in the 1920's or 30's. The young man known as Tintin was very much like his creator, he worked in a newspaper and covered a lot of events, which at that time was quite tumultuous such as: the rise of Fascism in Europe and the Second World War. Tintin figures in many of history's most significant events, some as allusions like his "The Shooting Star" (World War II) and others more of the H.G. Wells variety (Destination Moon and Explorers on the Moon). Tintin was truly well traveled, having gone to exotic locales and meeting interesting characters and people along the way. Despite his travels, Herge and his comic was also controversial for its stereotypical portrayals of Chinese, Africans and colonialism. Controversies aside, it was his adventures that brought in readers of all ages to appreciate the art and storytelling of Herge. In Fullybooked, the Tintin shop was absolutely complete with Tintin merchandise. Figurines, models, scenes, postcards, posters, stationary things and all manner of souvenir-like items were displayed for enthusiasts of the series to enjoy. I was of course drawn to the figurines and the different models that depicted many scenes from the comic book series. Apart from the figurines a Tintin store wouldn't be complete without copies of the entire Tintin collection (sans Tintin in Congo), from the first one made (Tintin in the Land of the Soviets) to the very last one (the incomplete and posthumously published Tintin and Alph-Art). The experience of entering a store catering to Tintin and his entire series will surely be a worthwhile moment for Tintin fanatics and those who are really interested in his story. The models on display would surely draw a first timer to pick up any of Herge's works and no doubt bring them back for more helpings, Tintin's adventures are just to fun and whimsical that its hard not to keep on reading more and more about him. It is evident that my family are true Tintin enthusiasts and a store like this will bring us back (or at least me) for more adventures. Seeing that they are also here to stay for good, I hope to find more time to explore this place further and bring home some more stuff for our collection at home. At the end of the day, Tintin isn't really just a comic book character for us, he is the embodiment of our childhood and one of the many characters that inspired us to travel and to read voraciously. The Tintin Shop can be found on the Ground Floor of Fullybooked BGC. Fullybooked BGC is open everyday from 10am to 11pm. You may reach them at 858-7000
3 Comments
1/6/2015 05:33:59 am
We really appreciated your post. In fact I will be in Manila again this year, I will be stopping by. I'll be buying the whole series for my 5yr old daughter in Dumaguete. :)
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Manila Traveler
1/6/2015 08:06:20 am
Thank you! I'm so glad to hear that you liked the post.
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Amr
1/7/2015 11:42:48 am
i hope that shope to come in Egypt, i love Tintin so much.
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AuthorMy name is Alfonso your nerdy history teacher, bookworm and lover of all things cultural and exciting. You can find me in a weekend market, in a bookshop, or eating in Japanese restos during the weekends. Archives
September 2015
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