PALMA
THE sixth international gathering for fans of the comic strip cartoon character Tintin will be taking place in Palma at the end of next month, the Council of Majorca announced yesterday.
Until now, the annual event has always been held in Catalonia but on 31st October, it will be the turn of the Balearic Islands to host a series of activities fêting the character of the intrepid reporter created by the Belgian, Hergé at the Misericordia centre in Palma.
Joan Miquel Morey of the Majorcan Association of Comic Enthusiasts explained: The gathering is being organised by the Catalan association Tintincat and will act as a platform from which to celebrate the imaginary world created by Hergé. Morey said that two members of the Tintin Appreciation Society, Toni Clar and Julio Moltó, had proposed that the sixth Tintin Festival should start in Catalonia and end up in Palma. Morey said that the timing was just perfect because the arrival of Tintin in Palma would coincide with the Old Books and Comics Fair which we have been holding on an annual basis for about 20 years or so. The President of Tintincat, Victor Niubó furthered that the gathering has always been held in a different town. When members were told that part of the Festival was to be held in Palma on Majorca, many were pleased to make arrangements to travel to the Balearics. For the gathering in Palma at the end of next month, he said, organisers will be setting up some 70 stands and Tintin sites around the city. Amongst the main activities on the programme for the day will be storytelling about the character of Tintin, a drawing competition, and the erection of giant figures representing the main characters of the cartoon series including Captain Haddock and Tintin's faithful fox terrier, Snowy.
The winners of the drawing competitition who will be selected from local schools will be treated to a trip to the Tintin Museum in Brussels.
An artist will be holding a live workshop creating cartoon images inspired by the work of Hergé and all owners of fox terriers on the island are openly invited to a special Snowy celebration.
A lecture on the Tintin series is expected to close the annual gathering and the names of British experts Michael Farr and tintinologist David Baker are being put forward as likely contributors.