Over a hundred million books sold. Translated into over forty languages. Pressed to reveal the secret of Tintin's phenomenal success, Hergé said, "I don't know. I absolutely don't know. I'm amazed with his success. I receive letters from all parts of the world, and I'm always surprised that an Indian boy, or even a Chinese boy, writes to me and says that he loves Tintin". His colleagues and admirers put it down to indefinable genius. His first wife put it down to hard work. The answer probably lies somewhere between the two.
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