How Tintin became the symbol of solidarity in the Brussels attacks

After three bomb blasts devastated Brussels Tuesday morning, killing at least 26 people and injuring more than 100, people around the world have turned to an iconic children's comic to show their solidarity with the Belgian capital.

The Adventures of Tintin, written by Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi under the pen name Hergé, has long been a symbol of Brussels and a national hero in Belgium. Now it has become an emblem of solidarity for the city rocked by a terrorist attack that continues to claim the lives of innocent people.

The comic is at the center of art galleries, museums, murals, and themed restaurants, drawing tourists from around the world.

But on Tuesday morning, Tintin, the intrepid young investigative journalist who solves fantastical mysteries, wasn't on another adventure. He was crying for the people of Brussels:

People from around the world have been posting pictures of Tintin on social media, with captions like, "I am Belgium" and, "Sadness."

"Hold on, Brussels," one Twitter user wrote, with a picture of Tintin on his way – he has another mystery to solve, and this one hit home.

Go deeper:

• What we know so far from the terror attacks in Brussels

President Obama comments on the terrorist attack in Brussels from Cuba

Will you support Vox’s explanatory journalism?

Most news outlets make their money through advertising or subscriptions. But when it comes to what we’re trying to do at Vox, there are a couple of big issues with relying on ads and subscriptions to keep the lights on:

First, advertising dollars go up and down with the economy. We often only know a few months out what our advertising revenue will be, which makes it hard to plan ahead.

Second, we’re not in the subscriptions business. Vox is here to help everyone understand the complex issues shaping the world — not just the people who can afford to pay for a subscription. We believe that’s an important part of building a more equal society. And we can’t do that if we have a paywall.

So even though advertising is still our biggest source of revenue, we also seek grants and reader support. (And no matter how our work is funded, we have strict guidelines on editorial independence.)

If you also believe that everyone deserves access to trusted high-quality information, will you make a gift to Vox today? Any amount helps.

One-Time Monthly Annual

$5/month

$10/month

$25/month

$50/month

Other

$

Yes, I'll give $5/month

Yes, I'll give $5/month

We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. You can also contribute via