Spontaneous generation

Discreet but there, in the middle of page 13 of issue 18, which hit the newsstands on 1st May 1947. A humorous vignette trying to hold its own.This wasn’t easy because it was squeezed in between the exciting “Les Propos du major Wings”, ("About Major Wings"), and the impressive drawing of Chanute's planner from the "Petite histoire l'aéronautique", ("A Brief History of Aeronautics").

Yet, against all odds, the composition stood out with its simplicity. Devoid of a background, in black and white, it featured two figures facing each other, magazines in hand. On one side, a very young boy with a tuft of hair, sitting in his pushchair, on the other, a bearded man wearing glasses, hunched by age, sitting in his chair.

Although touching, the story does not say whether they are related - although there is a good chance that it's a grandfather and grandson.

But the subject is quite different, since it is above all a question of generations. It is a light and particularly effective way to emphasise the uniqueness of journal Tintin which, since its first publication on 26th September 1946, had always managed to unite young and old alike.

An amazing ability that didn’t escape the notice of Karel Van Milleghem, editor-in-chief of the Flemish version of the said publication, but above all the brilliant author of those few words that became a slogan on 10th June 1948