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The Many Births of the World’s Most Famous Reporter

The Origins of Hergé and Tintin

The platforms on Gore du Nord train station were overcrowded by hundreds of eager faces, all excitedly awaiting the return of a reporter from the “land of the Soviets.” The reporter was a young boy with a cheerful sounding name composed of just two simple syllables, Tintin. His exploits had been appearing in the weekly comic newspaper supplement, Le Petit Vingtième, for a little over a year. As a way to rally readers, the editorial staff dreamed up the welcome home event for their daring fictional foreign correspondent. They hired 15 year old Boy Scout Lucien Pepermans to play the comic strip character. Tintin arrived home in Brussels on May 8, 1930. Nothing could have prepared the young boy for the crowd that awaited him.

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10 Questions with M.S. Harkness

M.S. Harkness is a graduate of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and a relative newcomer to Columbus, moving here in 2020. She is best known for her black and white autobiographical comics, such as self-published Dope Dealer and Rotten, as well as her first graphic novel Tinderella, originally published by Kilgore Books in 2018 and recently reissued by Uncivilized Books. Sometimes humorous, sometimes uncomfortable, sometimes heart-wrenching, Harkness’s comics offer a fearless look into the world of online dating, sex work, selling drugs, and physical fitness. Her second memoir, Desperate Pleasures, (also published by Uncivilized Books), depicts her search for fulfillment and forces her to deal with her own past trauma. Her forthcoming book, Time Under Tension, is due out from Fantagraphic Books in 2023. Besides her comic work, Harkness also works as a personal trainer. Columbus welcomes this fresh voice in the cartooning world.

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My First Comic

A Retrospective of Lumpy

For every person who makes comic books, there was a point in their life when they decided to make the jump from a reader to a creator. For me, it started long ago in a simpler age known as the 1990s. More specifically, the year was 1998. Most remember that time for all the naughty things Bill Clinton was up to. Not me.

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Comic Store Profile: Capital City Comics

Previously known as the British Papermill, Capital City Comics is one of the oldest comic shops in central Ohio. Owner Tony Kazlausky and his staff have over 30 years of experience and carry a variety of new releases, large selection of back issues, as well as an array of collectibles. Tony was nice enough to take the time to talk to the Columbus Scribbler and give some insight into how he got into the comic book business.

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