BRUSSELS, May 20: Tuesday marks the centenary of the birth of the man who gave the world the immortal boy reporter Tintin, along with his faithful companions Captain Haddock and trusty little dog Snowy.

The eternally youthful creation of Belgian cartoonist Herge has never lost his charm throughout seven decades, his unmistakable tuft of hair growing into one of the great emblems of popular culture, continuing in popularity around the world long after his creator’s death 24 years ago.

Herge, born on May 22, 1907 in Brussels, was set to be celebrated here on Tuesday by faithful Tintin fans just days after movie heavyweights Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson announced they were joining forces to direct and produce a digital 3-D trilogy based on the comic-strip reporter.—AFP