Tintin on stage with bells on

"Blistering barnacles!" Tintin, accompanied by a real, canine Snowy, the boy reporter's faithful dog, is on stage in Tintin in Tibet in London at the Young Vic - and proving a runaway success.

"Tintin pulls it off in Tibet", judged the Daily Telegraph, while the Independent called it a "Yuletide hit".

Tintin in Tibet was Tintin creator Herge's most personal adventure, based on his friendship with Chang Chong-chen, a Chinese art student.

After losing contact with Chang for decades following his return to China, Herge tracked him down in 1975 - and the two met again in Brussels in 1981, two years before Herge died.