When Herg\u00e9 submitted his cover illustration for The Blue Lotus <\/em>in 1936, the cartoonist\u2019s publisher said it was too expensive to reproduce in color. But the gouache and watercolor illustration, depicting a scrawny dragon leering towards Tintin and his dog Snowy cowering inside a qinghua<\/em> vase, would receive belated validation when it sold at auction for $3.9 million in 2021<\/a>.<\/p>\n Now, the image that was never the front cover for the Belgian reporter\u2019s adventures through Japanese-occupied China is up for sale again, this time as part of an NFT collection.<\/p>\n It\u2019s the first such endeavor from Tintinimaginatio, the rights holder and chief promoter of Herg\u00e9\u2019s work, and aims to onboard fans of the most famous quiff in comics into the world of Web3. To do so, NFTs are offered along with exclusive collector items, and the company has partnered with art\u00e8Q, the blockchain investment fund that partnered with the Belvedere Museum to drop Gustav Klimt NFTs in 2022<\/a>, and Crossmint, a blockchain startup that enables fiat checkout solutions, meaning Tintin devotees can pay by credit card.<\/p>\n A certificate of authenticity for The Blue Lotus<\/em> NFT.<\/em>\u00a0Photo courtesy arteQ.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n There are two versions of The Blue Lotus <\/em>NFT<\/a>. One is a limited-edition print capped at 777 copies. The other a digital print capped at 1,777 copies. The number seven nods to the subheading of Tintin\u2019s magazine, which read: \u201cThe super journal of young people from 7 to 77.\u201d<\/p>\n Both versions include a NFT certificate of ownership, a booklet created by Herg\u00e9 expert Philippe Goddin that explores the fifth volume of Tintin\u2019s adventures, and inside access to the next Tintin NFT drop. The purely digital NFT comes with a trio of digitized editions of The Blue Lotus<\/em>\u00a0comic and a one-time family pass to the Herg\u00e9 Museum in Belgium.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Blue Lotus<\/em> marks a very important creative step in Herg\u00e9\u2019s work, both in terms of graphics and storytelling,\u201d Farbod Sadeghian CEO of arteQ told Artnet News. \u201cRegarding the treasures [connected to the NFTs], we felt it was essential to reveal the story behind this work. Herg\u00e9 would be very impressed.\u201d<\/p>\n Herge, \u201cTintin in America\u201d 1942. Photo: \u00a9 Herg\u00e9\/Tintinimaginatio 2023<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The NFT project marks the latest venture aiming to expand the modern presence of Tintin, one spanning movies, video games, immersive experiences, and dedicated stores from Shanghai to London.<\/p>\n The market for Tintin artwork has been steadily<\/a> growing<\/a> for<\/a> years<\/a>, with an original black and white drawing for the cover of Herg\u00e9\u2019s Tintin in America<\/em> fetching $2.3 million at auction earlier this year. How strong the demand is for comparable digital Tintin collectibles awaits to be seen.<\/p>\n![\"Tintin\"](\"https:\/\/news.artnet.com\/app\/news-upload\/2023\/04\/Tintin-in-America_\u00a9-HERGE\u0301_-TINTINIMAGINATIO-2023_Courtesy-Artcurial-1-703x1024.jpg\")
<\/p>\n