Today is TinTin’s birthday.  On Jan. 10, 1929, Hergé’s Belgian comic book hero made his first appearance as TinTin in the Land of the Soviets, which began serialization in children’s newspaper supplement Le Petit Vingtième.

Hergé (Georges Remi) was only 23 when he created TinTin but he would spend his artis lifetime growing the intrepid Belgian boy reporter into one of the most popular and beloved comics characters in the world.

Here’s a look at the wildly talented illustrator in the shadow of his own creation. This two-minute promo for a 2016 film describes the genius of Hergé’s artistry.