LEGO Ideas Tintin Moon Rocket announced!
Posted by CapnRex101,
The next LEGO Ideas set has been announced, inspired by the classic Tintin comics! The press release follows:
21367 Tintin Moon Rocket
1,283 pieces, rated 18+
$159.99 / £139.99 / €159.99
Available at LEGO.com from 1st April, or for pre-order on LEGO.com now
Destination Home! LEGO Ideas Brings Tintin’s Iconic Moon Rocket to Life in Brick Form
Blast off into comic book history with the LEGO Ideas Tintin Moon Rocket (21367), a detailed display model inspired by the classic Tintin comic books Destination Moon and Explorers on the Moon.
Designed for adults aged 18+, the 1,283-piece set recreates the instantly recognisable red-and-white chequered Moon Rocket. Standing at 49cm tall, it is crafted as a display-ready piece that brings Tintin’s legendary journey from page to brick-built reality.
The set includes six classic Tintin characters – Tintin, Captain Haddock, Professor Calculus, Thomson and Thompson, all dressed in detailed space suits with helmets and oxygen tank accessories – plus a Snowy figure. Builders can relive an iconic moment from Explorers on the Moon by removing a panel at the top of the rocket to reveal a hidden control room, allowing a minifigure to be placed inside for the breathtaking first view of Earth from space.
The Tintin Moon Rocket was submitted by Portugal-based Fan Designer Alexis Dos Santos (LEGO Ideas username: TKel86), via the LEGO Ideas programme. Once designed and published on the platform, it achieved the landmark 10,000 vote status and following the rigorous selection process by the LEGO Ideas Review Board, was approved to be made into an official LEGO set.
"Creating the Tintin Moon Rocket has been an incredible journey," said Alexis Dos Santos. "I wanted to capture the spirit of Tintin’s iconic rocket in a way that celebrates both its engineering elegance and its place in pop culture. Recreating its curvature and connecting the three floors pushed my creativity and seeing it finally come together with all the minifigures in their space suits has been incredibly rewarding. I hope the build sparks the same sense of imagination and adventure that inspired me from the very beginning."
The LEGO Ideas Tintin Moon Rocket (21367) is available for pre-order from today, and available for immediate purchase from 1st April 2026, priced at £139.99 / €159.99 / $159.99 via LEGO.com/Tintin and LEGO Stores.
Alexis' original submission also included the launch tower and a desert base, although it lacked minifigures because the rocket was smaller than minifigure-scale, so it is interesting to compare the fan design with the final version.
What do you think of the Moon Rocket? Let us know in the comments.
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124 comments on this article
Ten thousand thundering typhoons! What a set!
The shaping is incredible, and the minifigs are perfect!! I need that Snowy <3
Having them all in identical spacesuits with no normal variants in sight is strange and unappealing
Minifigures and shape of rocket is very good, price here at $200 is really prohibitive so not interested.
Great snakes! Day 1!
I've never seen Tin Tin, but from a design perspective, The colors are alive, the uniform, helmets, and cute backpacks entice me!
I hope to see similar treatment of Non-licensed sets!
As a French-Canadian, I was raised on Franco-Belgian comic books (or bande dessinée as we call it). In fact, I think that Franco-Belgian bande dessinée is a 1000% better than whatever Marvel or DC has ever produced. Yet, I was never a fan of Tintin. I've always preferred Spirou (in most of its incarnations anyway) to Tintin.
However, this is an iconic vehicle that is extremely well done with great looking minifigs. I might get it at some point, but because i'm not a Tintin fan, I'm not sure. I do like the fact that LEGO has made it, however.
[edit: my wife, who is not at all a LEGO fan just saw that and almost screamed with delight!!]
What a week, huh?
This looks great! I made an attempt at Tintin figures eons ago ( https://www.brothers-brick.com/2006/03/08/tintin-minifigs-by-tupperfan/ ), but these are of course much more impressive and that spacewalk Milou/Snowy is quite spectacular (and soooo much better than my 2006 attempt)!
@eiffel006 said:
"As a French-Canadian, I was raised on Franco-Belgian comic books (or bande dessinée as we call it). In fact, I think that Franco-Belgian bande dessinée is a 1000% better than whatever Marvel or DC has ever produced. Yet, I was never a fan of Tintin. I've always preferred Spirou (in most of its incarnations anyway) to Tintin.
However, this is an iconic vehicle that is extremely well done with great looking minifigs. I might get it at some point, but because i'm not a Tintin fan, I'm not sure. I do like the fact that LEGO has made it, however."
As a fellow Frenchie-Canuck, I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment, although I was more of a Tintin fan than a Spirou one (which I also enjoyed).
LOVED Tintin comic books when I was younger and still have a fondness for them. The set looks wonderful, and will get it, but it’s just too bad we couldn’t get them with their normal “street”
Clothes as well…
I'm not familiar with the source material. It looks great for what it's supposed to represent, I guess. But for the price and lack of familiarity, I'll probably pass on this one.
DAY. ONE. PURCHASE.
I have been a fan of the Tintin comics since my childhood! Will definitely pick this set up (at a discount)
Wasn't this on Legoland California TLM Space display? Or was that a MOC?
Edit: NVR mind, it was a MOC for another spaceship.
I have always been confounded by the popularity of the various TinTin models submitted to Ideas over the years...and there seems to have been a lot. Is it just that this story isn't popular in the US? Or is it and I was just completely oblivious to it? I vaguely knew it existed but have no knowledge otherwise. In any case, I'm a firm no but there seems to be a lot of excitement so that's great, I guess.
Belgian explorers went to the moon over a decade before NASA astronauts did in 1969, and here's the proof! ;-P
Considering the intricacies of sets like Monkie Kid’s Galactic Explorer, it’s a shame there isn’t more interior detail - but I haven’t had a chance to read this particular tintin book to suggest subject matter, and I’m resigned to the idea that Lego as a toy isn’t as much a concern as it once was.
This does look excellent. It's a shame no more interior could be fit inside, but the shaping more than makes up for it.
I agree with the point that it's a shame it's only the uniformed figures, but also I do feel like the most important elements have been included, and you can find substitutes for the torsos and legs. It would have been nice to have the stuff included, of course, but I really don't think Lego would do that for all 5 figures. I cannot recall why Thompson and Thompson's hair is green, but I'm sure it's accurate, because everything else looks perfect.
I won't be getting this because I don't love this specific TinTin thing enough for the price, but it looks like an amazing model. A total win in my opinion.
Immediate purchase for me. Milou needs his glass helmet though.
Looks a lot better than the version I tried building in the 80s I tell you.
Missed opporunity to have them in their more iconic outfits, but otherwise looks great! I've waited long enough for Tintin to come appear in LEGO form and this does not disappoint. Love the Snowy mold!
EDIT: Wait a sec... $280 in Australia. Seriously? That's at least $80 too much
Tintin's hair would work quite well for a minifig of Fry from Futurama, I think.
I'd have liked a non spacesuited Snowy just to add to my Lego dogs. Tinitin in general never really caught my attention growing up.
They really want to phase out physical instructions in favor of digital
Kuifje en Bobby! ??
Did Nova and/or Kristi Noem design this set? Nobody else needs to see a dog choke out.
'Billions of blue blistering barnacles!' I love it!
I really liked the comics as a kid, and even found the Peter Jackson movie very enjoyable.
Yet I am on the fence about this set. Somehow the shaping of the rocket legs in the proposal looked better to me than in the final product. And the figures could really have benefitted from alternate outfits, at least as variants.
It's a Maybe from me.
It's very cool, it just seems strange to license this theme and do the rocket/astronaut minifigures before doing a "normal" Tintin set
I've not read Tin Tin since I was a kid, and I don't know of any young people with an interest in it now, so I'm guessing the market is just going to be mostly limited to AFOL's.
Even then, not sure what the market for this is given alot of its content is now contraversial in modern times, and that the last attempt at doing it with 2011's 'Secret of the Unicorn' apparently a flop after marketing costs which lead to scrapped sequels...
That said, its pretty accurate compared to the source materials, though I think if they'd found a way to include more interior details it'd have had a wider appeal as the minifigures are all rather generic with their identical space suits.
I love everything about it except, well, the price. It doesn’t feel like value when it’s not really minifig scale or really have any fun functions but also most of the interior is missing, swooshable though it likely will be.
I don’t mind that the figures are in their spacesuits given it’s a rocket. If it’s ever half price maybe I’d be tempted but i think that might be unreasonable for volume of plastic included.
They really nailed it!!!! Yay!!
I know nothing about TinTin, but as a Space collector I NEED that Space Dog!
This looks brilliant. I don't actually remember any individual stories, just that Tintin seemed to be on children's TV all the time in the 70s, filling in little spare slots!
Duizend bommen en granaten!
Mixed feelings about this. I do think the rocket looks good.....but just that tiny bit of interior detail and nothing else? That seems rather lackluster. And the few decorations that are there all seem to be stickers? Considering the rather steep price that's even more disappointing.
As for the figures (had to look up the English names....), I think Captain Haddock and Professor Calculus are about as good as they can be as minifigs, Kuifje himself is...okayish. As for Thomson and Thompson, the faces are fine, but why the green hair? (EDIT: apparently accurate for that scene, my memory is failing me) Snowy is absolutely brilliant though! Oh wait....where's his helmet? Poor dog, gonna suffocate on the moon....
But all in all, assuming this will be the only Kuifje set we'll ever get, I'm a bit disappointed. The whole series reduced to a rocket and some figures. with a hefty price tag. I can't help but feel this won't be as succesful as it could have been.
For the first time we have a lego set better than the original ideas submission!! Day one for me as a huge Tintin fan! Have all the books in various editions!
I like the way they've implemented the subtle bowing of the fuselage - the gap between sections as it nears the top is a good compromise.
Grew up reading Tintin but this set is really disappointing for me. Them all in identical space suits instead of their regular clothes is a big mistep. Thompson and Thomson without their real hair instead of the green is a no. And all the iconic sets in the rocket like the bunks and we get a half assed control room. This could have been so much better.
But as always when its not for me hope it makes lots of people happy. Im just a bit gutted.
@brickwich said:
"It's very cool, it just seems strange to license this theme and do the rocket/astronaut minifigures before doing a "normal" Tintin set"
There’s a certain logic to it; I guess if you’re going to make a Lego Tintin set, you need something that really stands out as a Tintin set, and the rocket is one of the more iconic elements from the comics.
If Snowy’s head is a separate element from his body, that leads me to wonder if Lego is leaving the door open for a ‘normal’ Tintin set in the future.
I don't think I've ever clicked the "Yes, as soon as it's released" button before, but I am happy to be clicking it today
Set, figs, design, amazing.
price, not so much for a lot of the same
W'elp... Considering I've been tinkering with my own personal semi-old school "space adventure" setting, with the goal of expressing at least some of it through LEGO, this is something of a "must-buy" for me. I actually know very little about the comic and its history!
The shaping is beautiful and minifigure prints look good! $160 just feels steep, especially considering the repeated prints across every minifig. I'm kind of glad the launch tower and desert base were excluded since I think the tower would've eaten up way too many parts. Maybe a small base of some kind would have been nice.
@eiffel006 said:
[[As a French-Canadian, I was raised on Franco-Belgian comic books (or bande dessinée as we call it). In fact, I think that Franco-Belgian bande dessinée is a 1000% better than whatever Marvel or DC has ever produced. Yet, I was never a fan of Tintin. I've always preferred Spirou (in most of its incarnations anyway) to Tintin.
However, this is an iconic vehicle that is extremely well done with great looking minifigs. I might get it at some point, but because i'm not a Tintin fan, I'm not sure. I do like the fact that LEGO has made it, however.
[edit: my wife, who is not at all a LEGO fan just saw that and almost screamed with delight!!]]]
As a Brit-Frenchiw myself, i also grew up on BD aussi and have quite a few Tintin albums (mainly en Français avec deux in Esperanto and the rest in English) along with a LOT of Asterix and many other Dupuis series (favs are Gaston Lagaffe and Marsupilamiand with Spirou too. Merçi Franquin!) I can't express how overjoyed i am at this set although i can't help but wonder why didnit take SO long to eventually make a Lego Tintin ? Still I'm not complaining. However, i did hear there is le village des Schtroumpfs (Smurfs) coming bientôt so that might jump the queue for the splurge.
This set is nice but i wish there were other outfits too, but obviously given the story their alternative clothes would've been jumpsuits anyway so not too exciting. But who knows in the future....? That said, the minifigs are a pleasant surprise, definitely way better than i could've imagined! On verras plus tard mille sabords...
@CDM said:
"I have always been confounded by the popularity of the various TinTin models submitted to Ideas over the years...and there seems to have been a lot. Is it just that this story isn't popular in the US? Or is it and I was just completely oblivious to it? I vaguely knew it existed but have no knowledge otherwise. In any case, I'm a firm no but there seems to be a lot of excitement so that's great, I guess."
Tintin is a fairly old comic at this point (written from 1929-1983). I don’t think it was ever universally popular in the U.S. There’s a much larger European fanbase (probably because it was written in Belgium.) One of my absolute favorites though.
They really did a beautiful job with the shaping of the rocket. I figured they would eliminate the launch tower in the design process. Very interesting how much SNOT construction they ended up with. From a distance you would almost think it wasn’t LEGO. Hopefully there’s enough interest in this that they’ll make more Tintin sets in the future!
I grew up reading Tintin comics that I found in the comics section at Barnes & Noble. Tintin and Asterix were always my favorite comics growing up. When I went to Helsinki for a conference last fall, I spent a rainy evening in a bookstore there and saw Tintin and Asterix for sale in thirteen or fourteen languages each!
Tintin stories were my favourite comics (alongside Donald Duck) during my childhood and so this kind of should be for me. Unfortunately I'm not entirely convinced by the shape of the rocket. Here's the "real" thing for comparison:
https://cdn001.tintin.com/public/tintin/img/news/6350/OBJECTIF%20P42.jpg
So the fuselage of the LEGO version seems somewhat too straight; it should taper a lot more towards the bottom (or rear). Also the landing supports seem a bit too egg-like fatty when compared to the source material. Of course all those subtle curves of the original are VERY hard to turn into LEGO form. Still I just can't unsee those issues.
Absolute dream to see Lego make a set of my favourite Tintin story! I just wish there was more interior...
I think it looks pretty great, but I desperately need them to make classic Tintin and Snowy figures!
"What a week, huh?"
"Captain, it's Thursday"
Snowy should have a helmet too and it almost looks like it would fit with the way Snowy has perfectly round neck. I wonder if it would fit if you took the backpack off, although if it did it would be odd not to include one.
Cool rocket! My only gripe (and that of The Dictator) is that it's not pointy enough. :)
Why does he have scissors and tape?
It looks fine, I just wish the minifigures had their classic outfits, as least as an alt.
I've been expecting this one eagerly. The books and Tintin stories fascinated me as a kid, I read all of them many, many times. And I am really glad to see this set coming out now. The shape is a bit off, and should be a bit more slender near the base, a bit more girth near the middle top...less tubular on the whole. But very nice rendition. Pre-ordered at once. So iconic. Hopefully one day we'll get the lunar tank too !
I love Tintin, and have done since reading the books as a child, sat in the back of the mobile library, so I love that this is going to be released. I would have loved the launch gantry of the original submission, but I understand why it has been removed. What I really wanted was the blue jeep that they ride to the rocket on the cover of 'Destination Moon'!
Alternative outfits for the minifigures would have been nice, but won't be too difficult to source from standard Lego parts. I have the 'official' figures of Tintin, Captain Haddock, and Snowy in their space suits, and it's worth noting that none of them come with a space helmet at all! (I've been searching for suitable plasic bubbles to complete them for ages!)
As a LEGO and Tintin fan, this is the best crossover!
I'm shocked by the price in Switzerland.
When LEGO will take into account the new currency.
Sorry but 179,00 CHF is much to expensive.
30$ too much.
All repeated pieces on characters, dog looks great but without bubblepiece looks awkward...
Dull
@Blumbirde said:
"Having them all in identical spacesuits with no normal variants in sight is strange and unappealing"
But they are all identical in the cartoon
I think it looks great, and better than the original submission this time.
Tintin was the first comic book I ever got, I got it from my grandma back in Holland, it was "Kuifje in Afrika". I really like the set , but to bad that there is not more interior detail. I am probably going to get it anyway.
As a fan of the Tintin comic albums for years, I will definitely buy this set. However, it's a bit of a shame that Snowy doesn't have his own helmet for his spacesuit. It's also a shame that the only interior detail of the rocket is a mini version of the control cabin. But I suppose that was unavoidable given the size of the rocket model.
Which brings me to the rocket's scale. This article states that the original submission lacked minifigures because the rocket was smaller than minifig-scale. Well, this official rocket model is also not at minifig-scale. It should be at least two times taller to be at minifig-scale. Look at the cover of the Destination Moon album to see what I mean.
However, in spite of these minor complaints, I will still be buying this model.
Oh yes.
Excellent! Hope this paves the way for Asterix sets too...
This set is not for me, but it looks fantastic. Without knowing anything about the property, as just an old-fashioned sci-fi rocket, they nailed it.
Looks incredible and the number of minifigures is generous.
Still wish it included the stand and base.
Honestly, expected this to be released as a $40 set.
Four times that price as a bloated version isn't for me.
Iconic color barf inside.
I know the Tintin comics and cartoons, but, to be fair, never was a fan.
He's just too much hero, too flawless, too daring, yawn, a pretty one-dimensional character, hardly to be attached to.
But they captured the shape of the rocket quite well, I must admit, pretty sleek.
Definitely not worth the asking price.
Would have preferred a comic from Lewis Trondheim.
@CDM said:
"I have always been confounded by the popularity of the various TinTin models submitted to Ideas over the years...and there seems to have been a lot. Is it just that this story isn't popular in the US?"
Spielberg’s film had a budget of $135 million, and grossed $374 million, so it seems like it was profitable. However, only $77,591,831 of that box office haul came from the US.
You either buy day one as your dream set, or shortly after release as an impulse buy for parts/Moc-ing once it's 30% off.
Never heard of Tintin but that rocket looks great. A nice little display piece
Wow! I need this!
@Brick_t_ said:
"I've been expecting this one eagerly. The books and Tintin stories fascinated me as a kid, I read all of them many, many times. And I am really glad to see this set coming out now. The shape is a bit off, and should be a bit more slender near the base, a bit more girth near the middle top...less tubular on the whole. But very nice rendition. Pre-ordered at once. So iconic. Hopefully one day we'll get the lunar tank too ! "
This.
The shape isn't quite right, but it's close enough - and I can't miss a chance to get a Lego Tintin crossover. Destination Moon taught me the basics of nuclear physics - recommended for anyone with kids interested in science at all!
I'm also very pleased with the changes - if the launch tower had been included the price would've been far higher, and whilst it'd be nice to have the figs in their usual outfits, they do all wear identical spacesuits in the book. I'll need to do something about Snowy's lack of helmet though, that's not on!
An Architecture-ish Moulinsart would be awesome..
Na. Sorry.
I mean, at last it's a brand I recognise, but...
The good thing about BDs was always the "accuracy" of the figures and the tech. The landing extrusions on the legs looked proportionate in Herge's Drawings and in the IDEAS submission. They look smoother on this, but much too bulky in proportion. Classic space rockets shouldn't be bottom heavy.
Still, great effort.
Won't stop me buying Gaston LaGaffe stuff if it ever happens.
Not that it will, it's not global enough.
M'enfin.
(No way could Milou* have had a clear space helmet- imagine how huge it would have to be.)
*"Snowy". Ha!
I enjoyed the TinTin movie that came out some time ago, but not a big enough fan to buy this set.
His hairpiece, however.... that'd work great for a custom Fry (Futurama) minifig!
Spot on! Not a day one buy for me, but definitely will be added to my collection!
I think it's really interesting how they managed to suggest the presence of noses on the characters' faces via the curvature in the printing of the beards.
I already have a brick-built Tintin rocket - Nanoblock did a whole line with beautiful illustrated boxes, and I’ve been agonising over missing the Shark Submarine and the Unicorn and especially Moulinsart ever since - so I was pretty sure I was going to skip this one but… astronaut!Snowy. That’s a hard minifig to skip. Plus of course Lego has fancier shaping than Nanoblock generally tries for and that curve on the rocket is lovely. So we’ll see.
Maybe if I keep looking at all that technic in the middle I can talk myself out of it.
ETA: I really hope those helmets make it to pick a brick because that seems like an excellent upgrade to 40789
I find the shaping of the rocket terrific, given the limitations imposed by Lego bricks. I'm glad they got rid of the launch tower, as it was completely unnecessary; it is the rocket itself that is iconic. (And if you're looking for a truly iconic version of the rocket, fly to Brussels Airport and check out a 6-meters-high rendition of it! And there's a slightly shorter version at the Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée in the centre of Brussels, which is definitely worth a visit if you're into this art form.)
I was crossing my fingers so that we'd get a Tintin minifig, which makes me delighted to find out they actually made it, and several other characters as a bonus! I am now secretly hoping that we'll get at least another set, maybe for Tintin's 100th anniversary in 2029?
I am not surprised about the price, though: Moulinsart SA (now called Tintinimaginatio, as it seems [https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tintinimaginatio]), which is the company managing all the merchandising associated with Tintin among others, has been known to be particularly holding a tight grip on the use of Tintin's image and charging nearly prohibitive prices for its products, giving them a luxury feel: it's impossible to buy cheap Tintin merchandise, except for comic strip albums themselves. As a result, one could speak of a 'Moulinsart tax' that Disney itself could be jealous of. (As a comparison, a 30-cm resin version of the rocket sets you back €150.)
BTW, what a time to be alive for Belgian comic book fans: within a year (if my estimates are correct) there'll be a Smurfs set to build, too!
Stunning set. Love it!
@Andrusi said:
"What a week, huh?"
captain, its wednesday
The set:
Lego Tintin ABOUT BLOODY TIME!!! Yay!!!
The minifigures are pretty good, Haddock and Snowy are about as good as one could get. Tintin himself is plain but his face is very basic so difficult to make it 'interesting' in lego form.
Not sure about Calculus, something's not 100% right.
I dont like the Thompsons faces, too stern. They do frown at times but I wouldve liked a more regular content face, probably instead of the laughing ones.
The shaping on the rocket is phenomenal for a lego set. But I agree with others it's very disappointing that there's only a small control room for interior detail and that's it.
I also question the lack of a ladder for characters to enter and exit the rocket. The gantry wouldve been good but I understand they left it out to reduce piece count and thus price.
It is true that the Thompsons have green hair at times during the Moon mission but Id have preferred their regular bowler hats. Surely lego couldve included a couple bowlers to represent them without the green hair?
That is one of the problems of the set for Tintin fans, yes it's Tintin and that's awesome but these are some of the most specific outfits in the series so it's a shame not to get the characters more iconic clothes (the new One Piece straw hat in green would work for Calculus's hat)
I will note that the spacesuits are captured pretty well as they appear in the story.
I wouldve liked to have seen the blue jeep included, or a 1950s truck (support vehicles seen in the BIG artwork for Destination Moon) or the moon tank.
Indeed I was curious whether lego would do this; the rocket only, or make an overall Tintin set with builds for various things like the shark submarine, yellow seaplane, red jeep, Herge's Opel car etc
Im glad they didnt make the rocket into a Disney castle style display piece with allusions to other sets.
Others have rightly noted that Snowy's head looks like it would work with another body (similar to Scooby Doo piece) so hopefully we get more Tintin sets in future. There's lots of potential subject matter for both locations and vehicles.
Also future sets could see a minifig Bianca Castafiore (not that I was ever a huge fan of her character), Muller or Rastapopulous. (or the villain from the rocket, was it Sponz or am I mixed up with the names?)
Interesting this set is as I guessed, it appeals to Tintin fans but also as confirmed by comments here, to some space/sci fi fans as well. (or general lego fans who like the complexity and shaping of the model).
Now with all that, how well will this specific set sell? I believe it will be popular, certainly in Europe and as we've acknowledged can appeal beyond specific tintin fans. Im just concerned whether it's so specific to the Moon story that might make it less popular than one with the character's 'street clothes' as someone called them.
I love Classic Space now for being Classic Space, but when I was growing up at various times this comic adventure and my own imagined follow ups were played out in Lego.
The rocket looks great and I love the figures.
The price and size make it easier to resist for me.
Tintin more broadly:
Im really happy that most people are happy and supportive of this. Members of a Tintin facebook group Im in have already spammed multiple posts about it LOL.
It is very disappointing that in Herge's lifetime and today, Yanks are too busy going pew pew with stupid superheroes to appreciate the wonderful, amazing stories of The Adventures of Tintin.
Herge completed an outstanding amount of research for every one of his stories and each comic frame is a treat like Where's Wally where you read the book multiple times and discover something new each time. This applies to kids and adults; in the background some characters are doing something funny or there's another historical/political/cultural reference.
Once one leaves the Yank bubble, you find that Tintin is well known and popular literally everywhere else in the world. Im not kidding, basically every other country knows and loves Tintin. Even the Japanese are particularly fond of Tintin, even though The Blue Lotus deals with the 1931 Japanese invasion of Manchuria. It was this story that led Chinese leader Chiang-Kai-Shek to invite Herge to China which he did in 1973.
There are lots of fans Ive encountered from Indonesia to India, Canada to Australia, all of Europe,(including UK) certainly any French speaking country, South America (a number of stories were set there), Africa, just look at how many languages the stories have been translated into.
For those whinging that Tintin is too old and doesnt sell or isnt known, that's just not true at all.
For as long as I can remember (this century) every Australian bookstore has a rocket like in this set which is a stand for Tintin (and Asterix) books. Some of the ones I own are from 2011 (when the Spielberg film came out), and theyve been around ever since.
Last year I completed my full Tintin collection, seeing that there have been updates in printing (stories havent changed just less good quality paper) and I went to a local bookstore, bought some tintin books, came back 2-3 weeks later and a fair number of them had sold.
My point being, CLEARLY Tintin is selling WELL. (they continue to print the books and they are selling in stores)
There's no way bookstores wouldve kept Tintin books on shelves from 2011 (and prior) to the present if they werent popular.
As with many IPs (Sherlock Holmes for example which was written in the 1880s/1890s) there's good reason that certain stories are just universally enjoyed and always will be.
I think Tintin especially because it has the visual element so young kids can enjoy the colours and funny characters and as one gets older as I said you spot more detail or better understand the historical references (eg Chaco War, Mukden Incident, 1922 discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb etc.)
I will absolutely get this but also I need them to release sets featuring the characters in their traditional outfits!
Never heard of Tintin until the Spielberg movie, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The set seems like a great rendition for fans. I was more of a Calvin and Hobbes man myself.
@Pongo said:
"Na. Sorry.
I mean, at last it's a brand I recognise, but...
The good thing about BDs was always the "accuracy" of the figures and the tech. The landing extrusions on the legs looked proportionate in Herge's Drawings and in the IDEAS submission. They look smoother on this, but much too bulky in proportion. Classic space rockets shouldn't be bottom heavy.
Still, great effort.
Won't stop me buying Gaston LaGaffe stuff if it ever happens.
Not that it will, it's not global enough.
M'enfin.
(No way could Milou* have had a clear space helmet- imagine how huge it would have to be.)
*"Snowy". Ha! "
You never know! We now have Tintin (I wish they could do a whole line of this - there is plenty of material to go from all over the world). Apparently smurf is coming later on or next year. There would be little to build for Gaston: (1) the black and yellow 1920 Fiat 509 or (2) the gaffophone. Gaston would need a molded head otherwise it would be too hard to recognize in simple minifig form. I would think Spirou would come much sooner than Gaston. Spirou has also quite a bit of material to work with; notably all the equipment of Zorglub and all the inventions of the count(Earl) of Champignac.
I like this set - and will definitely get it at some point (got to wait for a decent GWP). The shape is not quite right but it is good enough without developing all sorts of new parts (which I don't mind at all). The missing helmet of Milou-Snowy is an annoyance. While this set is expensive, I would have preferred something bigger (close to minifg scale) for $300 - knowing Lego, a minifig scale would have probably been priced at $500. I'll take this for now, hope that it does well enough and maybe we will have more from that theme in the future.
It's really funny how LEGO jus throws out almost the entire winning design and does its own thing. At quick glance, it looks like LEGO changed literally everything. I'm surprised it didn't come with a baby rocket lying on the mama rocket's belly. :o)
@HOBBES and @Pongo:
For as much as I love Gaston Lagaffe and Lego, I don't think there is a chance of a set becoming a reality, as it's (unfortunately) less popular than Tintin or (especially) the Smurfs. Besides, adapting Gaston to another kind of media has either been unconvincing (I'm referring to the cartoon) or downright disastrous (I'm pointing at that thing they called a film). Tintin and the Smurfs, on the other hand, have successfully translated into other audiovisual productions; I'd like to point out "Tintin et le Mystère de la Toison d'Or" ("Tintin and the Golden Fleece", 1961) as a personal favourite.
@essel said:
" @HOBBES and @Pongo :
For as much as I love Gaston Lagaffe and Lego, I don't think there is a chance of a set becoming a reality, as it's (unfortunately) less popular than Tintin or (especially) the Smurfs. Besides, adapting Gaston to another kind of media has either been unconvincing (I'm referring to the cartoon) or downright disastrous (I'm pointing at that thing they called a film). Tintin and the Smurfs, on the other hand, have successfully translated into other audiovisual productions; I'd like to point out "Tintin et le Mystère de la Toison d'Or" ("Tintin and the Golden Fleece", 1961) as a personal favourite."
That is all very true. I sincerely doubt we will ever see Gaston but I'm saying "you never know" because it seems Lego has entered into "full prostitution mode" and will milk any and every IP they could get their hands on (there was a time they were very averse to that). I don't mind any of this as I pick the one I like and other people pick what suits their fancy - and Lego is laughing all the way to the bank. I guess we should not have too long to wait for Futurama. As long as sets are reasonably well made, it's all good. There will always be "Classic" and "Creator" sets for those who do not like IPs.
@HOBBES said:
"That is all very true. I sincerely doubt we will ever see Gaston but I'm saying "you never know" because it seems Lego has entered into "full prostitution mode" and will milk any and every IP they could get their hands on (there was a time they were very averse to that). I don't mind any of this as I pick the one I like and other people pick what suits their fancy - and Lego is laughing all the way to the bank. I guess we should not have too long to wait for Futurama. As long as sets are reasonably well made, it's all good. There will always be "Classic" and "Creator" sets for those who do not like IPs."
The best chance for a Gaston minifig to ever appear in Lego form would be for them to make some sort of homage set to Franco-Belgian comics. Something a bit similar to what they've already done with Disney characters in sets like 21352 and 43227. But even then I think they'd probably pick characters like Astérix and Lucky Luke first.
I read the comics when I was a kid and to be honest I don't keep up to date with Ideas. But this looks wonderful and I am sorely tempted to pre-order.
@Spacefarer said:
"I think it's really interesting how they managed to suggest the presence of noses on the characters' faces via the curvature in the printing of the beards."
The Flintstones minifigures did this too.
Have discussed with partner and they’re willing to do the technic bit so there goes my best attempt to talk myself out of it. Although we both agree that even aside from my aversion to destroying my fingers, kits where it’s a thin system skin on a technic scaffold don’t feel right.
@PurpleDave said:
" @CDM said:
"I have always been confounded by the popularity of the various TinTin models submitted to Ideas over the years...and there seems to have been a lot. Is it just that this story isn't popular in the US?"
Spielberg’s film had a budget of $135 million, and grossed $374 million, so it seems like it was profitable. However, only $77,591,831 of that box office haul came from the US."
I'm still waiting for Part 2 of the movie. Finish the story, Spielberg and Jackson!
I loved the first movie. The character design took a little to get used to, but they really nailed La Castafiore. And what other movies include a full-on swashbuckling sequence with harbor cranes?
None!
I will get this set at some point, the rocket is so iconic to my childhood in France.
@Zrath said:
I'm still waiting for Part 2 of the movie. Finish the story, Spielberg and Jackson!
I loved the first movie. The character design took a little to get used to, but they really nailed La Castafiore. And what other movies include a full-on swashbuckling sequence with harbor cranes?
None!
I will get this set at some point, the rocket is so iconic to my childhood in France.]]
Glad you enjoyed the movie. Apparently a sequel is in the works, possibly 2027 release.
There was an update in 2024 iirc.
Script re-writes etc.
We dont know for sure of course but Spielberg and Jackson have repeated they do want to make a Tintin sequel (we certainly havent gotten any indication of 'no we will never make another')
I agree about Castafiore and I think mo-cap was good for a Hollywood cinema piece but still slightly animated (the live action Tintin films are kinda weird).
Apparently they chose mo-cap because they didnt think a real dog could be trained to do what Snowy does.
@Brickchap said:
"The set:
I will note that the spacesuits are captured pretty well as they appear in the story.
Also future sets could see a minifig Bianca Castafiore (not that I was ever a huge fan of her character), Muller or Rastapopulous. (or the villain from the rocket, was it Sponz or am I mixed up with the names?) "
It's Colonel Jorgen in this story. Colonel Sponsz has the same rank, but also sported a similar look in his second appearance.
I agree on the spacesuits. The way the lines are placed on the legs give them that bulky appearance. The oxygen tanks also look like they belong in a comic.
I wish they were able to use these helmets for 40789 . Hopefully we'll see them in other space sets.
@SetToBuild said:
"The shaping is incredible, and the minifigs are perfect!! I need that Snowy <3"
those minifigs look horrible. They are proof, to me, that the minifigure scale sometimes simply doesnt work!
Those stickers on concave panels surface will be a plague to apply correctly this time again I guess...
I think it is weird that Lego Ideas is just that: an idea. This model has nothing to do with the original Ideas entry. "Make a Tin Tin rocket" would have sufficed.
As for the model: an iconic design and shape like that needs to be 100% spot on or it will look off. And for me it does.
I have the official resin version and it is a thing of beauty. The Lego version would look like the Minecraft next to it.
Good effort, though.
@twentythree said:
"Looks incredible and the number of minifigures is generous.
Still wish it included the stand and base.
Honestly, expected this to be released as a $40 set.
Four times that price as a bloated version isn't for me."
The original design was nearly 1700 parts and the rocket was over 1000 of that. They would have to seriously scale the rocket down to get anywhere near the $40 price bracket. And then it would have looked crap.
@Brickchap said:
[[ @Zrath said:
I'm still waiting for Part 2 of the movie. Finish the story, Spielberg and Jackson!
I loved the first movie. The character design took a little to get used to, but they really nailed La Castafiore. And what other movies include a full-on swashbuckling sequence with harbor cranes?
None!
I will get this set at some point, the rocket is so iconic to my childhood in France.]]
Glad you enjoyed the movie. Apparently a sequel is in the works, possibly 2027 release.
There was an update in 2024 iirc.
Script re-writes etc.
We dont know for sure of course but Spielberg and Jackson have repeated they do want to make a Tintin sequel (we certainly havent gotten any indication of 'no we will never make another')
I agree about Castafiore and I think mo-cap was good for a Hollywood cinema piece but still slightly animated (the live action Tintin films are kinda weird).
Apparently they chose mo-cap because they didnt think a real dog could be trained to do what Snowy does.
]]
I've been hoping for a sequel, too — especially if it can bring Peter Jackson back to directing, and hopefully get John Williams to write one more terrific score :)
Great set, but snowy needs a helmet, poor dog, just look at the books!
Hopefully the mini-figs will reappear in more down to earth sets like the shark in Red Rackham's Treasure.
The rocket is iconic, as are the spacesuits. It’s unclear why everyone keeps insisting that the outfits aren’t the original ones.
It’s also strange to see how some people don’t recognize this icon at all. Tintin is a global landmark in the world of comic books—both in storytelling and artistic style. Comics are so much more than the ubiquitous American superheroes. Just look at the Franco-Belgian tradition from 1950 to 1990.
Tintin already travelled to the Moon in 1953, and in a surprisingly plausible way—four years before the Soviet Sputnik.
If it weren’t an Ideas set, it should quite literally be released under the Icons label.
Really happy this set exists. I hope it does well and Lego releases more Tintin sets in the future. The shark submarine from Red Rackham's Treasure would be a fantastic set!
@SeparatorGuyChallis said:
"Great set, but snowy needs a helmet, poor dog, just look at the books!"
In the story, the rocket was made for only 4 people and a dog. So that's exactly 5 helmets (like in the set).
@Feroz said:
" @Brickchap said:
"The set:
I will note that the spacesuits are captured pretty well as they appear in the story.
Also future sets could see a minifig Bianca Castafiore (not that I was ever a huge fan of her character), Muller or Rastapopulous. (or the villain from the rocket, was it Sponz or am I mixed up with the names?) "
It's Colonel Jorgen in this story. Colonel Sponsz has the same rank, but also sported a similar look in his second appearance.
I agree on the spacesuits. The way the lines are placed on the legs give them that bulky appearance. The oxygen tanks also look like they belong in a comic.
I wish they were able to use these helmets for 40789 . Hopefully we'll see them in other space sets."
Pretty sure that’s the SpongeBob bubble helmet. It works with a limited range of hairstyles, and fits loosely enough around the neck that they constantly rotate around the head with any vibration or movement.
@CCC said:
" @twentythree said:
"Looks incredible and the number of minifigures is generous.
Still wish it included the stand and base.
Honestly, expected this to be released as a $40 set.
Four times that price as a bloated version isn't for me."
The original design was nearly 1700 parts and the rocket was over 1000 of that. They would have to seriously scale the rocket down to get anywhere near the $40 price bracket. And then it would have looked crap."
It is unfortunate to see that people have actually started to believe that LEGO HAS to be expensive...
@CDM said:
"I have always been confounded by the popularity of the various TinTin models submitted to Ideas over the years...and there seems to have been a lot. Is it just that this story isn't popular in the US? Or is it and I was just completely oblivious to it? I vaguely knew it existed but have no knowledge otherwise. In any case, I'm a firm no but there seems to be a lot of excitement so that's great, I guess."
It's precisely that. Tintin is a huge huge deal in most western european countries, comparable to (and even anticipating) incredibly popular comic book series such as Asterix and Lucky Luke.
Even kids that have not grown up with the books, will still be familiar with the characters.
Cool. In Spain they are known as Tintín, Milu, capitán Haddock, profesor Tornasol and Fernández y Fernández.
@FARLANDER said:
"Cool. In Spain they are known as Tintín, Milu, capitán Haddock, profesor Tornasol and Fernández y Fernández.
"
So.....identical Fernández and Fernández? No barely noticeable difference?
In Dutch: Kuifje, Bobbie, kapitein Haddock (seems like that's quite universal?), professor Zonnebloem, and Jansen en Janssen.
So, I guess it's for us to build the mini moon tank. I better check the pictures of it.
I voted "No, it doesn't interest me," but that really should have been "No, but I like it." I've never read Tintin, but I do like retro sci-fi. Speaking of which, I wasn't all that upset when 40789 didn't use the helmets that were in the original Ideas submission, but now I wish it had. I'm tempted to get the necessary pieces from Bricklink or PaB and mod mine.
@vizzitor said:
"Tintin's hair would work quite well for a minifig of Fry from Futurama, I think."
I hadn't thought of that, but you're totally right.
@brickwich said:"It's very cool, it just seems strange to license this theme and do the rocket/astronaut minifigures before doing a "normal" Tintin set"
Do you not know how Ideas works by now? Most Ideas licensed sets are usually one-and-done; the only ones I can think of that led to a full-on theme was 21102 and 2133. Sometimes they've gotten licenses for Ideas sets and then later put those licenses to further use (Doctor Who and Ghostbusters, just to name two), but that further use was just a few sets, not a theme. If you look down the list of licensed Ideas sets (https://brickset.com/sets/subtheme-Licensed/theme-Ideas), most of them never led to themes, or were licenses that Lego already had.
@SinKiller_Nick said:"I know nothing about TinTin, but as a Space collector I NEED that Space Dog!"
I feel you.
@Brickchap said:"
It is true that the Thompsons have green hair at times during the Moon mission but Id have preferred their regular bowler hats. Surely lego couldve included a couple bowlers to represent them without the green hair?"
Would bowlers have fit in the helmets, though?
TINTIN!!! finally!!
I would have preferred some more interior, even at some expense of the exterior looks (gaps, etc),still I'm just ecstatic we finally have an official Tintin set!
@WizardOfOss said:
" @FARLANDER said:
"Cool. In Spain they are known as Tintín, Milu, capitán Haddock, profesor Tornasol and Fernández y Fernández.
"
So.....identical Fernández and Fernández? No barely noticeable difference?
In Dutch: Kuifje, Bobbie, kapitein Haddock (seems like that's quite universal?), professor Zonnebloem, and Jansen en Janssen."
Actually, in Spanish is Hernández y Fernández, similar but not identical.
@bricks4everyone said:
" @WizardOfOss said:
" @FARLANDER said:
"Cool. In Spain they are known as Tintín, Milu, capitán Haddock, profesor Tornasol and Fernández y Fernández.
"
So.....identical Fernández and Fernández? No barely noticeable difference?
In Dutch: Kuifje, Bobbie, kapitein Haddock (seems like that's quite universal?), professor Zonnebloem, and Jansen en Janssen."
Actually, in Spanish is Hernández y Fernández, similar but not identical."
Ah okay, that makes more sense.
@WizardOfOss said:
" @bricks4everyone said:
" @WizardOfOss said:
" @FARLANDER said:
"Cool. In Spain they are known as Tintín, Milu, capitán Haddock, profesor Tornasol and Fernández y Fernández.
"
So.....identical Fernández and Fernández? No barely noticeable difference?
In Dutch: Kuifje, Bobbie, kapitein Haddock (seems like that's quite universal?), professor Zonnebloem, and Jansen en Janssen."
Actually, in Spanish is Hernández y Fernández, similar but not identical."
Ah okay, that makes more sense."
Yes, that's right... it's been many years since I last read a Tintin comic. Perhaps now is the right time to return...
@TheOtherMike said:
"Do you not know how Ideas works by now? Most Ideas licensed sets are usually one-and-done; the only ones I can think of that led to a full-on theme was 21102 and 2133."
I assume you mean 21331? And that’s not even what got them the license. Sonic first appeared in Dimensions 71244. Minecraft wasn’t even really a theme _because_ of the Cuusoo set. The set was submitted by the guy who owned the IP, and he probably just used it to force the conversation about licensing the IP for a full theme.
@PurpleDave said:
" @TheOtherMike said:
"Do you not know how Ideas works by now? Most Ideas licensed sets are usually one-and-done; the only ones I can think of that led to a full-on theme was 21102 and 2133."
I assume you mean 21331?"
Yeah, I always cut and paste set numbers, I'm not sure how that happened. Must have been editing the post and made a mistake.
@TheOtherMike said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @TheOtherMike said:
"Do you not know how Ideas works by now? Most Ideas licensed sets are usually one-and-done; the only ones I can think of that led to a full-on theme was 21102 and 2133."
I assume you mean 21331?"
Yeah, I always cut and paste set numbers, I'm not sure how that happened. Must have been editing the post and made a mistake."
I assume you mean a mistak?
@PurpleDave said:
" @TheOtherMike said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @TheOtherMike said:
"Do you not know how Ideas works by now? Most Ideas licensed sets are usually one-and-done; the only ones I can think of that led to a full-on theme was 21102 and 2133."
I assume you mean 21331?"
Yeah, I always cut and paste set numbers, I'm not sure how that happened. Must have been editing the post and made a mistake."
I assume you mean a mistak?"
No, a misteak.
I'm a bit disappointed by this set. The model has only one room for minifigures inside. Personally, I would have preferred minifigures of the characters in their generic street clothes rather than astronaut suits.