Tintin, 1929. Lucky Luke, 1946. The Smurfs, 1958. All Belgian. Comics here are not a children's aisle. They are called the ninth art, and they are taken seriously. Brussels has a walking route of comic murals painted across the sides of buildings. There is a national comic art museum, in an Art Nouveau building designed by Victor Horta. Per head of population, few countries have produced more comic artists.
