One of Belgium’s most iconic cartoon characters has become a national symbol of mourning following a deadly terror attack in Brussels Tuesday.
LIVE COVERAGE: Brussels on lockdown after explosions rock airport, subway
The official Twitter account for Tintin – star of beloved Belgian cartoon The Adventures of Tintin – shared a heartbreaking message of mourning Tuesday, hours after bombs exploded at the Brussels airport and one of the city’s metro stations, killing at least 31 people and wounding dozens, as a European capital was again locked down amid heightened security threats.
“A black speech bubble – Brussels in mourning,” the account tweeted, alongside a silhouette of Tintin staring out of a rainy window.
As news of the bombings unfolded Tuesday, many turned to the beloved trench coat-wearing reporter to express their grief. Soon, social media was inundated with sketches of Tintin crying.
“Belgium weeping for her children.”
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Cartoons like Tintin are embedded in Belgium’s history. The Adventures of Tintin was written by Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi, who wrote under the pen name Hergé. Remi had such an impact on Belgian pop culture, a museum dedicated to his artwork and legacy was opened in 2009.
Famous Belgian cartoons have been memorialized on the sides of buildings throughout the city – a walking route now known as “the comic strip route” to tourists.
READ MORE: #JeSuisBruxelles: Support pours in on social media in wake of Brussels attacks
A giant mural of Tintin can be found just one block away from Brussels’ Grand Place.
But, thanks to social media, cartoons are once again becoming a way for people to deal with the horrors of terrorism.
While the terror attack on French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo may have been fueled in part by the magazine’s satirical cartoons poking fun at the so-called Islamic State, those same cartoons were used as a way to show resilience after several of its cartoonists were killed in the attacks.
On Tuesday, French cartoonists paid tribute to those affected by the Brussels terror attack with a new image.
Many also shared sketches of the iconic Mannekin Pis statue as a symbol of defiance against terrorism.
READ MORE: How the famous ‘Mannekin Pis’ statue has become a symbol of strength
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