Belgium wants to steer away from the usual ho-hum designs of passports — it will include images of the country’s comic strip heroes starting on February 7.
The pages of the passport will show famous fictional characters that originated from the country, such as Lucky Luke, Blake and Mortimer, Tintin, and the blue Smurfs that took the world by storm.
"The introduction of this new passport is also an opportunity for us to highlight the 9th art, the comic strip, which is a central element of our culture and our influence abroad," Belgian Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmès said to CNN Style. Despite the additional element to the passport, she emphasized that its cost would not increase. The quality and security of the document will also be improved.
A temporary exhibition on the history of the Belgian passport will be held at the Musée de la bande dessinée (Comic Art Museum) until March 6 to promote the launch of the new passport, as stated on Tintin's official website.
Image Credit: Herge / Moulinsart