Comic fans in Belgium are getting a fun new treat — their government commissioned French design and engineering consultancy Thales Group and Belgian tech company Zetes to redesign their passports, incorporating in comic strip artwork featuring Tintin, the Smurfs and more.
Hergé’s The Adventures of Tintin and Peyo’s The Smurfs both originated in Belgium, and Tintin, his dog Snowy and companion Captain Haddock can be found in the new design. The Smurfs, meanwhile, can be found studying a globe and strolling across the Earth.
Check out this video to see more:
Other Belgian comics characters, like Spirou, Spike and Suzy, and Blake and Mortimer, can also be found in the new passport.
“The Belgian passport is one of the best in the world, it is a source of pride for us, but also an object of desire for counterfeiters,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès in a statement. “This is why we are constantly working to improve its security. 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. I would like to thank the publishers, authors and rights holders who have agreed to participate in the project.”
If you’re wondering how to get one, well, you have to a citizen of Belgium. More details on how to do that can be found here.