MOST passports tend to be relatively uniform in design. They are often burgundy, black, or blue in color and may contain a small version of the nation’s symbol. But that won’t be the case for the Belgians on Feb. 7 — the country will now issue passports specific with portraits of comic heroes, from Tintin to Smurfs. Belgian passport holders will now be able to browse through the pages of their new document and discover some of the country’s most beloved fictional characters, including Lucky Luke, Blake and Mortimer along with the famous boy reporter of Hergé and the blue Smurfs that have always been popular with children across the world. In a press release, Belgian Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmès said the new passport is “more secure thanks to new security and personalization technologies.” “Introducing this new passport is also an opportunity for us to highlight the ninth art, the comic strip, which is a staple of our culture and influence abroad,” said Wilmès. According to the official Tintin website, on the occasion of the launch of the new document, a temporary exhibition on the history of the Belgian passport will be accessible at Museum of Comic Art until March 6. Most of the images on the new passport are from classic comics, such as Tintin’s “Explorers on the Moon” movie — first published in 1954 — and according to Tintin’s website, comic characters were chosen to honor the new passport pages tied to the travel theme. (SD-Agencies) | 