Eduard Koek. A Journalism student at the University of Utrecht, Netherlands and a foodora courrier. Additionally, a pretty big fan of Tintin (who isn’t). Well, Eduard is such a big Tintin fan that he dresses as the comic hero to attend comic conventions. To top it all off, there was even a time when our new favourite European cosplayer carried out his foodora shift in full costume. We asked Eduard about his fascination for the raging reporter.
“I was 5 or 6 when I read my first Tintin comic and watched the cartoon films on TV. I was immediately enamoured. Tintin is the ultimate good guy: like me, he’s a little naive and he sees the good in things. He helps people and endeavours to experience the excitement in the world. That’s why I always thought that when I grew up, I wanted to be like Tintin. I always aspired to travel the world, help people and have adventures. Tintin is the reason I chose to study journalism.”
Cosplay
“When I started going to the Dutch comic con, I got a kick out of dressing as Tintin. Comic con is a blast of a show; people are dressed in cosplay and come together in a celebration of their favourite artists. There was a time I had to work after the convention and I was dressed as Tintin. I felt so alive in my costume, that I decided to stay dressed for my rider shift. The team captain saw me in my outfit and totally encouraged me to stay dressed for work.”
Favourite comic
“When I got the outfit together, I already owned the shoes. I bought Snowy at a shop that sold Tintin merch and I made the pants to size. Then I found a blue sweater that looked about the right shade and borrowed a friend’s coat.
My favorite comic is ‘Pharaoh’s cigars’ because it’s like a proper mystery. You can’t really tell what’s going on in that one, which adds a more intelligent element. I’m not really a fan of Captain Haddock and ‘Pharaoh’s cigars’ was made before Haddock began to feature.”
The role of food in the Tintin comics
“Food doesn’t play a major role in Tintin. If you think about it, he’s quite a dull guy: he doesn’t smoke or drink, he hates violence… okay, he’s actually pretty ace. For that reason though, I don’t think he’d be that into culinary food — it’s a little too extra for him. If he had to choose a favourite dish, he’d surely play it safe. He comes from Belgium, so probably belgian fries. There is always Bobbie though. He’s always busy with food, isn’t he. I probably see a little Bobbie in myself in that respect.”