CLING! at the Monnaie de Paris: Where Comics, Coins and Capitalism Collide

Who knew money could be this much fun?

From Smurfs collecting sarsaparilla instead of riches to Scrooge McDuck swimming through mountains of gold coins, CLING! La bande dessinée parle cash at the Monnaie de Paris proves that money has always been one of the greatest characters in comic books.

This wonderfully inventive exhibition explores how artists have used wealth, greed, luck and ambition to tell stories for generations—and it's far more thought-provoking than you might expect.

Set inside France's historic mint, the exhibition couldn't have found a more appropriate home. As you wander through the galleries, you'll discover more than 250 original comic artworks featuring some of the world's most beloved characters. Tintin searches for treasure, the Daltons dream up their next bank robbery, Lucky Luke keeps law and order in the Wild West, Batman battles crime in Gotham, while the Smurfs remind us that happiness doesn't necessarily come from money at all. And yes, Scrooge McDuck is here too, proudly guarding his legendary fortune.

The exhibition is cleverly divided into themes rather than timelines, introducing visitors to adventurers, billionaires, gamblers, counterfeiters, thieves and dreamers. Along the way, it asks surprisingly modern questions. Why are we fascinated by people who have enormous fortunes? Why do comic books so often make us root for the lovable outlaw? And what does money actually represent—security, freedom, power... or simply another adventure waiting to happen?

One highlight is the playful interactive section where visitors can sit down for a game of Monopoly, reminding us that our obsession with getting rich doesn't stop when we close a comic book. It's a nostalgic touch that ties perfectly into the exhibition's message: whether in fiction or around the family dining table, money has always shaped the stories we tell.

What makes CLING! so enjoyable is its balance of humour and insight. It celebrates the colourful worlds of comics while quietly encouraging us to think about our own relationship with wealth, success and value. Whether you grew up reading The Smurfs, Tintin, Lucky Luke or American superheroes, there's a good chance you'll leave with both a smile on your face and a few questions in your head.

It's clever, nostalgic, visually rich and refreshingly different—exactly the kind of exhibition that reminds you that Paris always finds a way to make even the subject of money feel like art.

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