The Calculus Affair
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''The Calculus Affair'' () is the eighteenth volume of ''
The Adventures of Tintin ''The Adventures of Tintin'' ( ) is a series of 24 comic albums created by Belgians, Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi, who wrote under the pen name Hergé. The series was one of the most popular European comics of the 20th century. By 2007, a c ...
'', the comics series by the Belgian cartoonist
Hergé Georges Prosper Remi (; 22 May 1907 – 3 March 1983), known by the pen name Hergé ( ; ), from the French pronunciation of his reversed initials ''RG'', was a Belgian comic strip artist. He is best known for creating ''The Adventures of T ...
. It was serialised weekly in Belgium's ''
Tintin Tintin usually refers to: * ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé ** Tintin (character), the protagonist and titular character of the series Tintin or Tin Tin may also refer to: Material related to ''The A ...
'' magazine from December 1954 to February 1956 before being published in a single volume by
Casterman Casterman is a publisher of Franco-Belgian comics, specializing in comic books and children's literature. The company is based in Tournai, 90 kilometres southwest of the centre of Brussels, Belgium. History The company was founded in 1780 by Don ...
in 1956. The story follows the attempts of the young reporter
Tintin Tintin usually refers to: * ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé ** Tintin (character), the protagonist and titular character of the series Tintin or Tin Tin may also refer to: Material related to ''The A ...
, his dog Snowy, and his friend
Captain Haddock Captain Archibald Haddock (French: ''Capitaine Archibald Haddock'') is a character in the comic book series ''The Adventures of Tintin''. He is Tintin (character), Tintin's best friend, a seafaring captain in the Merchant Navy or Merchant Mar ...
to rescue their friend
Professor Calculus Professor Cuthbert Calculus ( , meaning "Professor Tryphon Sunflower") is a fictional character in ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. He is Tintin (character), Tintin's friend, an absent-minded profess ...
, who has developed a machine capable of destroying objects with
sound wave In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...
s, from kidnapping attempts by the competing
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
an countries of
Borduria Borduria is a fictional country in ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. It is located in the Balkans and has a rivalry with the fictional neighbouring country of Syldavia. Borduria is depicted in ''King ...
and Syldavia. Like the previous volume, ''
Explorers on the Moon ''Explorers on the Moon'' (; literally: ''We walked on the Moon'') is the seventeenth volume of ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. The story was serialised weekly in Belgium's ''Tintin'' magazine fro ...
'', ''The Calculus Affair'' was created with the aid of Hergé's team of artists at Studios Hergé. The story reflected the
Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
tensions that Europe was experiencing during the 1950s, and introduced three recurring characters into the series: Jolyon Wagg, Cutts the Butcher, and
Colonel Sponsz This is the list of fictional characters in ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. The characters are listed alphabetically, grouped by the main characters, the antagonists, and the supporting characters. ...
. Hergé continued ''The Adventures of Tintin'' with ''
The Red Sea Sharks ''The Red Sea Sharks'' () is the nineteenth volume of ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comic series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. The story was initially serialised weekly in Belgium's ''Tintin'' magazine from October 1956 to January 1958 b ...
'', and the series as a whole became a defining part of the Franco-Belgian comics tradition. ''The Calculus Affair'' was critically well-received, with various commentators having described it as one of the best Tintin adventures. The story was adapted for both the 1957 Belvision
animated series An animated series, or a cartoon series, is a set of Animation, animated films with a common title, usually related to one another. These episodes typically share the same main heroes, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series ...
''
Hergé's Adventures of Tintin ''Hergé's Adventures of Tintin'' () is the first animated television series based on Hergé's popular comic book series, ''The Adventures of Tintin''. The series was produced by Belvision Studios and first aired in 1957. After two books were ...
'', the 1991
Ellipse In mathematics, an ellipse is a plane curve surrounding two focus (geometry), focal points, such that for all points on the curve, the sum of the two distances to the focal points is a constant. It generalizes a circle, which is the special ty ...
/
Nelvana Nelvana Limited (; also known as Nelvana Enterprises, Nelvana International or Nelvana Digital; commonly known as Nelvana; stylized as "nelvana") is a Canadian animation studio and entertainment production company owned by Corus Entertainment s ...
animated series ''
The Adventures of Tintin ''The Adventures of Tintin'' ( ) is a series of 24 comic albums created by Belgians, Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi, who wrote under the pen name Hergé. The series was one of the most popular European comics of the 20th century. By 2007, a c ...
'', and the 1992–93 BBC Radio 5 dramatisation of the ''Adventures''.


Synopsis

During a
thunderstorm A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustics, acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorm ...
, glass and porcelain items at
Marlinspike Hall Marlinspike Hall ( ) is Captain Haddock's country house and family estate in ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. The original French name of the hall, ''Moulinsart'', is derived from Sart-Moulin, a vil ...
shatter inexplicably. Insurance salesman Jolyon Wagg arrives at the house to take shelter, annoying Captain Haddock. Gunshots are heard in the Hall's grounds, and Tintin and Haddock discover an unconscious man with a foreign accent who soon disappears with an accomplice. The next morning, Professor Calculus leaves for
Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...
to attend a conference on
nuclear physics Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies atomic nuclei and their constituents and interactions, in addition to the study of other forms of nuclear matter. Nuclear physics should not be confused with atomic physics, which studies th ...
. Tintin and Haddock use the opportunity to investigate Calculus' laboratory, discovering that his experiments were responsible for the glass-shattering of the previous night. While exploring, they are attacked by a masked stranger, who then takes off. While escaping, Snowy rips the stranger's coat, causing a cigarette packet to fall off. On the packet, the name of "Hotel Cornavin, Geneva" where Calculus stays was written on it. Tintin fears that Calculus is in danger. Tintin, Haddock, and Snowy head for Geneva. In Geneva, they learn that Calculus has gone to
Nyon Nyon (; historically German language, German: or and Italian language, Italian: , ) is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in Nyon District in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is located some 25 kilometer ...
to meet Professor Topolino, an expert in
ultrasonics Ultrasound is sound with frequency, frequencies greater than 20 Hertz, kilohertz. This frequency is the approximate upper audible hearing range, limit of human hearing in healthy young adults. The physical principles of acoustic waves apply ...
. The group travel there in a taxi, but their car is attacked by two men in another car, who force the taxi into
Lake Geneva Lake Geneva is a deep lake on the north side of the Alps, shared between Switzerland and France. It is one of the List of largest lakes of Europe, largest lakes in Western Europe and the largest on the course of the Rhône. Sixty percent () ...
. Surviving the attack, Tintin, Haddock and Snowy continue to Nyon, where they find Topolino bound and gagged in his cellar. As Tintin questions the professor, the house blows up, but they all survive. Tintin and Haddock meet the detectives
Thomson and Thompson Thomson and Thompson ( ) are fictional characters in ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. They are two detectives who provide much of the comic relief throughout the series. Hergé twice calls them "bro ...
, who reveal that the man at Marlinspike was Syldavian. Tintin surmises that Calculus had invented an ultrasonic device capable of being used as a weapon of mass destruction, which Bordurian intelligence agents are now seeking to obtain. Suspecting that Bordurian spies have kidnapped Calculus and are holding him hostage in their
Rolle Rolle () is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Cantons of Switzerland, Canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It was the seat of the district of Rolle (district), Rolle until 2006, when it became part of the district of Nyon District, N ...
embassy, Tintin and Haddock seek to rescue him. During the attempt, a scuffle breaks out between Syldavian and Bordurian agents, in which Tintin is knocked down, and Calculus is captured by the Syldavian agents, who are able to escape by plane to their home country. The next morning, Tintin and Haddock learn that Bordurian
fighter aircraft Fighter aircraft (early on also ''pursuit aircraft'') are military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat. In military conflict, the role of fighter aircraft is to establish air supremacy, air superiority of the battlespace. Domina ...
forced down the Syldavian plane and recaptured Calculus, who is now being held in Borduria. They travel to Borduria's capital, Szohôd, intent on rescuing him. In the city, they are escorted to their hotel by agents of the Bordurian secret police, who have been ordered by police chief
Colonel Sponsz This is the list of fictional characters in ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. The characters are listed alphabetically, grouped by the main characters, the antagonists, and the supporting characters. ...
to monitor the duo. Aware that they are being monitored, Tintin and Haddock escape the hotel and hide in the opera house, where Bianca Castafiore is performing. When police come searching for them, they hide in Castafiore's closet. When Sponsz comes to visit Castafiore in her dressing room, Tintin is able to steal papers from his overcoat pocket that will secure Calculus' release from the fortress of Bakhine. After disguising themselves as officials from the
International Red Cross The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a aid agency, humanitarian organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, and is a three-time Nobel Prize laureate. The organization has played an instrumental role in the development of Law of ...
, Tintin and Haddock are able to get Calculus released from prison. During their escape, they drive off the road, but are able to hijack a tank and narrowly escape across the border. At the lost property office, a relieved Calculus finally collects the black umbrella by Snowy alongside Tintin and Haddock. Back at Marlinspike Hall, Wagg moves his family in. Meanwhile, Calculus reveals that he forgot to take his plans for the ultrasonic device with him to Geneva, and that he had left them at home all along; he announces his intention to destroy the plans so they cannot be used to create a weapon. Haddock lights his pipe with the intention of smoking it, but Calculus uses it to burn the plans. Haddock's fit of rage over the plans literally burning up in his face leaves the hard-of-hearing Calculus believing that Haddock has
chickenpox Chickenpox, also known as varicella ( ), is a highly contagious disease caused by varicella zoster virus (VZV), a member of the herpesvirus family. The disease results in a characteristic skin rash that forms small, itchy blisters, which ...
; Calculus relays this to Wagg, who moves his family out of Marlinspike Hall to avoid a contagious disease.


History


Background

Reflecting
Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
tensions, ''The Calculus Affair'' was published at a time when espionage thrillers were popular in France and Belgium. ''The Calculus Affair'' marked a return to the single volume format which was to persist for the rest of ''The Adventures of Tintin''. The volume started its publication in ''
Tintin Tintin usually refers to: * ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé ** Tintin (character), the protagonist and titular character of the series Tintin or Tin Tin may also refer to: Material related to ''The A ...
'' magazine in December 1954. Before working on the book, Hergé would make sketches in pencil; subsequently he would work over the drawings and text in ink. With the development of his own Studios Hergé, he selected the best sketch from a number of versions and traced it onto the page he was creating. In ''The Calculus Affair'' Hergé introduced Jolyon Wagg, a Belgian insurance salesman, who appeared in each subsequent adventure with the exception of ''
Tintin in Tibet ''Tintin in Tibet'' () is the twentieth volume of ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. It was serialised weekly from September 1958 to November 1959 in ''Tintin (magazine), Tintin'' magazine and publis ...
''. Wagg was intended as "the proverbial bore", who provides comic relief by repeatedly annoying Captain Haddock and inviting himself to Marlinspike. For the name, Séraphin Lampion in the original French version, Hergé initially chose ''Crampon'', which was derived from the French expression "Quel crampon!" (English: "What a leech!"), but ultimately preferred the less explicit and harsh-sounding ''Lampion''. Lampion's insurance company was ''Assurances Mondass'', which in the English translation became the Rock Bottom Insurance Company. Also introduced in this volume were Cutts the butcher (originally ''Sanzot'' from the French ''sans os'' ("without bones")) and the
Borduria Borduria is a fictional country in ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. It is located in the Balkans and has a rivalry with the fictional neighbouring country of Syldavia. Borduria is depicted in ''King ...
n chief of secret police Colonel Sponsz, whose name is derived from the Brussels dialect term for a sponge (''éponge'' in French). Hergé used his brother, Paul Remi, as the model for Sponsz, although he was also influenced by the image of the Austrian American filmmaker
Erich von Stroheim Erich Oswald Hans Carl Maria von Stroheim (born Erich Oswald Stroheim, ; September 22, 1885 – May 12, 1957) was an Austrian-American director, screenwriter, actor, and producer, most noted as a film star and avant-garde, visionary director of ...
.


Influences

A key influence on the plot of ''The Calculus Affair'' was an article that Hergé had read in a February 1954 issue of the Belgian weekly '' La Face à Main'', reporting that there had been a number of incidents along the road from
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
to
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
in southern England in which motorists' car windscreens had spontaneously shattered; the article's author suggested that it may have been caused by experiments undertaken in a nearby secret facility. To develop this plot further, Hergé consulted Professor , an astrophysicist at
Liège Liège ( ; ; ; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the Liège Province, province of Liège, Belgium. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east o ...
. Hergé's depiction of Switzerland avoided repeating national clichés, instead seeking a high level of realism. Hergé requested that Jean Dupont, the editor of '' L'Écho illustré'' — the magazine in which ''The Adventures of Tintin'' was serialised in Switzerland — send him documentation on Swiss railways from which he could draw. He also requested that his Swiss friend Charly Fornora send him a bottle of
Valais Valais ( , ; ), more formally, the Canton of Valais or Wallis, is one of the cantons of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of thirteen districts and its capital and largest city is Sion, Switzer ...
wine, which he could again use as a model from which to draw. Hergé subsequently travelled to Switzerland in person to produce accurate sketches of scenes around Geneva, which he could then incorporate into the story; these included at
Geneva Cointrin International Airport Geneva Airport – formerly and still unofficially known as Cointrin Airport – is an international airport of Geneva, the second most populous city in Switzerland. It is located northwest of the city centre. It surpassed the 15-million-pas ...
, Genève-Cornavin railway station, and the Cornavin Hotel, as well as the road through Cervens and Topolino's house in
Nyon Nyon (; historically German language, German: or and Italian language, Italian: , ) is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in Nyon District in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is located some 25 kilometer ...
. Despite this realism, a number of minor errors were made in Hergé's depiction of Geneva. Hergé's depiction of Borduria was based on Eastern Bloc countries. Their police force was modelled on the Soviet
KGB The Committee for State Security (, ), abbreviated as KGB (, ; ) was the main security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 to 1991. It was the direct successor of preceding Soviet secret police agencies including the Cheka, Joint State Polit ...
. Hergé named the political leader of Borduria ''Plekszy-Gladz'', a pun on
Plexiglas Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is a synthetic polymer derived from methyl methacrylate. It is a transparent thermoplastic, used as an engineering plastic. PMMA is also known as acrylic, acrylic glass, as well as by the trade names and bra ...
, although the English translators renamed him ''Kûrvi-Tasch'' ("curvy tash"), a reference to the fact that the leader's curved moustache, inspired by that of Soviet leader
Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...
, was a prominent symbol in Borduria. All of the furniture in the Bordurian police headquarters was drawn from that found in the Studios Hergé premises. The idea of a sonic weapon was one that had been unsuccessfully pioneered by German scientists under the control of
Albert Speer Berthold Konrad Hermann Albert Speer (; ; 19 March 1905 – 1 September 1981) was a German architect who served as Reich Ministry of Armaments and War Production, Minister of Armaments and War Production in Nazi Germany during most of W ...
during World War II.A book that Tintin examines in Professor Topolino's house, ''German Research in World War II'' by Leslie E. Simon – a retired major general in the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
 – really existed and was published in 1947. In the strip, Hergé preserved the English-language title of the book rather than translating it into French, although altered the book's cover design to remove a prominent
swastika The swastika (卐 or 卍, ) is a symbol used in various Eurasian religions and cultures, as well as a few Indigenous peoples of Africa, African and Indigenous peoples of the Americas, American cultures. In the Western world, it is widely rec ...
. The inclusion of the book is one of the few instances that there is any reference to the Second World War within ''The Adventures of Tintin''. The photograph of the sonic weapon is also authentic. Hergé's decision to name a character Topolino was a reference to
Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney ( ; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the Golden age of American animation, American animation industry, he introduced several develop ...
, whose character of
Mickey Mouse Mickey Mouse is an American cartoon character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime icon and mascot of the Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red shorts, large shoes, and white ...
was known as Topolino in Italian. Hergé included a reference to his friend and colleague, the former opera singer Edgar P. Jacobs, in the story, adding a figure named ''Jacobini'' to the billing on the opera performance alongside Castafiore. He also inserted a cameo of himself as a reporter.


Publication

''The Calculus Affair'' began serialisation in ''Tintin'' magazine's
Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...
edition on 22 December 1954, and continued to appear in the pages of that publication until 22 February 1956. It would be the first of ''The Adventures of Tintin'' to be serialised without interruption since '' Red Rackham's Treasure'' (1944). Serialisation began in the French edition of ''Tintin'' in February 1955. It was subsequently published in single form as ''L'Affaire Tournesol'' by
Casterman Casterman is a publisher of Franco-Belgian comics, specializing in comic books and children's literature. The company is based in Tournai, 90 kilometres southwest of the centre of Brussels, Belgium. History The company was founded in 1780 by Don ...
in 1956. For this volume Hergé had designed a front cover; initially, it simply showed Tintin and Haddock hiding Calculus from Bordurian soldiers, but he subsequently added shattered yellow glass around the edges of the image for dramatic effect.


Critical analysis

Harry Thompson opined that while the story's ending was somewhat unsatisfactory and rushed, it remained "probably the best of all the Tintin books". Biographer
Benoît Peeters Benoît Peeters (; born 28 August 1956) is a French comics writer, novelist, and comics scholar. Biography After a degree in Philosophy at Université de Paris I, Peeters prepared his Master's at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences So ...
agreed, describing it as "Hergé's masterwork", "a masterpiece of the classic strip cartoon". Elsewhere, he referred to it as "one of his most brilliant books", describing Wagg as "the last great figure of ''The Adventures of Tintin''". Peeters added that the story had "the atmosphere of a spy novel worthy of
John Buchan John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir (; 26 August 1875 – 11 February 1940) was a Scottish novelist, historian, British Army officer, and Unionist politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the 15th since Canadian Confederation. As a ...
or
Eric Ambler Eric Clifford Ambler OBE (28 June 1909 – 23 October 1998) was an English author of thrillers, in particular spy novels, who introduced a new realism to the genre. Also working as a screenwriter, Ambler used the pseudonym Eliot Reed for books ...
". Similarly, Farr described ''The Calculus Affair'' as "one of Hergé's finest creations". Biographer Pierre Assouline stated that the "illustrations and the scenario are vibrant and rich; the story thread holds from beginning to end".
Jean-Marc Lofficier Jean-Marc Lofficier (; born June 22, 1954) is a French author of books about films and television programs, as well as numerous comics and translations of a number of animation screenplays. He usually collaborates with his wife, Randy Lofficier ( ...
and Randy Lofficier stated that the introduction of Wagg and Cutts the butcher represented "yet another turning point in the series", praising the characterisation of Wagg as "bitter and successful social satire". They were critical of Syldavia's inclusion as an antagonist in the story, stating that the Syldavian attempts to kidnap Calculus "strains believability" because they had appeared as allies of Calculus and Tintin in both the preceding two-volume story arc, '' Destination Moon'' (1953) and ''
Explorers on the Moon ''Explorers on the Moon'' (; literally: ''We walked on the Moon'') is the seventeenth volume of ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. The story was serialised weekly in Belgium's ''Tintin'' magazine fro ...
'' (1954), and in the earlier ''
King Ottokar's Sceptre ''King Ottokar's Sceptre'' () is the eighth volume of ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. Commissioned by the conservative Belgian newspaper for its children's supplement , it was serialised weekly fr ...
'' (1939). The Lofficiers felt that "the plot seems somewhat shoe-horned into the familiar universe" and "one feels that Hergé's heart was not really much into the action part of the story", ultimately awarding it three stars out of five. In his psychoanalytical study of ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the
literary critic A genre of arts criticism, literary criticism or literary studies is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical analysis of literature' ...
Jean-Marie Apostolidès declared that ''The Calculus Affair'' marked the beginning of the third and final period of the series, which he believed could be characterised by Hergé's depiction of a world run by "wheeling and dealing" and in which "detective work takes precedence over any mystical quest". Apostolidès considered ''The Calculus Affair'' to be both Calculus' "triumph and his defeat". He felt that while Calculus had become "an impartial figure" in the preceding two-volume story arc, ''Destination Moon'' and ''Explorers on the Moon'', here he had become "the Bad Mother" through his creation of an ultrasonic weapon and the threat that he poses both to the tranquility of Marlinspike and to world peace. He viewed the scene at the end of the story in which Calculus burns the plans to his ultrasonic device as "a symbolic castration", allowing the character to become "the Oedipal Father with whom the sons intin and Haddockcan compete", thus stabilising "the family hierarchy" of the series. Literary critic Tom McCarthy believed that ''The Calculus Affair'' aptly illustrated how Tintin was no longer political in the manner that he was in earlier works like ''
Tintin in the Land of the Soviets ''Tintin in the Land of the Soviets'' () is the first volume of ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. Commissioned by the conservative Belgian newspaper as anti-communism, anti-communist satire for its ...
'' (1930) and '' Tintin in the Congo'' (1931); instead, Tintin travels to Borduria to rescue Calculus, "not to fight or expose
totalitarianism Totalitarianism is a political system and a form of government that prohibits opposition from political parties, disregards and outlaws the political claims of individual and group opposition to the state, and completely controls the public s ...
". Calculus became "a genius compromised", with his role being a "counter-position to, or flip-side of, the one he represented in the moon books". When Tintin and Haddock arrive in Borduria, they are "''treated'' as honoured guests but are in fact prisoners of the police state", a reversal of the situation in ''
The Blue Lotus ''The Blue Lotus'' () is the fifth volume of ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. Commissioned by the conservative Belgian newspaper for its children's supplement , it was serialised weekly from August ...
'' in which Tintin believes himself a prisoner but is in fact a guest. As with ''
The Crab with the Golden Claws ''The Crab with the Golden Claws'' () is the ninth volume of ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. The story was serialised weekly in , the children's supplement to , Belgium's leading francophone newspa ...
'' (1941), ''The Calculus Affair'' was "one long tobacco-trail" with cigarettes representing clues throughout the story. As for the opera house scene in which Tintin and Haddock spy upon Sponsz and Castafiore, he compared it to the scene in
David Lynch David Keith Lynch (January 20, 1946 – January 16, 2025) was an American filmmaker, visual artist, musician, and actor. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Lynch was often called a "visionary" and received acclaim f ...
's 1986 film '' Blue Velvet'' in which Jeffrey Beaumont spies on the sexual activities of Dorothy Vallens and Frank Booth.


Adaptations

In 1957, the animation company Belvision Studios produced a string of colour adaptations based upon Hergé's original comics, adapting eight of the ''Adventures'' into a series (named ''
Hergé's Adventures of Tintin ''Hergé's Adventures of Tintin'' () is the first animated television series based on Hergé's popular comic book series, ''The Adventures of Tintin''. The series was produced by Belvision Studios and first aired in 1957. After two books were ...
'') of daily five-minute episodes. ''The Calculus Affair'' (renamed ''The Calculus Case'') was the eighth such story in the second series, being directed by Ray Goossens and written by Greg, himself a well-known cartoonist who in later years would become editor-in-chief of ''Tintin'' magazine. In 1991, a collaboration between the French studio
Ellipse In mathematics, an ellipse is a plane curve surrounding two focus (geometry), focal points, such that for all points on the curve, the sum of the two distances to the focal points is a constant. It generalizes a circle, which is the special ty ...
and the Canadian animation company
Nelvana Nelvana Limited (; also known as Nelvana Enterprises, Nelvana International or Nelvana Digital; commonly known as Nelvana; stylized as "nelvana") is a Canadian animation studio and entertainment production company owned by Corus Entertainment s ...
adapted 21 of the stories into a series of episodes, each 22 minutes long. ''The Calculus Affair'' was the sixteenth and seventeenth episodes of ''
The Adventures of Tintin ''The Adventures of Tintin'' ( ) is a series of 24 comic albums created by Belgians, Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi, who wrote under the pen name Hergé. The series was one of the most popular European comics of the 20th century. By 2007, a c ...
'' to be produced. Directed by Stéphane Bernasconi, the series has been praised for being "generally faithful", with compositions having been actually directly taken from the panels in the original comic book.


References


Notes


Footnotes


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * *


External links


''The Calculus Affair''
at the official ''Tintin'' website

at Tintinologist.org {{DEFAULTSORT:Calculus Affair, The 1956 graphic novels Comics set in fictional countries Comics set in Europe Comics set in Switzerland Literature first published in serial form Methuen Publishing books Spy comics Tintin books Weapons of mass destruction in fiction Works originally published in Tintin (magazine) Comics set in mansions and country houses