| Professor Calculus | |
|---|---|
 Professor Calculus(Professeur Tournesol), byHergé | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Casterman (Belgium) |
| First appearance | Red Rackham's Treasure (1943) The Adventures of Tintin |
| Created by | Hergé |
| In-story information | |
| Full name | Cuthbert Calculus |
| Partnerships | List of main characters |
| Supporting character of | Tintin |
Professor Cuthbert Calculus (French:Professeur Tryphon Tournesol[pʁɔ.fɛ.sœʁtʁi.fɔ̃tuʁ.nə.sɔl],[1] meaning "Professor TryphonSunflower") is a fictional character inThe Adventures of Tintin, the comics series by Belgian cartoonistHergé. He isTintin's friend, anabsent-minded professor and half-deafphysicist, who invents many sophisticated devices used in the series, such as a one-personshark-shaped submarine, theMoon rocket, and anultrasound weapon. Calculus's deafness is a frequent source of humour, as he repeats back what he thinks he has heard, usually in the most unlikely words possible. He does not admit to being near-deaf and insists he is only slightly hard of hearing in one ear, occasionally making use of anear trumpet to hear better.
Calculus first appeared inRed Rackham's Treasure (more specifically in the newspaper prepublication of 4–5 March 1943[2]), and was the result of Hergé's long quest to find the archetypalmad scientist orabsent-minded professor. Although Hergé had included characters with similar traits in earlier stories, Calculus developed into a much more complex figure as the series progressed.
Calculus is a genius, who demonstrates himself throughout the series to be an expert in many fields ofscience, holding three PhDs innuclear andtheoretical physics, andplanetary astronomy. He is also an experiencedengineer,archaeologist,biologist andchemist. Many of his inventions precede or mirror similar technological developments in the real world (most notably theMoonrocket, but also his failed attempt at creating acolour television set). He seeks to benefit humankind through his inventions, developing a pill that curesalcoholism by makingalcohol unpalatable to the patient, and refusing under great duress to yield his talents to producingweapons of mass destruction. Calculus is also shown to be in the midst of inventing steerable roller skates duringThe Red Sea Sharks, although the final product is never shown, with the invention being only merely a sideshow in the overall plot. Much of Calculus's more dangerous work is criticized byCaptain Haddock, although Calculus usually interprets this the other way round: his deafness often leads him to misinterpret Haddock's words, preventing him from hearing his real opinion.
Calculus'sdeafness is a frequent source of humour in his interactions with other people, as he often repeats back what he thinks he has heard, usually in the most unlikely words possible. Additionally, he often diverts the subject of a conversation by responding to a misinterpreted remark. For example, "But I never knew you had...." leads Calculus to respond, "No, young man, I am not mad!" In the same book he believes that Tintin and Haddock are talking about his sister, before remembering a few moments later that he does not have a sister. He is not perturbed by his handicap, even if it is a source of deep frustration to his friends. He himself does not admit to being near-deaf and insists that he is "only a little hard of hearing in one ear."
In the course of theMoon books, however, Calculus leads a team of scientists and engineers working on a major rocket project, motivating him to adopt anear trumpet, and later ahearing aid, and for the duration of the adventure he has near-perfect hearing. This made him a more serious character, even displaying leadership qualities that had not been shown before or since. However, after completing the journey to the Moon, Calculus discarded his hearing aid, forcing his friends to readjust to his hearing impairment (aside from one panel inThe Castafiore Emerald, when Tintin is seen speaking to him through his ear-trumpet); this restored the humour surrounding him, though it could be that he finds his deafness useful since it enables him to focus on his work (something useful forThe Calculus Affair, since he was referencing ultrasonic sound).
Calculus maintains a laboratory atMarlinspike Hall, in which he conducts various experiments. He is fairly protective of his work, on occasion hiding his scientific endeavours from Tintin and Haddock (which gets him into trouble inThe Calculus Affair). His lab is also stripped of all its apparatus in the same book. On an earlier occasion, during his efforts to find an antidote to Formula Fourteen inLand of Black Gold, Calculus almost destroyed half of Marlinspike in an explosion.
Although generally a mild-mannered (if somewhat oblivious) figure, Calculus flies into an uncharacteristic rage if he feels insulted or ridiculed. He is especially provoked if he ever hears Haddock (or anyone else) call him a "goat". On one famous occasion inDestination Moon, he displays uncontrollable ire ("Goat, am I?") when an irritated Haddock accuses him of "acting the goat" ("acting like a goat" in the Golden Press American English translation) by attempting to build aMoonrocket. His subsequent tirade and blatant disregard for security terrifies the usually ebullient Captain; he even lifts the director of security barring his way onto a coat hook. Another occasion is inFlight 714 to Sydney when, due to some misunderstanding, he physically assaultsLaszlo Carreidas and has to be held back with great effort by Haddock and Tintin. In the same book, despite his deafness, he hears Captain Haddock tell him that he's "acting the goat", but Haddock quickly prevents the severe reaction from occurring. Earlier inRed Rackham's Treasure Calculus is shown with a frown for a few moments when he thinks that the Captain lied to him that Tintin had gone for a row, when Tintin actually was diving to search for treasure. Despite his gentle nature, Calculus is rather sensitive about his work and does not appreciate being ridiculed or belittled for his scientific efforts.
In spite of all this, his friends stick by him come what may. Haddock invited him to stay atMarlinspike Hall after Calculus discovered it is the captain's ancestral home and bought it in his name thanks to money he had earned through selling the patent for his shark-submarine. He did this because Haddock and Tintin had provided him with the opportunity to test the submersible when they were searching forRed Rackham's Treasure. Tintin and Haddock crossed the world on at least two occasions (Prisoners of the Sun andThe Calculus Affair) in order to save him from kidnappers.
He occasionally comments that he was a great sportsman in his youth, with a veryathletic lifestyle. He is a former practitioner of the French martial artsavate, although a demonstration inFlight 714 to Sydney shows him to be more than a bit rusty.
Calculus is partly modeled on inventorAuguste Piccard (1884–1962), Hergé stated in an interview withNuma Sadoul: "Calculus is a reduced scale Piccard, as the real chap was very tall. He had an interminable neck that sprouted from a collar that was much too large... I made Calculus a mini-Piccard, otherwise I would have had to enlarge the frames of the cartoon strip."[3] The Swiss physics professor held a teaching appointment in Brussels when Hergé spotted his unmistakable figure in the street. InThe Castafiore Emerald, Bianca Castafiore mentions that Calculus is "famous for his balloon ascensions", an ironic reference to Piccard.
Philippe Goddin has suggested that Calculus' deafness was inspired by Paul Eydt, whom Hergé had known atLe Vingtième Siècle where Tintin's adventures had first appeared.[4] Cuthbert Calculus' original French name is "Tryphon Tournesol" and Tryphon was the name of Hergé'splumber.[4]
In contrast to his unquestionable scientific merits, Calculus is a fervent believer indowsing, and carries apendulum for that purpose. Hergé himself was a believer in the subject: dowser Victor Mertens had used a pendulum to find the lost wedding ring of Hergé's wife in October 1939.[4]
Before Calculus appeared inRed Rackham's Treasure, Hergé had featured other highly educated but eccentricscholars andscientists, such as the following:
Calculus's introduction appears to have supplied Hergé with the bizarre nature he wished to portray in a man of science. Other figures of high education were shown as more stable and level-headed. The members of the archaeological expedition who fall victim toThe Seven Crystal Balls show no apparent signs of eccentricity. The most prominent member of this group is Calculus's friend Hercules Tarragon, with whom he attendeduniversity. Tarragon is a large, ebullient man, possessing a jovial nature, but not necessarily eccentric.
While he sometimes appears aloof when absorbed in his work, Calculus corresponds with other scientists and also collaborates with many of them on his projects. He works withMr. Baxter andFrank Wolff on theMoon rocket and corresponds withultrasonics expert ProfessorAlfredo Topolino ofNyon inThe Calculus Affair.
Calculus is the only main character in theTintin series to display signs of attraction to women. This is notably evident in his interactions withBianca Castafiore, with whom he is smitten during her long stay atMarlinspike Hall inThe Castafiore Emerald. During her stay, hisbotanic experiments lead him to create a new variety ofrose, which he names in her honour. Nonetheless, he happily congratulates Captain Haddock on his "engagement" to Castafiore (in fact amedia hoax which he unwittingly fuelled).
Calculus is also distressed by Castafiore's imprisonment inTintin and the Picaros, and is adamant on going to her defence. In the same book, he is charmed by the unattractive Peggy Alcazar (wife ofGeneral Alcazar) and kisses her hand after she bluntly criticizes Tintin and Haddock (a remark that Calculus mistakes for a warm greeting).
Calculus also featured frequently in the 1957–1963Belvision TV series, as well as in other adaptations of the comics. The Belvision TV series is notable for depicting Calculus with perfect hearing.
Calculus' original French name was "Tournesol" which is the French term forsunflower. In the 1970s and 1980s, he starred in a series of cartoon television commercials forFruit d'or products which includedcooking oil andmayonnaise made from sunflower oil. Some of the ads would conclude with him floating up into the air to demonstrate how they kept a good healthy balance. Other characters from the books were also included.[5]
A pseudonym variation was used on an album byStephen Duffy – seeTin Tin and "Dr. Calculus".
