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The Calculus Affair: An appearance by Mr. Trickler?

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GSC
Member
#1 · Posted: 12 Nov 2011 18:54
Hello.
I'm new here to tintinologist.org, and this is my first post.
I've been reading The Calculus Affair. I've read it several times before (I've read every Tintin book about 30 times each), and I've just spotted something.
On page 47, frame 14, there's a man that looks a lot like Mr.Trickler from The Broken Ear.
I doubt that it is him, but it is possible - maybe he's discovered oil in Syldavia?
mct16
Member
#2 · Posted: 12 Nov 2011 21:36
It's a strong possibility. Others have made the same observation: see this thread.
However, as far as I know, there has been no official confirmation that it is him. We'd have to see Hergé's notes and initial drawings of The Calculus Affair in order to know for sure.
It's doubtful if it is oil, though. He's probably there in order to encourage war between Syldavia and Borduria and take advantage by trading in weapons.
GSC
Member
#3 · Posted: 15 Nov 2011 00:06
It was the Greek guy (can't remember his name) from The Broken Ear, who was selling weapons, not Mr.Trickler.
mct16
Member
#4 · Posted: 15 Nov 2011 08:57
But Trickler was the main driving force behind the war - offering bribes to both Tintin and Alcazar in order to get them to start it.

The Greek guy, arms dealer Basil Bazarov, is based on the real life Basil Zaharoff of the Vickers arms manufacturers and he is in league with Trickler. As part of making money out of the conflict, Trickler would have shares in Bazarov's company, shares which will make him a fortune when war begins and weapons are sold and used.
GSC
Member
#5 · Posted: 17 Dec 2011 16:25
I know that they were working together, but they were both encouraging that war in diffrent ways.
Mr.Trickler was doing his part by persuading General Alcazar to take over Nuevo-Rico, due to the oil discovered there.
The Greek guy, Basil Bazzarof, encouraged war even further, by selling weapons to both sides.

So, if it is Mr.Trickler in The Calculus affair, it's probably due to oil detected there, not to sell arms.
mct16
Member
#6 · Posted: 17 Dec 2011 22:38
Unless he changed professions. The war in "Broken Ear" ends when they realise that there is no oil anyway. All that time and money wasted for nothing. Trickler would have had to resign. Bazarov would then say: "Never mind, you made me a fortune out of the arms sales, so how about working for me?"

Dawson of "The Blue Lotus" goes from being a police chief to an arms dealer in "Red Sea Sharks", so why not?
calculite
Member
#7 · Posted: 20 Dec 2011 20:41
Refresh my memory here, I haven't read The Broken Ear in a while. Who exactly is Mr.Trickler?
marsbar
Moderator
#8 · Posted: 20 Dec 2011 21:09
calculite:
Who exactly is Mr.Trickler?

Our "List of Tintin Characters by Name: T" is your friend.
GSC
Member
#9 · Posted: 24 Dec 2011 18:00
mct16:
Trickler would have had to resign

He couldn't have, because in Alph-art, when Castafiore was introducing Haddock to the other people at the villa (page 42-43), she presents him to Mr.Trickler, and says that he is, "an important director of an oil company".
So, he doesn’t seem to have resigned.
Cutts_The_Butcher
Member
#10 · Posted: 31 Dec 2011 01:12
GSC:
she presents him to Mr.Trickler

But does that necessarily make him the same Mr. Trickler?
Maybe he had a brother working for the oil company.
In fact, given Castafiore's habit of getting names wrong, could it be possible that the Mr. Trickler in Alph-Art isn't actually a Mr. Trickler at all?

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