Tintin Forums

There are some other inventions of his that should be considered, even if they did not appear in the original comics.

In the film "Golden Fleece", he invents a sort of fuel called Super-Cuthbertoleum which, in the form of tablets, powers an old cargo ship over a long distance. (The film was made in Herge's lifetime so he must have approved of it.)

There is also a Bob de Moor cartoon in which he invents a process that turns all liquids into pure drinkable water - including whisky and oil! (It was published long after Herge's death, but I imagine it was approved by his heirs since it was about supporting water supplies in the developing world.)

These strike me as very useful inventions, though I think the latter should be handled carefully. In the final panel, Calculus has turned a entire layer of desert oil into water. Imagine if the same was done to paint or medications in liquid form.

For those who have already chosen the anti-alcohol pills, Calculus was probably in the process of making a medicine that reversed the effects of the pill if anyone wanted to (like our distinguished Captain) at the end of Alph-Art. Unfortunately there are some side-effects like blotches in your skin and all your hair falling off. But that's just a small price to pay to have another go at that Loch Lomond, I guess...

Apologies to come back so late on this, but as we're including the live action films there's a couple more inventions to mention...

I think my favourite Calculus invention from Tintin and the Golden Fleece is the flying parrot cage.

In Tintin and the Blue Oranges Calculus appeals to scientists around the world to help him solve world hunger. He receives some blue oranges from another professor which allegedly can grow in desert conditions. Unfortunately, with Calculus's help, the oranges produced taste disgusting and are basically inedible.

It's said at the end of the film that they were aiming to perfect these genetically modified oranges within 10 years and were hoping to be able to grow wheat, potatoes and other vegetables in the desert. We don't get to learn whether they were successful, but this would be truly ground-breaking.

Anyone that comes to New Zealand, and Queenstown in particular, can take a ride in a real life Calculus submarine.
For two people ( driver and passenger) a very powerful engine will take you below the surface and then jettison you up out of the lake in quite an exhilarating ride.
Anyone unfamiliar with it can google "Hydro Attack"

Sorry if I'm late on this topic, but I love Calculus' Moon Rocket and his submarine.