This is an I-Heart podcast.

You're listening to Part-Time Genius,

a production of kaleidoscope and IHeart Radio.

Guess what, Dave?

What's that, Mango?

It is part two of our Tintin extravaganza.

So if you miss part one, go check it out and come back to this one when you're up to speed on the story.

I stayed up way past my bedtime last night studying all things Captain Haddock, Professor Calculus, and Bianca Castafiore in preparation for this one.

I am ready.

I love Professor Calculus.

He is such a fun character.

Did you know he was modeled after a real person? Professor August Picard. I did not know that. Who's Professor Picard?

He was an interesting guy. He was the first person to enter Earth's stratosphere. And he was also the inventor of the deep sea observation vessel. It's called the Bathascaf. But more importantly, for Tintin purposes,

he also had a unique hairstyle. He was balding on top, and he had long and curly hair on the

sides, and Erej would see him walking around the streets of Brussels, and he kind of got inspired.

I love all these real-world connections in Erge's work. Like Thompson and Thompson,

the hapless, nearly identical detectives, they were said to be inspired by Erge's work. Like Thompson and Thompson, the hapless, nearly identical detectives, they were said to be

inspired by Erge's father, Alexi, and his twin brother Leon.

Yeah, of the unknown parentage we discussed.

Right, yeah, that's a part one reference in case you're wondering.

So seriously, though, go listen to Part 1 if you haven't.

But back to Thompson and Thompson, as you know, Mango, they wear matching black suits and bowler hats, carry matching canes, and have matching bushy mustaches.

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