Tintin Forums

At the end of Picaros, it seems that Haddock is still unable to drink whisky due to Calculus' tablets. In Alph-Art, as far as I have looked, I haven't seen him drink whisky but I wonder if the effects have worn off or not?

Thanks!

Nope, the effects haven't worn off ! I spoke to him last week, and he was a bit grouchy over being able to drink nothing but mineral water.

Just kidding! :op

According to the extra pages at the back of the new Alph-Art, Hergé was toying with the idea of a story where Calculus invents an antidote to the pills, which allowed Archie to drink whisky again, but caused him to lose all his hair and beard and develop spots all over his face. It's worth checking out the new edition just to see the sketch by Hergé of a bald, beardless, spotty, Haddock.

According to the rediscovered new material published in the 2004 edition of Alph-Art, Haddock is still unable to drink alcohol and is depressed about it. Calculus invents an antidote to his tablets but the testing of it has strange effects on Haddock: his hair falls out and blotches on his face appear. But eventually he recovers and is able to drink whisky again.

This would have continued the story, assuming of course that Hergé had followed these notes as he progressed.

Ed

[Edit: apologies to Richard, who I posted over at the same time!]

No problem - great minds think alike, eh ?

That drawing of Haddock is brilliant, though - it's such a shame it's been hidden in the archives until now.

I have the old edition of Alph-Art (the one that now sells for a bunch on eBay!), and while it's not in front of me here, I distinctly remember a passage in the "well-known" part of the book where Tintin remarks to Haddock that he still can't touch alcohol.

(Of course, neither could Tintin himself, having inadvertently taken the tablets in Picaros).