Comic books are a classic component of French culture and I am a devoted fan. They make many insightful references to atmospheric chemistry. Here’s a sampling.
Click on each picture to enlarge!
Spirou, Radar le Robot, by Franquin. How to achieve rapid loss of atmospheric oxygen.
Lucky Luke, L’Elixir du Docteur Doxey, by Morris. Early evidence of the health effects from air pollution.
Titeuf, Mes meilleurs copains, by Zep. The simplest solution to climate change is just to watch Fox News.
Tintin, Les bijoux de la Castafiore, by Herge. After some inane remarks about air quality in rural Belgium, Captain Haddock detects emissions from landfills.
Tintin, On a marche sur la Lune, by Herge. A previously unknown source of CO2.
Blake et Mortimer, Les 3 formules du Professeur Sato, by Jacobs. Professor Mortimer sees results from a chemical transport model for the first time.
Gason Lagaffe, Le Geant de la Gaffe, by Franquin. Detailed analysis of urban air pollution, with some very early thoughts on aerobiology.
Superdupont, by Lob, Gotlib, and Alexis. A first understanding of transboundary transport of pollution.
Asterix, Le Devin, by Goscinny and Uderzo. A spectacular inversion trapping pollution near the ground.
Titeuf, Le Miracle de la Vie, by Zep. Fixing the ozone hole will finally provide a cure for baldness.
Tintin, L’Etoile Mysterieuse, by Herge. Tintin shows a touching ignorance of transatlantic transport of pollution, while Milou at least makes an intelligent remark about emissions from the marine biosphere.
Blake and Mortimer, SOS Meteores, by Jacobs. Professor Mortimer detects ground-level ozone by smell.
