JuLieN wrote:As I stumbled upon a chess computer story while reading a comic strip, I thought it would be a good idea to make a thread about chess computers and popular culture. Have you done such an encounter, then please share it with us.
Here's my finding. It comes from one of my favorite french/belgian comic strips :
Génial Olivier. Olivier is a mischievous genius kid, always inventing new things (mostly designed to annoy his teacher, but not only). It first was published in the
Spirou comic strips magazine on August the 8th, 1963, and up to the death of
his author, Jacques Devos, in the early 90ies. It has been remorselessly ripped off by the American TV program "
Jimmy Neutron" (even his robot dog was copied!
)
Raw Translation
[0] Title:
Echec au fou : this is a word play, as the "bishop" is called "fou" (crazy/joker) in french. It means "check to the crazy/joker".
[1] First square:
Igor : Hi, Olivier and his friend.
Olivier: Oh! Hello Igor, please step in!
Flafla: Hello!
[2] Second square:
olivier: Igor Titurbine is a russian friend! He is a fanatic of chess. He received a new chess computer from a japanese diplomat. Right, Igor?
Igor: Da! But... Errr... To tell the truth... Errr...
[3] Third square:
Igor: Da-da! My tjapanese friend Tora Pathkado ("Uwont Getagift") gave to me! Him verrrry nice and me verrry happy receiving machine. Now its is kaputt!
[4] Fourth square:
Igor: This machine I defeating it in seven moves game and it say strange word! Me not understand!
[5] Fifth square:
Flafla: A talking machine?
Olivier: My friend, today, electronic devices talk, commenting your moves using a synthetic voice.
Flafla: Come on! Come on!
[6] Sixth square:
Igor : Machine said "c'est beaucoup" (it's a lot) afterrr me defeating it; then look, machine splitting in two! Look!?
Flafla: My goodness!
Olivier: Rats! "c'est beaucoup" is not a coined chess terminology!
[7] Seventh square:
Flafla: Eh! Are you sure this was this sentence? What if it was in a foreign language?
Olivier: That's possible! Let's check my universal electronic translator.
Igor: Boje moï.
[8] Eighth square:
Flafla: but why did this chessboard exploded in two parts like that?
Igor: this big big mysterrrium!
Olivier: Let's see?
[9] Ninth square:
Olivier: Careful, friends! I'm giving the sentence to my translator : "c'est beaucoup!"
[10] Tenth square:
Translator: Trik-trik-trik-trik-trik-trik! In-cor-rect pr--noun-cia-tion! Spea-ker pro-ba-bly meant "sé-pou-kou"!...
Igor: Yaas! This being this!
[11] Eleventh square:
Translator: "Seppuku" : noble name for "hara-kiri"! End. Trik-trik-trik!
Igor: Nitchevo!
Olivier: Yet another cultural conquest by electronics! Pfff!