Professor Barabas

Professor Barabas is a character from the Belgian comic series Spike and Suzy (originally "Suske en wiske") by Willy Vandersteen. Professor Barabas also plays in another comic series called Jerom en Amoras.
Professor Barabas is a relatively old professor with a large laboratorium in his house. Hij wears a white lab coat, glasses and a grey (or in later albums, a white)beard.
Introduction and name
Barabas was first introduced in the first official album of Suske en Wiske: The Island Amoras (Het eiland Amoras) (1945). He was relaxing on the beach when he got hit in the head with a vase, thrown by Wiske. In that album, his nifty intuition led him to get curious about the vase, discovering a new adventure. In the original version he was a heavier, more nervous and very confused man. The professor also had a stutter back than, which disappeared however in later albums because Vandersteen received letters from worried parents telling him about their kids imitating the professors speech.
Barabas' name is based on the biblical persona of Barabbas, the man that was granted his freedom by the people of Judea, to the detriment of Jezus Christ. It is not clear why the professor got that name. In the album The Mad Meg(De Dulle Griet), Mad Meg asks professor Barabas if he might be the Barabas. Barabas first name is not known.
Fairly early in the albums, he got the role of the inventor who came up with questions, mysteries and the discoveries that gave rise to heaps of adventures.
Predecessor
In the first unofficial albun of Suske en Wiske: "Rikki and Wiske in Chocowakije" (which came out later in a red series), there is a character named engineer Wargaren, who takes on the role of abscent-minded professor. The only characteristic that they share is the whit lab coat and the bald head.
Inventions
The inventions of professor Barabas are more popular than him, even his friends are not always quite sure what he is working on. It seems like he is fine with living in his own world from time to time.
Barabas has lots of fascinating inventions on his name. They are great and often essential tools for Suske, Wiske, Lambik, aunt Sidonia and Jerom to survive their adventures. Here are the professors most important inventions:
Barabas' most famous creation must be the teletimemachine: the apparatus can flash people back in time by placing the subjects in the cabine, setting the desired time and place and simply pulling the lever. The device has its first appearance in "The island Amoras, but back then it was only able to show images off the pas on a screen. The ability to zap people and objects through time was introduced in the album "The tuf-tuf-club"(1952). SInce then it was utilized countless times in the albums, however often causing trouble and danger when the machine got mechanically damaged, leaving its users stuck in past, future or present. In "De duistere diamant" (1958) an upgrade was made: a bracelet that made it possible for the person wearing it to zap himself through time. In "De zeven snaren", "Lambik Baba" and "Het verdronken land" we even see a portable version of the teletimemachine.
The Gyronef, a sort of helicopter. This device was also introduced in The island Amoras (1945).
The cute, living car Vitamitje drove for the first time in "De sprietatoom"(1947). In this album there were two additional inventions introduced: the "sprietatoomtoestel" and the "stopstraalkanon" (stop ray gun), but these end up destroyed. However, both were used again in the albumn "Amoris van Amoras" and the sprietatoomtoestel was also used in the albums "De verdwenen verteller" and "De slimme slapjanus". In "De tandentikkers" Barabas'friends are minified.
The Terranef is a vehicle that is able to move below ground surface and is equipped with giant fire blasters at the front to pulverize the stone of its resistance. It was introduced in the album "De Knokkersburcht". Apart from the version with the flamethrower, there is also a version with a diamond rotating disc.
The "Ruimtekruiser"(Rough translation: spacecruiser)is utilized in "De wolkeneters" and "De tikkende tinkan".
The "RVD (Rijden Vliegen Duiken)" (Rough translation: DFD, Drive, Fly, Dive) was traveled with in "Het rijmende paard", "De krasse kroko" and "De energieke guiten" gebruikt. The device was heavily damaged in "De gamegoeroe".
The Klankentapper: a device which enables its user to communicate with plants and objects. First seen in "De klankentapper" (1961). In "De energieke guiten" (2005) the klankentapper was upgraded and used as a headset. In "Tex en Terry" a translatingdevice was utilized. In "De brullende berg" they used the "gedachtenmelker" (rough literal translation: thoughtmilker).
The Teletransfor, which allawed to bring drawn or painted figures to life was invented in the album "Het rijmende paard" (1962).
The Snelgroeier is used in several stories.
The flying discs: In "Het zingende nijlpaard".
Robodog: In "De rinoramp". A robotic dog with an incredible "sense of smell".
Biography en backgrounds
Origin
After professor Barabas' first coincidental encounter with aunt Sidonia and Wiske, he remains a well, loyal family friend. The professor shows that he has, as well as the other main characters, a heart of gold. He is however hot-tempered and shows flashes of his temper when he finds other characters using his inventions without his permission. He has a sense of humour and likes his own jokes very much, especially when he scares his friends and often ends up rolling on the flour laughing.
career
His career doesn't seem very fertile in his first years. At the end of the album De sprietatoom (1946) he becomes a poet to protect his inventions from getting stolen and destroys them all. In Het zingende nijlpaard (1950) he even tries selling his inventions from door to door to make a living.
Barabas almost died in the album De gouden cirkel (1960), wherein he got contaminated with radioactive materials. Professor Barabas realises now very much that his work can be dangerous. Krimson and many other uncanny organisations hunt his knowledge. His house is therefore very well secured.
Gradually, the professor ahs more luck with his inventions and it starts to become clearer that he does not want his devices utilized for the purposes of war. He is a good soul who wants to help humanity over the world and he is opposed to ethically irresponsible experiments.(like in Amber (1998)). In De glanzende gletsjer (1986) he received the title of inventor of the year.
From time to time, professor Barabas remodels his home, to house a new apparatus of his..
Family
Not much is known about Barabas' family, but gradually an image of is ancestry is formed. He lives on his own and seems to be married with science, it seems like his only friends are the main characters. However he remains close contacts with his colleagues in the world of science, who live across the globe and now and then he meets up with his former classmates..
His father appears in De 7 schaken (1995). This album is situates in the 1920s during Willy Vandersteen's youth in Antwerp. His father is a gentleman that applies a French accent in his speech and forces little Barabas to study.
In the album De hellegathonden (1986), professor Barabas explains aghast that his great grandfather in the 19th century was a villain, after the spirit of this man abducted Lambik to the past.
In De kwakende queen (2011) another ancestor of professor Barabas is introduced: Geronimous Jabbertalk. He was involved in science. Jabbertalk moved from London to Brussels in 1887 where he takes the name "Barabas".
Although there is no direct family link between professor Barabas and Suske and Wiske (aunt Sidonia is only the biological aunt of Wiske. It remains unclear where Wiske's parents are), he is, as well as Lambik and Jerom, of great importance in the upbringing of the kids. Barabas often thinks, like other men, that aunt Sidonia is too loose in the upbringing.
Appearance and personality
Professor Barabas has the typical look of a scientist. To top it of he is often in deep thought about a recent idea.He wears glasses, a grey (and later white) lab coat, has a leprechaun-beard and is very wise. Unlike Jerom, also equipped with white leprechaun-beard, the professor has to resort to his inventions as his powers. From time to time, the devices are connected to Jerom to supply them with extra energy.
The older Barabas is sometimes confused and forgetful. He sometimes concentrates so much on one particular item that he gets lost in detail. Professor Barabas and Jerom often do not get along very well, Jerom is often not interested in scientific questions.
Barabas is curious about the world, but has his limits to research. Even when his friends want to use the devices just for fun, he will not allow it and always makes sure the lab is locked up proberly when he is on vacation, a congress or traveling for research.
Professor Barabas often works (secretively) for the government or other organisations and only shares his information when he is already in deep trouble. More than once he has been abducted, but he trusts his friends who are mostly able to use the gyronef or other devices in his absence.
Although he is committed to saving the earth an humanity without any aelf importance, he does enjoys it when his work is appreciated and crowned with a scientific award.
Behaviour
He is sometimes annoyed with the playing of Suske and Wiske, Lambik also likes it more when the children use there time productively. In his time... Children of today are used to there luxurious lives and do not know what hard work really is. Although Sidonia stems from royal descent, she chose to raise Wiske and live in a sober household/life. She later toke Suske in in the little family. Professor Barabas thinks it is Sidonia's own fault that she struggles to make ends meet.
Professor Barabas has a wealthy descent. He cannot comprehend Sidonia's emotional outbursts that come from time to time. He is not familiar to nervous breakdowns, sadness, romantic love and pure happiness. He is a man of reason; everything can be solved by applying logic.
However in his past he did have these mighty feelings, when he was in love with a tailor he met miraculously. Sadly she ended up enchanted as a mannequin and her house disappeared in the dunes ever sice. The professor rejected these memories, but he is not able to repress his memories in "Beminde Barabas".
It was due to his father who forced him to study, that he started his career. This is illustrated in De 7 schaken wherein he is transformed into a child again and experiences adventures, along with other main characters and young Vandersteen himself.
It takes years until professor Barabas faces his feelings and refuses to continue working on inventions causing destruction or solely for his own good. But his urge for research will always remain. He is a real scientist, when there is a question, there has to be an answer and he will not give up until the answer is clear.
In Barabas de Balorige (2013) loses faith in humanity when a dangerous virus gets stolen that he created for an elder who wanted to be immortal. The virus makes you find your youth. The professor destroys all his inventions and travels himself to a far past. He strives to be one with nature in a time where the study of science did not yet matter. He learns quickly that this is not as simple as he thought and decides to make up for the consequences of his inventions.
Research
Although he is very often sceptic and laughs about fabels and legends of today, he is interested in objects and buildings from ancient mythes all over the world. hij aanvankelijk vaak sceptisch is, en moet lachen om de vele fabels is hij tegenwoordig toch geïnteresseerd in voorwerpen of gebouwen uit de vele mythologieën, verspreid over de hele wereld. His inventions of today are developed to figure out these mysteries.
By means of experiment and liturature study from nature to archaeology to space...he is in search for answers. He already published many remarkable results. When he lets his friends travel in the teletimemachine, he himself will stay safely behind the control panel to keep an eye out via the monitor and interfere when nessecary.
Meanwhile the Professor has seen the advantages of the internet and uses a computer (just like Suske and Wiske do often). It is noticeable that Barabas is herein more open to this novelty, unlike Sidonia and Lambik, who rather clumsy when trying to use it. The computer has a big impact on his researchmethods.
Of coarse it takes a while before he understands these nu "useless" trends of the youth, but he stays thirsty for knowledge and open to novelties.
Luckely he has his friends who have his back. Thanks to this friendship, professor Barabas gained a lot of self-confidence.
Translations
In these albums that appeared in other countries, Barabas has another name.
Professor Barnabas, English; album The Poisoned Rain (De ruige regen).
professori Tietonen,Finnish.
profesoro Barabas, Esperanto.
Professor Barnabas, German.
Professeur Barabas, French.
Professor Snillén, Swedish.
Professor Barabas in following languages of translation:
Fries
Limburgs
Drents
Trivia
Professor Barabas suffurs from lumbago, as seen in the albums "Kaapse kaalkoppen" and "De Galapagos gassen".

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