Following my interest in comic such Tintin, I have another great admire for a different kind of story telling. It is Lucky Luke : The Man Who Shoots Faster Than His Own Shadow. Written originally by Morris & Goscinny, the back ground scene of wild west America somewhere around late 19th century. A poor lone some cowboy and long way from home – is what he always sings at the end of the story. Team up with his old timer, old buddy, a cowpony : Jolly Jumper, they both crave for adventure and excitement. In the good side guy, mostly played role of sherrif with duty clean up savages and coyotes. it’s like a rolling plot where the crooks got out of jail, and then imprison by our good deed guy, Luke.
I remember when I was around elementary school in 80’s looking these cool comic in book stores. I found so many, and I collected them. It was the same period of collecting Tintin. Both have plus minus in themes and locations. Tintin, in my point of view is more serious and grown ups reader like. While the Cowboy is more silly and funny, for children like. But not always the book for children, as many fan site are dedicating for group of comic reader by grown ups.
Reading Lucky Luke is quite relaxing and worthed spare time spending for me. In my leisure time, I frequently read them over and over again. Though, I knew the story already. It is always a laugh – well, a smile – seeing the mimic of that smart-stupid Cowpony. Either he is smart or stupid, but he surely entertain and liking partner of the cowboy.
The story is surely fiction and not real, but some of the characters is wild west legend. Goscinny made them meet in a conflick with Lucky Luke. Jesse James, tells about the American Robin Hood, with his gang of Frank James and Cole Young, well known for perfect record of robbing train and bank. Later this Cole Young grand children would be most Lucky Luke opponent in the series, The Daltons featured in Dalton City, four brother Joe, Jack, William and Averell. Averell the most nicest Daltons is his mom’s favourite. Ma Dalton represent of a mother whose her children become bandits –later broke her heart. Nonetheless, Joe Dalton is stuck and bound together with “The Stupidest Dog in The Universe” Rantanplan. Though, she will always love them as her children and face one-on-one gunfight with Lucky Luke. Matha Jane Cannary a.k.a. Calamity Jane in the story, is another real character that compound in the story. They – Lucky and Calamity – at least meet twice in the whole albums. Even Lucky Luke has to escort and tame naughty Billy The Kid, very young yet very dangerous with six shooters. Lucky Luke has to confes and condemn all guilty in The Judge, feature factual Judge Roy Bean. French female actress and singer has her show around the west, and yes our white horse rider was there too in Sarah Berndhart.
Not only characters, Lucky Luke also tells a real history of many the first in the West time. In Western Circus, it tells about the travelling circus accros the States, where it later became famous. Many immigrants and new comer for gold digging opportunity or even oil, they got special ritual welcome party as they were called Tenderfoot. The ministry of federal bureau wants peace with the Indian Apache Tribe then they surely sent the best cowboy in the hood, instead of The Calavry, is the red line of Canyon Apache. Long before cops escorting and guarding valueable goods from the hands of coyotes, Wells Fargo & Co. did hire to escort in travel from Denver to San Fransisco is The Stagecoach. Western civilization long before telephone was history of telegraph in The Singing Wire, first drama appereance to be played live on stage in The Dashing White Cowboy, the fact of Unassigned Land of Oklahoma in Oklahoma Land Rush. The first land property border separated using wire in Barbed Wire In The Praire. The Bounty Hunter tells about hiring professional killer to settle beef for good for such unfinished business. Pony Express has their mail sent accross the state. Newspaper in the west published daily in Daily Star.
And now, collecting Lucky Luke albums is quite enjoyable for me as it is more difficult to gather all of them than the collection of Tintin. It is because Lucky Luke has many albums and published in several publisher. Yet, the hunting is on. My aim to grab as many as I can for the cowboy who rides white horse. Not only capable of searching, I definitely need some luck to accomplish the mission. Maybe later I feel lucky, as lucky as in the end Lucky Luke rides off alone into the sunset on Jolly Jumper, singing “I’m a poor lonesome cowboy, and a long way from home…”.
Here are the characters :
Some of the albums :
www.lucky-luke.com
www.dargaud.com
