The latest Lucky Luke Volume, ' A cowboy in high cotton' Album #77, has Luke inherit a cotton plantation and deal with the subject of slavery and racism. It's not quite as serious as it sounds, it's still Lucky Luke. In this he partners with Bass Reeves. Bass is an historical character. He was the first black deputy US Marshall west of the Mississippi River and is credited with arresting over 3,000 outlaws over his career.
The notes to the book point out, if you did not already know, that its estimated that 24% of Cowboys were Black and an almost equal number were Latino. Which shouldn't be surprising when you remember that the South-West and the West Coast were first colonized by the Spanish. Remember your Zorro.
Maybe we will see more Latin and black characters in Lucky Luke from now on.
Its a well written yarn. Nice to see the medium being used to tackle more serious themes.
Also from the notes to the book, Morris, who created Lucky Luke in 1947, 'For several years after he plied his trade in the US with his friends,' Andre Frandquin' and 'Joseph Gillain' and the stars of MAD magazine, Kurtzman, Davis and Wood.' I did not know that. 10 volumes later he met and partnered with Rene Goscinny.
77 Volumes and still going strong.
Cheers
