BLUEBERRY 69
( Dargaud 1965). Th e still-running series fi rst appeared in the French comic magazine
Pilote , #210 (1963) and is the most important contribution to the European Western
comic tradition of naturalistic-realistic design. Blueberry has been translated into over
15 languages; the fi rst English translations (by Jean-Marc Loffi cier) were published in
Europe during the late 1970s by Egmont /Methuen, followed by many other companies
(Epic Comics, Comcat, Mojo Press, Dark Horse Comics ) which published the series
in a variety of formats and qualities up to 1993.
Blueberry is the nickname of Lieutenant Mike Steve Donovan, originally a
Southerner who becomes trumpeter in the U.S. Cavalry shortly after the Ameri-
can Civil War. Blueberry is an atypical Western hero, defi ned by Maurice Horn as
the “ reformed outlaw.” Th e fi rst cycle of the series takes place in Arizona, near New
Mexico, between 1866 and 1868 during the American Indian Wars. Blueberry ́s
fi rst appearance in the series shows him sitting in plain clothes in a saloon, playing
poker, smoking a cigar, always ready for a fi stfi ght; his face, inspired by the actor
Jean-Paul Belmondo, transports all the rebellious feelings of the late 1960s. Gener-
ally, the fi rst cycle recalls the narration patterns of the John Ford Westerns, and the
characters copy the stereotypical fi gures of the movies of the 1950s. Blueberry ́s ini-
tial fi ght for the rights of the Native Americans is followed by the—artistically most
interesting—gold-mine-cycle (set in 1868), which drew its inspiration from the slow
narration rhythm of Sergio Leone movies (English saga-title: Marshall Blueberry.
Th e Lost Dutchman’s Mine , Epic, 1991). Here, the focus changes from the frontier to
the gold rush, and for the fi rst time (uncommon for the European Western tradition)
Charlier excludes Native Americans from the story. Th e third cycle, the Confederate
Gold (1869–72), containing 11 albums, is a good example of Charlier’s epic qualities
and shows the whole palette of Giraud ́s drawing techniques, sometimes mixing dif-
ferent styles even in one single panel. In this cycle Blueberry emerges as an anti-hero;
he survives the most severe torture, suff ers degradation, is outlawed and wrongly
accused of murder and betrayed even by his best friends ( Jimmy McClure and Red
Neck). However, all these diffi culties only show Blueberry ́s strength, his clever-
ness and his skills with fi sts and weapons. In the last album of the cycle ( Arizona
Love , 1990–93) Blueberry shows his soft side by falling in love with the cold-hearted
Chihuahua Pearl.
Th roughout the 28 issues (1963–2005), one can trace Giraud ́s style as it changes
from its roots in the French drawing tradition developed by his master Jijé ( Joseph
Gillain, 1914–80) to an identifi able personal style, especially infl uenced by Hollywood
fi lms and the Spaghetti Westerns. A “prequel” series ( Young Blueberry ) and a sequel
( Marshal Blueberry , Mister Blueberry ) have been published as well, with other artists
(e.g., William Vance) and writers (e.g., Michel Blanc-Dumont), but Giraud is always
represented in the main series.
Selected Bibliography: de la Croix, Arnaud. Blueberry. Une legend de l’Ouest. Brussels:
Point Images, 2007; Horn, Maurice. Comics of the American West. New York: Winchester
