Lucky Luke and Jolly Jumper celebrated for 80-year legacy

The iconic comic book character Lucky Luke and his horse, Jolly Jumper, are being celebrated for their enduring legacy. Over nearly eighty years, the series has sold approximately 380 million copies across eighty-seven albums, translated into roughly thirty languages.

Created by the Belgian artist Morris (Maurice de Bevere), Jolly Jumper first appeared in late 1946. Some suggest the character may have been inspired by Topper, the white Tennessee Walker horse used by actor William Boyd in the Hopalong Cassidy westerns.

A new exhibition titled ‘Lucky Luke court toujours !’ (Lucky Luke is still running!) has been organized to mark the character's longevity. Curated by Joub, the exhibition moves away from a strictly chronological format, instead using a thematic approach that explores motifs such as villains, the cavalry, and saloon fights. The project is a collaborative effort involving Dargaud, the Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée, and the Rendez-vous de la BD d’Amiens, designed to offer a playful, labyrinth-like experience for visitors to rediscover the series' evolution.