Cinebook The 9th Art: Lucky Luke 48- Dick Digger's Gold Mine

Authors: Morris
Age: 8 years and up
Size: 21.7 x 28.7 cm
Full colour
48 Pages

ISBN: 9781849182089

Price: £6.99 inc. VAT

Publication: August 2014

10 Star Excellence From Cinebook The 9th Art!!!

 
Dick Digger, an old pal of Lucky Luke’s, has struck gold in the hills. Spending the night in a hotel on his way home to stake his claim, a careless display of his new-found wealth attracts the attention of two bandits who knock him out and rob him – unwittingly taking the map to his mine with them as well! With Digger injured, it’s up to Lucky Luke and Jolly Jumper to chase the thieves and recover the map.

I saw the cover and thought "That was drawn by Morris?  Then I opened the book and saw the rather odd, cartoony style and I was stumped. A little voice then said: "Remember you asked Olivier Cadic if Cinebook would ever publish the very early Lucky Luke strips?"  D'uh!

I then realised that this was the first (?) Lucky Luke published by Dupuis in 1949- "La Mine d'or de Dick Digger" or  "Dick Digger's Gold Mine"....yes, I'm very slow. All the info was there in the title!

It was really great seeing the first Luke -and his evil double "Mad Jim"! Now this has to be a must buy for the completists out there.  To date no company has ever published such a complete collection of this series and this first adventure was not even one that featured in Film Fun Comic or later in Giggle.

This really was a true joy to read through after the initial confusion (you get to my age and read comics for over fifty years (50 years!!!) and it happens.  I may well have missed the first volumes from Cinebook --1-6 and 8 and 9 but I'm certainly going to have to get them now (my great nephews will inherit these!).

Just wonderful to read on a sunny September afternoon!!