Michel Vaillant
Encyclopedia
Michel Vaillant is the title of a Belgian comics
series created in 1957 by French cartoonist
Jean Graton
and published originally by Le Lombard
. Later, Graton published the albums by himself when he founded Graton éditeur
in 1982. Michel Vaillant is the main character of the eponymous series, a French racing car driver who competes mainly in Formula One
.
The feature first appeared in Tintin
, where Jean Graton had already published a number of short stories about real-life sporting heroes. The series appeared in Tintin between 1957 and 1976, in France as well as in Belgium. An estimated 17 million copies of the series' albums have been sold worldwide.
. Given their positive reception, a full-length adventure was written and drawn by Graton, published in Tintin in 1959.
The titles were first published in album format by Le Lombard
until 1976, then by Dargaud
until 1979, by Fleurus
in 1979 and 1980, by Novedi in 1981 and 1982, and finally by Graton editeur
, created and owned by Philippe and Jean Graton from 1983 on. In 1995, a new series was launched, the Dossiers Michel Vaillant series, with stories and information on important figures in motorsports and the automobile
industry. In 2000, the Palmarès Inedit series was created, with early works and stories previously unpublished in books. In 2007, Studio Graton
translated three titles into English: "The Great Challenge" (Tome 1), "China Moon" (Tome 68), "24 Hours Under the Influence" (Tome 70). In 2008, a new collection was launched by Le Lombard, named Integrale Michel Vaillant. This series plans to reprint all past adventures in 20 volumes of 200 pages, each volume grouping several stories. All the titles of the original series are to be reprinted, and many comments, dossiers and unpublished strips added.
In recent years Jean Graton has left the writing to his son Philippe, gradually leaving the artwork to the Studio Graton
, which he established. Since Graton stopped drawing the series himself, the graphic style has evolved, with Philippe Graton continuing with the writing and three artists providing the artwork. Philippe Graton admitted that the drawing isn't as rigorous as it once was.
is a family-run French business which, in the beginning, was a transporting company. They also create their own truck
s and cars and so decide to enter Formula One
racing competition. In 1939, Henri Vaillant, a young driver, creates this new team. In the next seventy plus adventures, Michel Vaillant and the Vaillante race team
compete in numerous races in Formula One and other driving competitions such as IndyCar
, rallying
or enduro
challenges.
Michel, Henri's son, is the main driver, his usual team-mate being the American, Steve Warson. The team is first managed by Henri Vaillant, then by Michel's older brother Jean-Pierre. Henri has remained the chairman of the Vaillante firm, but was replaced by Jean-Pierre when he retired.
As the Vaillante firm grows, Vaillante's drivers, among them Michel, accumulate victories, but their success is either disrupted by rivals, by internal problems in the Vaillante team or by the "Leader", the greatest of Vaillante's enemies. Most of the adventures deal with motor racing life, but they also deal with the Vaillante team drivers' private lives, with concerns in the Vaillante firm and with various outside problems.
The comic is notable for depicting real-life motor racing
background, featuring many non-fictional drivers, teams and personalities. Michel Vaillant competes in existing motor races
and Grand Prix on real circuits. In the course of the series, the background in which the characters are featured evolves: the series' environment has always been updated, so that cars, teams and personalities have constantly changed.
Graton's graphic style also aims at being realistic, as the illustrations are very technically accurate. Notably, Graton is recognized for the meticulous details
he provides on cars
illustrations. The numerous depictions of cars and circuits featured in the series are very specific and detailed; Graton used to personally attend races and circuits to takes notes. Philippe Graton later continued this practice.
Realism is also expressed in the fictional background. Vaillant's factories and property are prominenly featured in the series. The Vaillante
firm is run as a real company, it has financial problems, must launch advertising
campaigns and search for sponsors. It owns factories, which employs several engineer
s and mechanic
s that are realistically described and is shown employing several real-life drivers.
The Vaillants own the familial domain "La Jonquière", located a short drive / cycle ride from the factory, and is home throughout the series to Henri and Elisabeth Vaillant. Michel and Jean Pierre lived there in the early books, before striking out on their own.
It is notable that as the context in which the characters evolved, Michel also is shown getting older. While he looked like a young man of about twenty years at the beginning of his adventures, he is seen progressively reaching middle-age. Recently his appearance is younger than previously. Other fictional characters are also shown getting older. In recent years, their general appearance has become steady. In spite of this he is still depicted as quite young for a man who has competed against drivers of multiple generations, including Juan Manuel Fangio
, Graham Hill
and Ayrton Senna
.
Michel Vaillant is the main character of the series. Michel Vaillant is a complete driver and sportsman. His main occupation is to drive in the Formule 1 championship
. Michel is named world champion in four different albums. He also twice won the Indianapolis 500
and the 24 Hours of Le Mans
four times. He also competed in rally races, winning the East African Safari
and the Paris-Dakar. He participated in several stock-car
, F2
, F3
and GT
races.
He is also able to drive truck
s and motorcycle
s, and practice football, gymnastics
, tennis
, judo
and skiing
very well. As a kind, serious, helpful, attentive, honest and generous man, Michel is very popular. His many abilities, his courage and his values, his kindness and his physical appearance make him a practically perfect hero, without any flaws.
Françoise Vaillant is Michel's wife. She first appeared in 1963, as a teenager. At that time, she was a journalist for a newspaper owned by her father Louis Latour, a good friend of Henri Vaillant. In 1966, she appeared again, but as an older, attractive young woman. From that time on, she appeared in every album of the series and saw Vaillant more and more, until his family urged him to marry her. They married in 1974. Françoise has an important role in the series, and in some adventures she is the main character.
Jean-Pierre Vaillant is Michel's older brother by six years. Like Michel, he started as a driver for the Vaillante team. He got married to Agnès de Chanzy, the daughter of Henri Vaillant's friend living in Argentina, in the very first album. But rapidly, he became more and more interested in managing the family team and to elaborate strategies for Formula One racing
. He soon became the leader of the Vaillante society, replacing his father. Able to make difficult decisions, he also does not hesitate to launch ambitious projects. He has a son, Jean-Michel Vaillant, who is Michel's godson
.
Steve Warson is an American driver and Michel's best friend. He first appeared in the series in 1957. Steve has a different personality than Michel: he smokes, drinks, flirts, fights, and defies other drivers. Despite his several flaws, he is a good driver for the Vaillante team and a faithful team mate to Michel, even if his romantic adventures sometimes caused him to be Vaillante's occasional rival. His numerous girlfriends have included Ruth and Julie Wood
. As good driver as Michel, he outdoes him in most rallying and American races.
The "Leader" is a mysterious character who is the worst enemy of Vaillante and owner of the Leader team. The Leader team uses modern and advanced technology to compete against the Vaillante team in motor races. The team resorts to aggressive strategies to win races and uses dangerous drivers, such as Vince Hummer, Bob Cramer, Dan Hawkins and Donald Payntor. The leader was brought up by Buddhist monks. An ambitious and cruel man, he studied a form of Buddhism that gives him amazing powers, which he uses to try to dominate the motor industry. His first appearance was in the album "Mach 1 pour Steve Warson".
Ruth alias Jo Barett is the Leader's daughter and was briefly Steve Warson's girlfriend. Before knowing her real origin, Ruth was a kind girl and friendly towards the Vaillante team. She became cruel and mean, taking over as the new Leader at her father's death, and tried to avenge him by fighting against his enemies.
Henri Vaillant is Michel and Jean-Pierre's father. He began as a mechanic
, then became a driver, created his own team and then became chairman of Vaillante. Rather authoritarian, he gave his two children a strict education. Later, he let his son Jean-Pierre take over as the leader and retired. His way of life remains modest, as chairman he went to work on a bicycle
. A respectable man, close to his employees, he is very appreciated by them.
Elisabeth Vaillant is Henri Vaillant's wife. She married him when he was a simple mechanic, but does not know anything about cars, motor racing, or mechanics.
Julie Wood is an American motorcycle
driver and at one time Steve Warson's girlfriend. An orphan, she was brought up by his uncle Chris, in California
, with his two brothers, Indy and Phil. She is at ease in any kind of motorcycle race. Before her appearance in the Michel Vaillant series (in the album "Paris-Dakar"), she starred in her own series, Julie Wood
, which ran for eight volumes, from 1976 to 1980.
Yves Douleac is a driver for the Vaillante team. He lost his father, a truck driver for Vaillante at Marseilles, at 7. He was brought up by his mother and he was very admirative of Michel Vaillant, getting to know him personally and being employed as a driver. Courageous and proud, he later fell in love with Gabriele Spangenberg, and succeeded in marrying her despite his modest origin.
Gabriele Spangenberg is a German female pilot for the Vaillante team and Yves Douléac's girlfriend. Her father, of noble heritage, first opposed such a union, due to Yves's poor origin, but later gave his permission, in the face of Gabriele's determination.
Bob Cramer is an American driver, Vaillante's enemy and a driver for the Leader team along with his friend and partner Dan Hawkins. A drunkard and a brawler, he is also aggressive in motor races where he caused a lot of crashes.
Non-fictional characters
As a driver evolving in the motor racing background, Michel Vaillant competes with many existing drivers, some of whom play an important part in the stories. Pierre Dieudonné
appeared in some adventures as a driver for the Vaillante team. Drivers, most notably French and Belgians like Vanina
and Jacky Ickx
, François Cevert
, Patrick Tambay
, Thierry Boutsen
, Rene Arnoux
, Jean-Pierre Beltoise
and Éric Bernard
, have made appearances in the storylines.
Gilles Villeneuve
and Jacky Ickx
are portrayed as good friends of Michel's as is Didier Pironi
, and are the most recurring drivers of the series. Didier Pironi
played an important part in the album: Un pilote a disparu (1980). Non-fictional team managers and journalists also appear regularly, as do some statesmen and celebrities. Michel himself is often seen being interviewed by real-life journalist Gérard "Jabby" Crombac
.
In 1986, the album Irish coffee was awarded the Avoriaz
Festival's Grand Prix (Morzine
, France).
. It ran for 13 episodes and featured stories written and filmed around a real-life world sportscar championship, documenting Henri Grandsire driving an Alpine A110
, interspersed with dramatic interludes acted by Grandsire himself. Episodes offer rare close-up contemporary footage of races and cars that year at the Rallye Du Nord, Magny Cours, Nürburgring
, Monza
, Targa Florio
, Le Mans
, Monaco
, Rouen-Les-Essarts
, Sebring and Reims
.
The series was also adapted into a Michel Vaillant animated series. 65 episodes of 26 minutes were produced in 1990 in France by la Cinq
. It was released in the U.S. as Heroes on Hot Wheels, produced by Jetlag Productions
and the former Family Channel
, sponsored by Mattel
's Hot Wheels
franchise (hench the title) and distributed by France 3 Video and Pacific Media Ventures. Michel's name was anglicized to "Michael Valiant". It was broadcast again in France in 1993 and 1998 by France 2
, and sold in more than 30 countries.
A Michel Vaillant film
was made in 2003, and the soundtrack to the movie composed by the band Archive
was released at the same time.
. Some famous Formula One drivers have admitted that their passion for automobile racing originated from reading the Michel Vaillant comics series, among them four- time Formula One champion Alain Prost
. In 1969, Henry Ford II
and Enzo Ferrari
personally wished Michel Vaillant a happy 20th birthday. The circuit Zolder, in Belgium, in which several well-known motorsport races take place, have paid tribute to the series, naming the biggest building of the circuit "Michel Vaillant club".
Many real cars were adapted from automobile designs from the series. Cars bearing the logo Vaillante
ran in Le Mans
in 1997 and 2003: A Courage
in 1997, while in 2003, Vaillante cars have been designed to be used in the Luc Besson's movie
. Some fans have built a real Vaillante Grand Defi, a model which appeared several times in the comics series. The car has participated in real races, under the brand Vaillante
. A model was marketed in Belgium, the Honda Civic Vaillante
, of which 50 models have been produced. Automobile designer
Luc Donckerwolke
(current designer of Lamborghini
, previously of SEAT
) has drawn his inspiration from cars drawn by Jean Graton to design some real car models. He also designed the SEAT Ibiza Vaillante
, exhibited at the Geneva Motor Show in 2006. It was also Luc Donckerwolke who transformed a Lola B98/10
–Judd
into a Vaillante and a Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S
into a Leader car in 2003 for the Besson movie. Donckerwolke also collaborated with Studio Graton
on the latest titles of the series, drawing some cars featured in the albums.
Many commercial products have been derived from the series, among them figurines, collected by automobile fans as well as comics fans. There's also a video game featuring Michel Vaillant which has ranked first in the auto racing video games in Benelux
, and has been the top download on commercial websites.
The series is very popular among fans of automobiles, because it features real-life cars, including renowned and prestigious models. The series have fans throughout several countries, though it has not translated into other languages except for English, Dutch, German, Danish (with Michel Vaillant re-named Mark Breton), Portuguese and Finnish. It has above all fans in France and Belgium, including Dutch-speaking Belgium, given that Michel Vaillant albums have been translated into Dutch.
The series has received various tributes as a masterpiece of the bande dessinée genre. A stamp representing Michel Vaillant was published in Belgium, a rare privilege granted only to the greatest comics series'. It was made available from January 1, 2007 with a face value of 0.50 euros, in all Belgian post offices
. Celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the series took place in 2007, among them Strip Turnhout, at the bi-annual official Flanders comics festival, organizing a retrospective exhibition.
The series also ranks high on the collector's market, with original editions ranking among the most valuable. Graton's original art pages have fetched high prices at auctions. On January 2006, a page from "Le 13 est au départ" was sold for 4,800 euros at an auction in Paris. On April 2006, in Paris again, an original page from "L'Honneur du Samourai" was auctionned for 12,384 euros (whereas its original value was 3,500 euros), breaking the record of the time. In 2008, an original page from "De l'huile sur la piste" was sold for 11,520 euros at auction in 2008 at Brussels
among other works previously published by the magazine Tintin
, establishing the record sale of that day.
Belgian comics
Belgian comics are a distinct subgroup in the comics history, and played a major role in the development of European comics, alongside France with whom they share a long common history...
series created in 1957 by French cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
Jean Graton
Jean Graton
Jean Graton is a comic book author and cartoonist of French nationality. Graton created the famous character Michel Vaillant and the eponymous series in 1957.-Biography:...
and published originally by Le Lombard
Le Lombard
Le Lombard or Lombard Editions is a Belgian comic book publisher established in 1946 when the Tintin magazine was launched. In 1986 the company was acquired by Média-Participations.-Titles:Lombard's more famous series include:*Clifton...
. Later, Graton published the albums by himself when he founded Graton éditeur
Graton éditeur
Graton Editeur is a French publishing house created by comics drawer and writer Jean Graton in 1982. It is currently owned by Jean Graton and his son Philippe. Graton Editeur have published the works of Jean Graton, among them the famous comics series Michel Vaillant.-History:On February 7, 1957...
in 1982. Michel Vaillant is the main character of the eponymous series, a French racing car driver who competes mainly in Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
.
The feature first appeared in Tintin
Tintin (magazine)
Le journal de Tintin or Kuifje , was a weekly Belgian comics magazine of the second half of the 20th century...
, where Jean Graton had already published a number of short stories about real-life sporting heroes. The series appeared in Tintin between 1957 and 1976, in France as well as in Belgium. An estimated 17 million copies of the series' albums have been sold worldwide.
Publication history
On February 7, 1957 Jean Graton created the character Michel Vaillant, with five short stories published in the Belgian magazine TintinTintin (magazine)
Le journal de Tintin or Kuifje , was a weekly Belgian comics magazine of the second half of the 20th century...
. Given their positive reception, a full-length adventure was written and drawn by Graton, published in Tintin in 1959.
The titles were first published in album format by Le Lombard
Le Lombard
Le Lombard or Lombard Editions is a Belgian comic book publisher established in 1946 when the Tintin magazine was launched. In 1986 the company was acquired by Média-Participations.-Titles:Lombard's more famous series include:*Clifton...
until 1976, then by Dargaud
Dargaud
Les Éditions Dargaud is a publisher of Franco-Belgian comics series, headquartered in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. It was founded in 1943 by Georges Dargaud.Initially, Dargaud published novels for women...
until 1979, by Fleurus
Fleurus
Fleurus is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. On January 1, 2006 Fleurus had a total population of 22,221. The total area is which gives a population density of 375 inhabitants per km²...
in 1979 and 1980, by Novedi in 1981 and 1982, and finally by Graton editeur
Graton éditeur
Graton Editeur is a French publishing house created by comics drawer and writer Jean Graton in 1982. It is currently owned by Jean Graton and his son Philippe. Graton Editeur have published the works of Jean Graton, among them the famous comics series Michel Vaillant.-History:On February 7, 1957...
, created and owned by Philippe and Jean Graton from 1983 on. In 1995, a new series was launched, the Dossiers Michel Vaillant series, with stories and information on important figures in motorsports and the automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
industry. In 2000, the Palmarès Inedit series was created, with early works and stories previously unpublished in books. In 2007, Studio Graton
Studio Graton
The Studio Graton, or Studio Jean Graton is a drawing studio that helped French cartoonist Jean Graton draw various comics series, among them the famous series Michel Vaillant.-History:...
translated three titles into English: "The Great Challenge" (Tome 1), "China Moon" (Tome 68), "24 Hours Under the Influence" (Tome 70). In 2008, a new collection was launched by Le Lombard, named Integrale Michel Vaillant. This series plans to reprint all past adventures in 20 volumes of 200 pages, each volume grouping several stories. All the titles of the original series are to be reprinted, and many comments, dossiers and unpublished strips added.
In recent years Jean Graton has left the writing to his son Philippe, gradually leaving the artwork to the Studio Graton
Studio Graton
The Studio Graton, or Studio Jean Graton is a drawing studio that helped French cartoonist Jean Graton draw various comics series, among them the famous series Michel Vaillant.-History:...
, which he established. Since Graton stopped drawing the series himself, the graphic style has evolved, with Philippe Graton continuing with the writing and three artists providing the artwork. Philippe Graton admitted that the drawing isn't as rigorous as it once was.
Series overview
VaillanteVaillante
Vaillante is a fictional French company of which most of the activity is related to automobile. Vaillante is featured in the French comic book series Michel Vaillant.-In the related comics series:...
is a family-run French business which, in the beginning, was a transporting company. They also create their own truck
Truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
s and cars and so decide to enter Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
racing competition. In 1939, Henri Vaillant, a young driver, creates this new team. In the next seventy plus adventures, Michel Vaillant and the Vaillante race team
Grand Prix motor racing
Grand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver...
compete in numerous races in Formula One and other driving competitions such as IndyCar
American Championship Car Racing
Since 1916 there has been a recognized United States national automobile racing National Championship for drivers of professional-level, single-seat open wheel race cars. The championship has been under the auspices of several different sanctioning bodies since 1909. Since 1911, the Indianapolis...
, rallying
Rallying
Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
or enduro
Enduro
Enduro is a form of motorcycle sport run on courses that are predominantly off-road. Enduro consists of many different obstacles and challenges...
challenges.
Michel, Henri's son, is the main driver, his usual team-mate being the American, Steve Warson. The team is first managed by Henri Vaillant, then by Michel's older brother Jean-Pierre. Henri has remained the chairman of the Vaillante firm, but was replaced by Jean-Pierre when he retired.
As the Vaillante firm grows, Vaillante's drivers, among them Michel, accumulate victories, but their success is either disrupted by rivals, by internal problems in the Vaillante team or by the "Leader", the greatest of Vaillante's enemies. Most of the adventures deal with motor racing life, but they also deal with the Vaillante team drivers' private lives, with concerns in the Vaillante firm and with various outside problems.
Realism
Grand Prix motor racing
Grand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver...
background, featuring many non-fictional drivers, teams and personalities. Michel Vaillant competes in existing motor races
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
and Grand Prix on real circuits. In the course of the series, the background in which the characters are featured evolves: the series' environment has always been updated, so that cars, teams and personalities have constantly changed.
Graton's graphic style also aims at being realistic, as the illustrations are very technically accurate. Notably, Graton is recognized for the meticulous details
Complexity
In general usage, complexity tends to be used to characterize something with many parts in intricate arrangement. The study of these complex linkages is the main goal of complex systems theory. In science there are at this time a number of approaches to characterizing complexity, many of which are...
he provides on cars
Formula One car
A modern Formula One car is a single-seat, open cockpit, open wheel racing car with substantial front and rear wings, and an engine positioned behind the driver. The regulations governing the cars are unique to the championship...
illustrations. The numerous depictions of cars and circuits featured in the series are very specific and detailed; Graton used to personally attend races and circuits to takes notes. Philippe Graton later continued this practice.
Realism is also expressed in the fictional background. Vaillant's factories and property are prominenly featured in the series. The Vaillante
Vaillante
Vaillante is a fictional French company of which most of the activity is related to automobile. Vaillante is featured in the French comic book series Michel Vaillant.-In the related comics series:...
firm is run as a real company, it has financial problems, must launch advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
campaigns and search for sponsors. It owns factories, which employs several engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
s and mechanic
Mechanic
A mechanic is a craftsman or technician who uses tools to build or repair machinery.Many mechanics are specialized in a particular field such as auto mechanics, bicycle mechanics, motorcycle mechanics, boiler mechanics, general mechanics, industrial maintenance mechanics , air conditioning and...
s that are realistically described and is shown employing several real-life drivers.
The Vaillants own the familial domain "La Jonquière", located a short drive / cycle ride from the factory, and is home throughout the series to Henri and Elisabeth Vaillant. Michel and Jean Pierre lived there in the early books, before striking out on their own.
It is notable that as the context in which the characters evolved, Michel also is shown getting older. While he looked like a young man of about twenty years at the beginning of his adventures, he is seen progressively reaching middle-age. Recently his appearance is younger than previously. Other fictional characters are also shown getting older. In recent years, their general appearance has become steady. In spite of this he is still depicted as quite young for a man who has competed against drivers of multiple generations, including Juan Manuel Fangio
Juan Manuel Fangio
Juan Manuel Fangio , nicknamed El Chueco or El Maestro , was a racing car driver from Argentina, who dominated the first decade of Formula One racing...
, Graham Hill
Graham Hill
Norman Graham Hill was a British racing driver and two-time Formula One World Champion. He is the only driver to win the Triple Crown of Motorsport — the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Indianapolis 500 and Formula One World Championship.Graham Hill and his son Damon are the only father and son pair both to...
and Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna da Silva was a Brazilian racing driver. A three-time Formula One world champion, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time...
.
Characters
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
. Michel is named world champion in four different albums. He also twice won the Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
and the 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
four times. He also competed in rally races, winning the East African Safari
Safari Rally
The Safari Rally is considered by many to be the world's toughest rally. It was first held from 27 May to 1 June 1953 as the East African Coronation Safari in Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika, as a celebration of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II...
and the Paris-Dakar. He participated in several stock-car
Stock car racing
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing found mainly in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain, Brazil and Argentina. Traditionally, races are run on oval tracks measuring approximately in length...
, F2
Formula Two
Formula Two, abbreviated to F2, is a type of open wheel formula racing. It was replaced by Formula 3000 in 1985, but the FIA announced in 2008 that Formula Two would return for 2009 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship...
, F3
Formula Three
Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...
and GT
FIA GT Championship
The FIA GT Championship was a sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation at the behest of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The championship was mostly concentrated in Europe, but throughout the years has visited other continents including Asia and South...
races.
He is also able to drive truck
Truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
s and motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
s, and practice football, gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
and skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
very well. As a kind, serious, helpful, attentive, honest and generous man, Michel is very popular. His many abilities, his courage and his values, his kindness and his physical appearance make him a practically perfect hero, without any flaws.
Françoise Vaillant is Michel's wife. She first appeared in 1963, as a teenager. At that time, she was a journalist for a newspaper owned by her father Louis Latour, a good friend of Henri Vaillant. In 1966, she appeared again, but as an older, attractive young woman. From that time on, she appeared in every album of the series and saw Vaillant more and more, until his family urged him to marry her. They married in 1974. Françoise has an important role in the series, and in some adventures she is the main character.
Jean-Pierre Vaillant is Michel's older brother by six years. Like Michel, he started as a driver for the Vaillante team. He got married to Agnès de Chanzy, the daughter of Henri Vaillant's friend living in Argentina, in the very first album. But rapidly, he became more and more interested in managing the family team and to elaborate strategies for Formula One racing
Formula One racing
A Formula One race or Grand Prix is a sporting event which takes place over three days , with a series of practice and qualifying sessions prior to a race on Sunday....
. He soon became the leader of the Vaillante society, replacing his father. Able to make difficult decisions, he also does not hesitate to launch ambitious projects. He has a son, Jean-Michel Vaillant, who is Michel's godson
Godson
Loongson is a family of general-purpose MIPS-compatible CPUs developed at the Institute of Computing Technology , Chinese Academy of Sciences in the People's Republic of China. The chief architect is Professor Hu Weiwu....
.
Steve Warson is an American driver and Michel's best friend. He first appeared in the series in 1957. Steve has a different personality than Michel: he smokes, drinks, flirts, fights, and defies other drivers. Despite his several flaws, he is a good driver for the Vaillante team and a faithful team mate to Michel, even if his romantic adventures sometimes caused him to be Vaillante's occasional rival. His numerous girlfriends have included Ruth and Julie Wood
Julie Wood (comics)
Julie Wood is a comics series drawn and written by French cartoonist Jean Graton. It features the fictional character Julie Wood, who also appeared in some adventures of the comics series Michel Vaillant...
. As good driver as Michel, he outdoes him in most rallying and American races.
The "Leader" is a mysterious character who is the worst enemy of Vaillante and owner of the Leader team. The Leader team uses modern and advanced technology to compete against the Vaillante team in motor races. The team resorts to aggressive strategies to win races and uses dangerous drivers, such as Vince Hummer, Bob Cramer, Dan Hawkins and Donald Payntor. The leader was brought up by Buddhist monks. An ambitious and cruel man, he studied a form of Buddhism that gives him amazing powers, which he uses to try to dominate the motor industry. His first appearance was in the album "Mach 1 pour Steve Warson".
Ruth alias Jo Barett is the Leader's daughter and was briefly Steve Warson's girlfriend. Before knowing her real origin, Ruth was a kind girl and friendly towards the Vaillante team. She became cruel and mean, taking over as the new Leader at her father's death, and tried to avenge him by fighting against his enemies.
Henri Vaillant is Michel and Jean-Pierre's father. He began as a mechanic
Mechanic
A mechanic is a craftsman or technician who uses tools to build or repair machinery.Many mechanics are specialized in a particular field such as auto mechanics, bicycle mechanics, motorcycle mechanics, boiler mechanics, general mechanics, industrial maintenance mechanics , air conditioning and...
, then became a driver, created his own team and then became chairman of Vaillante. Rather authoritarian, he gave his two children a strict education. Later, he let his son Jean-Pierre take over as the leader and retired. His way of life remains modest, as chairman he went to work on a bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
. A respectable man, close to his employees, he is very appreciated by them.
Elisabeth Vaillant is Henri Vaillant's wife. She married him when he was a simple mechanic, but does not know anything about cars, motor racing, or mechanics.
Julie Wood is an American motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
driver and at one time Steve Warson's girlfriend. An orphan, she was brought up by his uncle Chris, in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, with his two brothers, Indy and Phil. She is at ease in any kind of motorcycle race. Before her appearance in the Michel Vaillant series (in the album "Paris-Dakar"), she starred in her own series, Julie Wood
Julie Wood (comics)
Julie Wood is a comics series drawn and written by French cartoonist Jean Graton. It features the fictional character Julie Wood, who also appeared in some adventures of the comics series Michel Vaillant...
, which ran for eight volumes, from 1976 to 1980.
Yves Douleac is a driver for the Vaillante team. He lost his father, a truck driver for Vaillante at Marseilles, at 7. He was brought up by his mother and he was very admirative of Michel Vaillant, getting to know him personally and being employed as a driver. Courageous and proud, he later fell in love with Gabriele Spangenberg, and succeeded in marrying her despite his modest origin.
Gabriele Spangenberg is a German female pilot for the Vaillante team and Yves Douléac's girlfriend. Her father, of noble heritage, first opposed such a union, due to Yves's poor origin, but later gave his permission, in the face of Gabriele's determination.
Bob Cramer is an American driver, Vaillante's enemy and a driver for the Leader team along with his friend and partner Dan Hawkins. A drunkard and a brawler, he is also aggressive in motor races where he caused a lot of crashes.
Non-fictional characters
As a driver evolving in the motor racing background, Michel Vaillant competes with many existing drivers, some of whom play an important part in the stories. Pierre Dieudonné
Pierre Dieudonné
Pierre Dieudonné is a Belgian auto racing driver.-Career:He spent a large part of his career competing in Touring car racing. He twice finished third in the European Touring Car Championship in 1977 and 1979. He won two consecutive Spa 24 Hours in 1974 and 1975 with a BMW 3.0 CSi...
appeared in some adventures as a driver for the Vaillante team. Drivers, most notably French and Belgians like Vanina
Vanina Ickx
Vanina Ickx is a Belgian racecar driver. She is the daughter of Belgian Formula One driver Jacky Ickx....
and Jacky Ickx
Jacky Ickx
Jacques Bernard "Jacky" Ickx is a Belgian former racing driver who achieved 25 podium finishes in Formula One and six wins in the 24 hours of Le Mans.- Racing career :...
, François Cevert
François Cevert
Albert François Cevert Goldenberg was a French racing driver who took part in the Formula One World Championship.-Family background:...
, Patrick Tambay
Patrick Tambay
Patrick Daniel Tambay is a French former racing driver. He competed in 123 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, winning twice, securing 5 pole positions and scoring a total of 103 Championship points...
, Thierry Boutsen
Thierry Boutsen
Thierry Marc Boutsen is a former racing driver who raced for the Arrows, Benetton, Williams, Ligier and Jordan teams in Formula One.-Career:thumb|left|Boutsen driving for [[Arrows]] at the [[1984 Dallas Grand Prix]]....
, Rene Arnoux
René Arnoux
René Alexandre Arnoux is a retired French racing driver who is a veteran of 12 Formula One seasons...
, Jean-Pierre Beltoise
Jean-Pierre Beltoise
Jean-Pierre Maurice Georges Beltoise is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and Formula One driver who raced for the Matra and BRM teams. François Cevert was his brother-in-law ....
and Éric Bernard
Éric Bernard
Éric Bernard is a retired Formula One racing driver, who drove for the Ligier, Larrousse and Lotus teams....
, have made appearances in the storylines.
Gilles Villeneuve
Gilles Villeneuve
Joseph Gilles Henri Villeneuve, better known as Gilles Villeneuve , was a Canadian racing driver. An enthusiast of cars and fast driving from an early age, he started his professional career in snowmobile racing in his native province of Quebec...
and Jacky Ickx
Jacky Ickx
Jacques Bernard "Jacky" Ickx is a Belgian former racing driver who achieved 25 podium finishes in Formula One and six wins in the 24 hours of Le Mans.- Racing career :...
are portrayed as good friends of Michel's as is Didier Pironi
Didier Pironi
Didier Joseph Louis Pironi was a racing driver from France. During his career he competed in 72 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, driving for Tyrrell , Ligier and Ferrari...
, and are the most recurring drivers of the series. Didier Pironi
Didier Pironi
Didier Joseph Louis Pironi was a racing driver from France. During his career he competed in 72 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, driving for Tyrrell , Ligier and Ferrari...
played an important part in the album: Un pilote a disparu (1980). Non-fictional team managers and journalists also appear regularly, as do some statesmen and celebrities. Michel himself is often seen being interviewed by real-life journalist Gérard "Jabby" Crombac
Gérard Crombac
Gérard "Jabby" Crombac was a Swiss auto-racing journalist.In 1954 he purchased the Lotus Mk4 owned by Lotus founder Colin Chapman and began racing with this car...
.
Publications
- Volume 1 : Le Grand défi (1959)
- Volume 2 : Le Pilote sans visage (1960)
- Volume 3 : Le Circuit de la peur (1961)
- Volume 4 : Route de nuit (1962)
- Volume 5 : Le 13 est au départ (1963)
- Volume 6 : La Trahison de Steve Warson (1964)
- Volume 7 : Les Casse-cou (1964)
- Volume 8 : Le 8e pilote (1965)
- Volume 9 : Le Retour de Steve Warson (1965)
- Volume 10 : L'Honneur du Samouraï (1966)
- Volume 11 : Suspense à Indianapolis (1966)
- Volume 12 : Les Chevaliers de Königsfeld (1967)
- Volume 13 : Concerto pour pilotes (1968)
- Volume 14 : Mach 1 pour Steve Warson (1968)
- Volume 15 : Le Cique infernal (1969)
- Volume 16 : Km. 357 (1969)
- Volume 17 : Le Fantôme des 24 heures (1970)
- Volume 18 : De l'huile sur la piste ! (1970)
- Volume 19 : 5 filles dans la course ! (1971)
- Volume 20 : Rodéo sur 2 roues (1971)
- Volume 21 : Massacre pour un moteur ! (1972)
- Volume 22 : Rush (1972)
- Volume 23 : Série noire (1973)
- Volume 24 : Cauchemar (1973)
- Volume 25 : Des filles et des moteurs (1974)
- Volume 26 : Champion du monde (1974)
- Volume 27 : Dans l'enfer du safari (1975)
- Volume 28 : Le Secret de Steve Warson (1975)
- Volume 29 : San Francisco Circus (1976)
- Volume 30 : Les Jeunes Loups (1977)
- Volume 31 : La Révolte des rois (1978)
- Volume 32 : Le Prince blanc (1978)
- Volume 33 : La Silhouette en colère (1979)
- Volume 34 : KO pour Steve Warson (1979)
- Volume 35 : Le Galérien (1980)
- Volume 36 : Un pilote a disparu (1980)
- Volume 37 : L'Inconnu des 1000 pistes (1980)
- Volume 38 : Steve Warson contre Michel Vaillant (1981)
- Volume 39 : Rallye sur un volcan (1981)
- Volume 40 : Rififi en F1 (1982)
- Volume 41 : Paris-Dakar (1982)
- Volume 42 : 300 à l'heure dans Paris (1983)
- Volume 43 : Rendez-vous à Macao (1983)
- Volume 44 : Steve et Julie (1984)
- Volume 45 : L'Homme de Lisbonne (1984)
- Volume 46 : Racing show (1985)
- Volume 47 : Panique à Monaco (1986)
- Volume 48 : Irish coffee (1986)
- Volume 49 : Catégorie poids lourds (1987)
- Volume 50 : Le Défi des remparts (1988)
- Volume 51 : Le Caïd de Francorchamps (1989)
- Volume 52 : F3000 (1989)
- Volume 53 : La Nuit de Carnac (1990)
- Volume 54 : L'Affaire Bugatti (1991)
- Volume 55 : Une histoire de fous (1992)
- Volume 56 : Le Maître du monde (1993)
- Volume 57 : La Piste de jade (1994)
- Volume 58 : Paddock (1995)
- Volume 59 : La Prisonnière (1997)
- Volume 60 : Victoires oubliées (1997)
- Volume 61 : La Fièvre de Bercy (1998)
- Volume 62 : Le $pon$or (1999)
- Volume 63 : Cairo (2000)
- Volume 64 : Opération Mirage (2001)
- Volume 65 : L'Épreuve (2003)
- Volume 66 : 100.000.000$ pour Steve Warson (2004)
- Volume 67 : Pour David (2005)
- Volume 68 : China Moon (2006)
- Volume 69 : Hors-piste en enfer (2006)
- Volume 70 : 24 heures sous influence (2007)
In 1986, the album Irish coffee was awarded the Avoriaz
Avoriaz
Avoriaz is a French mountain resort in the heart of the Portes du Soleil. It is located in the territory of the commune of Morzine. It is easily accessible from either Thonon at Lake Geneva or Cluses-junction on the A40 motorway between Geneva and Chamonix...
Festival's Grand Prix (Morzine
Morzine
Morzine is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France with panoramic mountain views, modern ski facilities and hotels and restaurants. The ski resort of Avoriaz is located on the territory of the commune...
, France).
In other media
In 1967, French TV broadcast a live-action adaptation of the series, Les Aventures de Michel VaillantLes Aventures de Michel Vaillant
In 1967, French TV broadcast a dramatised adaptation of the series, Les Aventures de Michel Vaillant. 13 episodes in total, it featured stories written and filmed around the real life World Sportscar Championship, documenting Henri Grandsire driving an Alpine 110, interspersed with dramatic...
. It ran for 13 episodes and featured stories written and filmed around a real-life world sportscar championship, documenting Henri Grandsire driving an Alpine A110
Alpine A110
The Alpine A110, also known as the "Berlinette", was a sports car produced by the French manufacturer Alpine from 1961 to 1977. The A110 was powered by various Renault engines....
, interspersed with dramatic interludes acted by Grandsire himself. Episodes offer rare close-up contemporary footage of races and cars that year at the Rallye Du Nord, Magny Cours, Nürburgring
Nürburgring
The Nürburgring is a motorsport complex around the village of Nürburg, Germany. It features a modern Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer old North loop track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. It is located about...
, Monza
Monza
Monza is a city and comune on the river Lambro, a tributary of the Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy some 15 km north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the Province of Monza and Brianza. It is best known for its Grand Prix motor racing circuit, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.On June...
, Targa Florio
Targa Florio
The Targa Florio was an open road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near Palermo. Founded in 1906, it was the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 and 1973...
, Le Mans
Circuit de la Sarthe
The Circuit des 24 Heures, also known as Circuit de la Sarthe, located near Le Mans, France, is a semi-permanent race course most famous as the venue for the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race. The track uses local roads that remain open to the public most of the year...
, Monaco
Circuit de Monaco
Circuit de Monaco is a street circuit laid out on the city streets of Monte Carlo and La Condamine around the harbour of the principality of Monaco. It is commonly referred to as "Monte Carlo" because it is largely inside the Monte Carlo neighbourhood of Monaco.The circuit is used on one weekend in...
, Rouen-Les-Essarts
Rouen-Les-Essarts
Rouen-Les-Essarts was a race track in Grand-Couronne, near Rouen, France.From its opening in 1950, Rouen-Les-Essarts was recognized as one of Europe's finest circuits, with modern pits, a wide track, and spectator grandstands...
, Sebring and Reims
Reims-Gueux
Reims-Gueux was a triangular motor racing road course near Reims, France, which hosted 14 French Grands Prix.Reims-Gueux was first established in 1926 on the public roads between the small French villages of Thillois and Gueux. The circuit had two very long straights between the towns, and teams...
.
The series was also adapted into a Michel Vaillant animated series. 65 episodes of 26 minutes were produced in 1990 in France by la Cinq
La Cinq
La Cinq was France's first privately owned free terrestrial television network. Created by politician Jérôme Seydoux and Italian media mogul Silvio Berlusconi, the network broadcasted from 1985 to 1992....
. It was released in the U.S. as Heroes on Hot Wheels, produced by Jetlag Productions
Jetlag Productions
Jetlag Productions was an American-Japanese animation studio that, just like the similar studio Golden Films, has created a number of animated films based on different, popular children's stories, while at the same time creating a few original productions...
and the former Family Channel
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
, sponsored by Mattel
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
's Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels is a brand of die cast toy car, introduced by American toymaker Mattel in 1968. It was the primary competitor of Matchbox until 1996, when Mattel acquired rights to the Matchbox brand from Tyco.-Models:...
franchise (hench the title) and distributed by France 3 Video and Pacific Media Ventures. Michel's name was anglicized to "Michael Valiant". It was broadcast again in France in 1993 and 1998 by France 2
France 2
France 2 is a French public national television channel. It is part of the state-owned France Télévisions group, along with France 3, France 4, France 5 and France Ô...
, and sold in more than 30 countries.
A Michel Vaillant film
Michel Vaillant (film)
Michel Vaillant is a 2003 French movie starring Sagamore Stévenin and Diane Kruger. It depicts events around the 24 hours of Le Mans race, based largely on a comic about the Michel Vaillant character....
was made in 2003, and the soundtrack to the movie composed by the band Archive
Archive (band)
Archive is a musical group based in London, England, whose music spans electronic, trip-hop, avant-garde, post-rock and progressive rock. Over their sixteen-year history, the band has released eight studio albums and enjoyed established success throughout Europe, while remaining little-known in...
was released at the same time.
In popular culture
The series has been influential in the world of auto racingAuto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
. Some famous Formula One drivers have admitted that their passion for automobile racing originated from reading the Michel Vaillant comics series, among them four- time Formula One champion Alain Prost
Alain Prost
Alain Marie Pascal Prost, OBE, Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur is a French racing driver. A four-time Formula One Drivers' Champion, Prost has won more titles than any driver except for Juan Manuel Fangio , and Michael Schumacher . From 1987 until 2001 Prost held the record for most Grand Prix...
. In 1969, Henry Ford II
Henry Ford II
Henry Ford II , commonly known as "HF2" and "Hank the Deuce", was the son of Edsel Ford and grandson of Henry Ford...
and Enzo Ferrari
Enzo Ferrari
Enzo Anselmo Ferrari Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian race car driver and entrepreneur, the founder of the Scuderia Ferrari Grand Prix motor racing team, and subsequently of the Ferrari car manufacturer...
personally wished Michel Vaillant a happy 20th birthday. The circuit Zolder, in Belgium, in which several well-known motorsport races take place, have paid tribute to the series, naming the biggest building of the circuit "Michel Vaillant club".
Many real cars were adapted from automobile designs from the series. Cars bearing the logo Vaillante
Vaillante
Vaillante is a fictional French company of which most of the activity is related to automobile. Vaillante is featured in the French comic book series Michel Vaillant.-In the related comics series:...
ran in Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
in 1997 and 2003: A Courage
Courage Compétition
Courage Compétition was a racing team and chassis constructor company now owned by Oreca, based in Le Mans, France near the Circuit de la Sarthe. It was founded by Yves Courage, a French race driver who ran hillclimbs before founding the company...
in 1997, while in 2003, Vaillante cars have been designed to be used in the Luc Besson's movie
Michel Vaillant (film)
Michel Vaillant is a 2003 French movie starring Sagamore Stévenin and Diane Kruger. It depicts events around the 24 hours of Le Mans race, based largely on a comic about the Michel Vaillant character....
. Some fans have built a real Vaillante Grand Defi, a model which appeared several times in the comics series. The car has participated in real races, under the brand Vaillante
Vaillante
Vaillante is a fictional French company of which most of the activity is related to automobile. Vaillante is featured in the French comic book series Michel Vaillant.-In the related comics series:...
. A model was marketed in Belgium, the Honda Civic Vaillante
Honda Civic
The Honda Civic is a line of subcompact and subsequently compact cars made and manufactured by Honda. The Civic, along with the Accord and Prelude, comprised Honda's vehicles sold in North America until the 1990s, when the model lineup was expanded...
, of which 50 models have been produced. Automobile designer
Automotive design
Automotive design is the profession involved in the development of the appearance, and to some extent the ergonomics, of motor vehicles or more specifically road vehicles. This most commonly refers to automobiles but also refers to motorcycles, trucks, buses, coaches, and vans...
Luc Donckerwolke
Luc Donckerwolke
Luc Donckerwolke, is a Belgian car designer now Design Director of Volkswagen since 22 July 2011.-Background:...
(current designer of Lamborghini
Lamborghini
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian car manufacturer. The company was founded by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1963, with the objective of producing a refined grand touring car to compete with established offerings from marques like...
, previously of SEAT
SEAT
SEAT, S.A. is a Spanish automobile manufacturer founded on May 9, 1950 by the Instituto Nacional de Industria , a state-owned industrial holding company....
) has drawn his inspiration from cars drawn by Jean Graton to design some real car models. He also designed the SEAT Ibiza Vaillante
SEAT Ibiza
The SEAT Ibiza is a car in the European supermini class, constructed by the Spanish car maker SEAT S.A., is SEAT's best-selling car and perhaps the most popular model in the Spanish firm's range....
, exhibited at the Geneva Motor Show in 2006. It was also Luc Donckerwolke who transformed a Lola B98/10
Lola B98/10
The Lola B98/10 was a Le Mans Prototype built by Lola Cars International for use in the International Sports Racing Series, American Le Mans Series, and 24 Hours of Le Mans. It would be the first international sports car built by Lola since they briefly left the sport in 1992 following the Lola...
–Judd
Judd (engine)
Judd is a name brand of engines produced by Engine Developments Ltd., a company founded in 1971 by John Judd and Jack Brabham in Rugby, Warwickshire, England...
into a Vaillante and a Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S
Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S
The Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S was a Le Mans Prototype built for Panoz in 1999. The car was a successor to the Esperante GTR-1 which had competed in the Grand Tourer categories internationally...
into a Leader car in 2003 for the Besson movie. Donckerwolke also collaborated with Studio Graton
Studio Graton
The Studio Graton, or Studio Jean Graton is a drawing studio that helped French cartoonist Jean Graton draw various comics series, among them the famous series Michel Vaillant.-History:...
on the latest titles of the series, drawing some cars featured in the albums.
Benelux
The Benelux is an economic union in Western Europe comprising three neighbouring countries, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. These countries are located in northwestern Europe between France and Germany...
, and has been the top download on commercial websites.
The series is very popular among fans of automobiles, because it features real-life cars, including renowned and prestigious models. The series have fans throughout several countries, though it has not translated into other languages except for English, Dutch, German, Danish (with Michel Vaillant re-named Mark Breton), Portuguese and Finnish. It has above all fans in France and Belgium, including Dutch-speaking Belgium, given that Michel Vaillant albums have been translated into Dutch.
The series has received various tributes as a masterpiece of the bande dessinée genre. A stamp representing Michel Vaillant was published in Belgium, a rare privilege granted only to the greatest comics series'. It was made available from January 1, 2007 with a face value of 0.50 euros, in all Belgian post offices
Belgian Post Group
Bpost is the Belgian company responsible for the delivery of mail, national and international. The Belgian Post Group is one of the largest civilian employers in Belgium...
. Celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the series took place in 2007, among them Strip Turnhout, at the bi-annual official Flanders comics festival, organizing a retrospective exhibition.
The series also ranks high on the collector's market, with original editions ranking among the most valuable. Graton's original art pages have fetched high prices at auctions. On January 2006, a page from "Le 13 est au départ" was sold for 4,800 euros at an auction in Paris. On April 2006, in Paris again, an original page from "L'Honneur du Samourai" was auctionned for 12,384 euros (whereas its original value was 3,500 euros), breaking the record of the time. In 2008, an original page from "De l'huile sur la piste" was sold for 11,520 euros at auction in 2008 at Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
among other works previously published by the magazine Tintin
Tintin (magazine)
Le journal de Tintin or Kuifje , was a weekly Belgian comics magazine of the second half of the 20th century...
, establishing the record sale of that day.
External links
- Michel Vaillant official page
- Michel Vaillant on Lelombard.com
- "The largest pilot of all time", The Daily TelegraphThe Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
- Michel Vaillant (TV series) on Internet Movie Database
- Les Aventures de Michel Vaillant on the Internet Movie Cars Database
- Michel Vaillant race cars in 3D
- Errors in Michel Vaillant on jim-on-the-web.com