Rantanplan

Rantanplan is a fictional dog from the Lucky Luke comics created by Morris and René Goscinny, and a later eponymously named series by Morris dedicated to the character. The name is a play on Rin Tin Tin.

Publication history

The character first appeared in the earliest panels of the story Sur la piste des Dalton, published on February 4, 1960 in the comics magazine Spirou, with an album publication in 1962. The character remained a fixture over a long series of Lucky Luke publications, resulting in a series of its own publications starting in 1987. Ten years after the death of Goscinny, for the production of the Rantanplan series Morris collaborated with scenarists such as Jean Léturgie, Bob de Groot and Vittorio Leonardo.

Character

Rantanplan is the dog who is stupider than his own shadow. He usually just follows Lucky Luke around and amuses the reader with his stupidity. On some occasions he jumps onto somebody (usually Joe Dalton or Lucky Luke) making them lose their guns and rendering them defenceless. Usually he misses though.

Other times, he jumps in the water and then first aid must be given, because he is the only dog can't swim. He reacts slow too. Sometimes someone steps his tale in the start of the page, but he yells in the end of the page

Rantanplan is officially a prison guard dog, but he spends most of his time just sleeping in the prison courtyard. On occasion he is even chained to Joe Dalton's wrist. Rantanplan sees this chain as a bond of affection and Joe as his beloved owner. In contrast Joe hates Rantanplan but his efforts in getting rid of "that mutt" are misinterpreted by Rantanplan for displays of affection. Rantanplan always obeys Ma Dalton without question.

Lucky Luke's horse Jolly Jumper, a very intelligent animal, also holds Rantanplan in contempt, regarding him as one of Nature's great mistakes.

Translations

In English translations of the Lucky Luke albums and films the character has been named Rin Tin Can, Bushwack or Rin Tin Dumb. In the continental Scandinavian languages, the dog is called Ratata, which in Swedish and Danish means Rat-tat-tat, and in Norwegian is an euphemism for buttocks.

Animated series

In 2006, the production company Xilam produced an animated series of Morris' Rantanplan stories in 90 second episodes, broadcast on France 3. It is broadcast in Canada on YTV under the name Rintindumb.

Bibliography

• La Mascotte (1987, Dargaud)
• Le Parrain (1988, Dargaud)
• Rantanplan otage (1992, Lucky Productions)
• Le Clown (1993, Lucky Productions)
• Bêtisier 1 (1993, Lucky Productions)
• Bêtisier 2 (1993, Lucky Productions)
• Le Fugitif (1994, Lucky Productions)
• Bêtisier 3 (1995, Lucky Productions)
• Le Messager (1995, Lucky Productions)
• Les Cerveaux (1996, Lucky Productions)
• Le Chameau (1997, Lucky Productions)
• Bêtisier 4 (1998, Lucky Productions)
• Le Grand Voyage (1998 Lucky Productions)
• Bêtisier 5 (2000, Lucky Comics)
• La Belle et le Bête (2000, Lucky Comics)
• Bêtisier 6 - Le Noël de Rantanplan (2001, Lucky Comics)
• Le Chien plus bête que son ombre (2000, Lucky Comics)
• Chien perché ! (2002, Lucky Comics)
• Haut les pattes ! (2003, Lucky Comics)
• Le Joli Cœur (2003, Lucky Comics)

References

• Rantanplan albums Bedetheque Template:Fr icon

Footnotes

External links

• Rantanplan TV series official site Template:Fr icon