Faster than his shadow: 80 years of Lucky Luke

In 1946, on the pages of Journal de Spirou, a gunslinger capable of shooting faster than his own shadow made his debut. Eighty years later, Lucca Comics & Games is honored to celebrate the birthday of Lucky Luke, the legendary character born from the graphic and narrative genius of Morris. Directly from the Master’s archives, visitors will be able to admire an extraordinary selection of original pages and historic covers showing the epic of the West from an absolutely unprecedented perspective. It will be a unique opportunity to meet again the horse Jolly Jumper, the “faithful” dog Rantanplan and the ever-returning Dalton brothers, as well as historical figures such as Jesse James, Billy the Kid and Calamity Jane: fictional heroes and real protagonists of the frontier, all seen through the distorting and ironic lens of the Author. An exhibition route will lead visitors into the heart of the “comic western” invented by Morris, a genre that became a benchmark and an inexhaustible source of inspiration for comics, cinema and literature. The halls of Palazzo Guinigi will be transformed into the ideal setting where Native Americans, bandits, sheriffs, undertakers and saloon dancers welcome the public, transporting them directly into their fascinating world. We thank Le Éditions Dupuis, Philippe Blanckaert, Antoine Mathon, Fanny Blanckaert for the collaboration.  The Lucky Luke celebrations continue… Sergio Bonelli Editore is also celebrating the 80th anniversary of the famous cowboy Lucky Luke with a new adventure drawn by Giorgio Cavazzano with a story by Marco Nucci. An all-Italian tribute to the myth of the gunslinger created by Morris in 1946 will be available at Lucca Comics & Games 2026.

Location: Palazzo Guinigi