Tanguy et Laverdure

Les Aventures de Tanguy et Laverdureis aFranco-Belgian comics(bande dessinée) series created byJean-Michel CharlierandAlbert Uderzo,about the two pilots Michel Tanguy and Ernest Laverdure, and their adventures in theFrench Air Force.

Les Aventures de Tanguy et Laverdure
Cover ofL'École des Aigles(1961), the firstLes Aventures de Michel Tanguyalbum
Created by	Jean-Michel CharlierandAlbert Uderzo
Publication information
Publisher	Dargaud
Formats	Original material for the series has been published as a strip in thecomics anthology(s)Pilotemagazine,Tintinmagazine,Super As,Le PélerinandMoustique Junior.
Original language	French
Genre	War
Publication date	October1959
Main character(s)	Michel Tanguy Ernest Laverdure
Creative team
Writer(s)	Jean-Michel Charlier
Artist(s)	Albert Uderzo,Jijé
Reprints
The series has been reprinted, at least in part, inDanish,Dutch,English,German,Indonesian,Norwegian,Portuguese,Serbo-Croatian,Spanish,andSwedish.

Publication history

Initially titledMichel Tanguy,it made its debut in the first issue of theFranco-Belgian comicsmagazinePiloteon October 29, 1959.The series providedPilotewith a competitor to the older, but similar seriesBuck Dannyserialised inSpiroumagazine (actually also co-created by Charlier as his first majorbande dessinéeseries, incidentally), andDan Cooper,which appeared inTintinmagazine.

Started in October 1959, the series was continuously published by Pilote until June 1971. Then its publication went on inTintin(1973),Super As(1979/1980), the Catholic magazineLe Pélerin(around 1981/1984),Moustique Junior(Belgium; 1988). In 2002, the series was resumed by two new authors, after a long break caused by Charlier's death.

Tanguy et Laverdurehas been translated into languages such as Italian, German, Dutch, Danish, Indonesian,English, Spanish, Portuguese andSerbocroatian.It was adapted into a televised series,Les Chevaliers du Ciel,initially broadcast 1967–69, and 1988–91, adapted into a 2005 film,Les Chevaliers du Ciel.

English publications

The comic has been published in English in the British comic magazineLionbetween April and September 1966 under a different title,The Flying Furies.The main characters were renamed with English names, Tanguy becameJim 'Jet' Powerand Laverdure,Terry Madden."Flying Furies" was the translation of the firstTanguy et Laverdureadventure "L'Ecole des Aigles".There was also a hardcover annual published in 1972 with the titleThe Aeronauts,thesame titleas the TV series broadcast in Britain.This annual publication was a slightly edited compilation of two original albums, 11.Destination Pacifiqueand 12.Menace sur Mururoa,and used the characters' French names.

Story

Tanguy and Laverdure are two friends from the flying school with opposite personalities. While Tanguy is serious, honest and obedient, Laverdure is eccentric, blundering and awkward, as well as an irredeemable skirt-chaser. However, Laverdure is a strong teammate for Tanguy in difficult situations. Dangerous missions and spying are everyday tasks for the two pilots, who are flying aces and efficient defenders of their homeland.

Leaving theSalon-de-ProvenceAir School, they are sent to theMeknèsAir School to improve their knowledge. Just arrived, they search through the snowyAnti-Atlasto retrieve a lost warhead with confidential information. Later, Michel Tanguy and Ernest Laverdure join the Cigognes squadron, (which once included such flying aces asGeorges Guynemer) where they pilot theMirage IIIplane. Their adventures lead them toDijon air base,Tel Aviv and Greenland.

Bibliography

By Jean-Michel Charlier and Albert Uderzo

• 1.L'École des Aigles(Dargaud,1961) - Aircraft:T-33
• 2.Pour l'Honneur des Cocardes(Dargaud, 1962) - Aircraft: T-33
• 3.Danger dans le Ciel(Dargaud, 1963) – Aircraft: Super Mystere B-2
• 4.Escadrille des Cigognes(Dargaud, 1964)
• 5.Mirage sur l'Orient(Dargaud, 1965)
• 6.Canon Bleu ne répond plus(Dargaud, 1966) – Aircraft: Mirage IIIE
• 7.Cap Zéro(Dargaud, 1967)
• 8.Pirates du Ciel(Dargaud, 1967, withJean Giraudand Marcel Uderzo) – Aircraft: Mirage IIIC /Spitfire

By Jean-Michel Charlier andJijé

• 9.Les Anges Noirs(Dargaud, 1968) – Aircraft: Saab 35 Draken
• 10.Mission Spéciale(Dargaud, 1968 with Albert Uderzo p. 1-16)
• 11.Destination Pacifique(Dargaud, 1969)
• 12.Menace sur Mururoa(Dargaud, 1969)
• 13.Lieutenant Double Bang(Dargaud, 1970)
• 14.Baroud sur le Désert(Dargaud, 1970)
• 15.Les Vampires attaquent la Nuit(Dargaud, 1971)
• 16.La Terreur vient du Ciel(Dargaud, 1971)
• Special:L'Avion qui tuait ses Pilotes(Hachette,1971) – illustrated novelisation, not a comic
• 17.Mission "Dernière chance"(Dargaud, 1972)
• 18.Un DC.8 a disparu(Dargaud, 1973, with Patrice Serres)
• 19.La Mystérieuse Escadre Delta(Fleurus,1979)
• 21.Premières missions(Hachette, 1981, with Daniel Chauvin)
• 22.Station Brouillard(Hachette, 1982, with Daniel Chauvin)

By Jean-Michel Charlier and Patrice Serres

• 20.Opération Tonnerre(Novedi, 1981, with Jijé)
• 23.Plan de Vol pour l'Enfer(Novedi, 1982)
• 24.Espion venu du Ciel(Novedi, 1984)

By Jean-Michel Charlier and Al Coutelis

• 25.Survol interdit(Novedi, 1988)

By Jean-Claude Laidin and Yvan Fernandez

• 26.Prisonniers des Serbes(Dargaud, 2002)
• 28.Le Vol 501(Dargaud, 2012)

By Jean-Claude Laidin and Renaud Garreta

• 27.Opération Opium(Dargaud, 2005)

2016 Spin-off

Since 2016, a new series ofTanguy et Laverdureadventures has been published, with the full titleUne aventure "Classic" de Tanguy et Laverdure.Similar to'Buck Danny Classic',it traces the adventure of the two heroes in the past, depicting the roots of their success.

Matthieu Durand, Patrice Buendia and Jean-Michel Charlier

No.	Original French title	English title	Story arc	Publication date (album)
1)	Menace sur Mirage F1	Threat on Mirage F1	First album of two-part adventure	04/2016
2)	L'avion qui tuait ses pilotes	The plane that killed its pilots	Second album of two-part adventure	04/2017

Matthieu Durand, Hubert Cunin, Patrice Buendia and Ketty Formaggio

3)	Coup de feu dans les Alpes	Shots in the Alps	First album of two-part adventure	04/2019
4)	Le Pilote qui en savait trop	The pilot who knew too much	Second album of two-part adventure	2021 (tbc)

Buck Dannycrossovers

Tanguy et Laverdure crosses over several times withBuck Danny.

Buck is first shown on his own in the adventureEscadrille des Cigognes,talking with two Australian pilots in the canteen of a USAF base in Europe. Buck and his sidekicks also appear in some of the illustrations for the adventureCanon Bleu Ne RèpondPlus.In this story the two French pilots meet Buck Danny and his US Navy squadron ofF-8 Crusadersin the US base ofThule.Another tribute is also present at the end ofPrisonniers Des Serbeswhere Erneste Laverdure is reading the Buck Danny albumLes Agresseurs.

In the albumOpération Opium,Laverdure is shown getting help from and greeting an American pilot clearly implied to be Buck Danny.

Buck, Tumbler and especially Tuckson play an important role in the albumRencontre De Trois Types.This adventure is placed atNellis AFBduring one of the periodical "Red Flag" exercises on which the Rafale and Mirage 2000 of French Air Force are involved. Buck Danny and his friends help the French aviators to bring a dangerous group of saboteurs to justice who are carrying out attacks against French Rafale fighters, helped by an accomplice journalist, to disqualify the aircraft in the aviation newspapers. In this adventureLady Xalso appears, involved in the plot against the French aircraft.

In 2016 a special box set was published byDupuis,Dargaud,and Zephyr, dedicated to Buck Danny and Tanguy et Laverdure. The box included the 'Buck Danny Classic' adventureLes Fantomes Du Soleil Levant,the 'Tanguy et Laverdure Classic' adventureMenace Sur Mirage F1and a short black and white crossover (La Rencontre) between the two series placed in 1965, written and drawn by Zumbiehl, Buendia and Philippe.

References

• Tanguy et Laverdurepublications inPiloteBDoubliées(in French)
• Tanguy et LaverdurealbumsBedetheque(in French)

External links

• Official website(in French)
• Tanguy et Laverdureon Jean-Michel Charlier's website(in French)
• L'integrale Tanguy et Laverdure(in French)