Thursday, May 03, 2007

Black Boy (or know your French Super heros)


Black Boy

Real Name: Horace Neighbour Jr.

Identity/Class: Normal human

Occupation: Adventurer

Affiliations: Fantax

Enemies: X, Johnny Brent

Known Relatives: Horace Neighbour (father, Fantax), Pat Neighbour (mother)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile

First Appearance: "Black Boy, G-Man" Rancho #5 (1955)

Powers/Abilities: Good fighter.

History: Horace Neighbour Jr. is the son of the crimefighter Fantax.
Like his father, Horace Jr. is an adventurer and foe of evil, better known as Black Boy.
He generally rides a souped-up red motorbike.

Comments: Created by Chott (pseudonym of Pierre Mouchotte).

Black Boy was an attempt by Mouchotte to resurrect Fantax
(indeed, many of his early stories were redrawn Fantax adventures)
,
killed by French censorship. By removing the mask, and focusing on more
"mundane" stories - many plots involve crime rings, spies and saboteurs - Chott
thought that he would escape the wrath of the censors. After the character
was launched it was entrusted to the talented Remy Bordelet
(who had already collaborated on Fantax) and to Francis Peguet.
Actor Lino Ventura was a clear inspiration for Black Boy's likeness.

Black Boy was initially published in Rancho,
with the first story being written and drawn by Chott, and subsequent ones by Bordolet.


Much of the information on this page comes
verbatim from Cool French Comics,

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