Cauvin & Others
Dupuis Collection Tous Publics
Les Tuniques Bleues is a series of bandes dessinées (comic books in the Franco-Belgian tradition) which follows two cavalrymen through a series of battles and adventures. The first album of the series was published in 1970. The series' name, Les Tuniques Bleues, literally "the bluecoats", refers to the Northern army during the American Civil War.
The original setting was the frontier of the Old West, where the main characters were US cavalrymen. Those stories, rarely longer than a single page, were comedic adventures about popular Western stereotypes and the absurdity of military life. One recurring feature was the blunder that lead to the Cavalry fort being besieged by outraged indians, or in one case, the cavalry having to besiege their own fort occupied by the indians. As the series progressed, the stories became longer and more involved, retaining their humorous highlights.
The two main protagonists are colourful and clashing opposites :
Corporal Blutch is a reluctant soldier, highly critical of authority, whose only wish is to get out of the army and return to civilian life, often threatening to desert and coming up with ways to avoid going into yet another senseless battle. Blutch does have a heroic side and will not hesitate to fight for the right cause even to the risk of his own life.
Sergeant Cornelius Chesterfield is by contrast a devoted and obedient career soldier, always determined that he and Blutch should be in the thick of the action. He is proud of his scars and dreams of military glory. Though strong and brave to the point of recklessness, he is clumsy and narrow-minded, unable to clearly perceive the madness of the war around him.
Though their relationship is often antagonistic, they are comrades for life and have saved each other's lives many times.
Other recurring characters include the somewhat insane, charge-obsessed Captain Stark and the bumbling general staff, headed by the anger-prone General Alexander.
Historic figures such as Ulysses S. Grant, Abraham Lincoln, and Robert E. Lee make appearances from time to time. (Source : www.wikipedia.org)
Le gros, c'est Cornélius Chesterfield, sergent zélé et discipliné de l'armée du Nord des Etats-Unis. Le petit, c'est Blutch, un malin râleur et désabusé qui ne rêve que de déserter. Pris dans les affres de la Guerre de Sécession, ces deux-là font ce qu'ils peuvent pour échapper aux ennuis que leur valent des chefs bornés, des ordres aberrants et un destin décidément contraire...
À travers des histoires pleines de rire et d'action, Lambil et Cauvin nous offrent une critique acerbe des absurdités de la guerre et du militarisme obtus.
Qui veut la peau du Général ?
A good book is a good friend – Un bon livre est un bon ami
