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.

  1. Black Boy, G-Man (Rancho Nos. 5-9, 11, 1955)

  2. Black Boy (reusing Fantax Nos. 11-12) (Rancho No. 17, 1956)

  3. Black Boy (reusing Fantax Nos. 7-8) (Rancho Nos. 20-22, 1956)

  4. Black Boy (reusing Fantax Nos. 15) (Rancho Nos. 23-24, 1956)

He then transferred to Special Rancho, where he enjoyed a lengthy run

  1. Black Boy, G-Man (reusing Fantax Nos. 32-33) (Rancho Special No. 1, 1955)

  2. Black Boy (reusing Fantax Nos. 27-28) (Rancho Special No. 2, 1956)

  3. Black Boy (reusing Fantax Nos. 13-14) (Rancho Special No. 3, 1956)

  4. Black Boy (reusing Fantax Nos. 34-37) (Rancho Special No. 4, 1956)

  5. Black Boy (reusing Fantax Nos. 3-4) (Rancho Special No. 5, 1956)

  6. Black Boy (reusing Fantax Nos. 30-31) (Rancho Special No. 6, 1957)

  7. L'Affaire des Soucoupes (The Saucers Case) (Rancho Special No. 7-8, 1957)

  8. L'Affaire Bentley (The Bentley Case) (Rancho Special No. 9, 1957)

  9. Le NWB 505 Ne Répond plus (NWM 504 Does Not Answer) (Rancho Special No. 10, 1958)

  10. Trafic (Traffic) (Rancho Special No. 11, 1958)

  11. Johnny Brent s'es évadé! (Johnny Brent Escaped!) (Rancho Special No. 12, 1958)

  12. L'Étoile à Six Branches (The Six-Pointed Star) (Rancho Special No. 13, 1958)

  13. X18 ne décollera pas (X18 Shall Not Take Off) (Rancho Special No. 14, 1958)

  14. Les Rescapés du Mont Murud (Escape from Mount Murud) (Rancho Special No. 15, 1959)

  15. Objectif Siang-Tan (Target Siang-Tan) (Rancho Special No. 16, 1959)

  16. Ténébreuse Enquête (Dark Investigation) (Rancho Special No. 17, 1959)

  17. La Caragaison de Taka-Maru (The Cargo of Taka-Maru) (Rancho Special No. 18, 1959)

  18. Les Sous-Marins Pirates (The Pirate Submarines) (Rancho Special No. 19, 1959)

  19. Le Monstre du Tchad (The Monster From Tchad) (Rancho Special No. 20, 1959)

  20. La Cité sous les Glaces (The City Under The Ice) (Rancho Special No. 21, 1960)

  21. Les Contrebandiers du Lac Toronto (The Smugglers of Lake Toronto) (Rancho Special No. 22, 1960)

  22. Black Boy contre X (Black Boy vs. X) (Rancho Special Nos. 23-24, 1960)

  23. Dans l'Ombre de l'ONU (In the Shadow of the UN) (Rancho Special Nos. 25, 27-28, 1960)

  24. Mystère au Cirque (Mystery at the Circus) (Rancho Special No. 26, 1960)

  25. Le FBI en Échec (The FBI In Check) (Rancho Special Nos. 28-29, 1960)

  26. Le Disque Rouge (The Red Disk) (Rancho Special Nos. 30-31, 1961)

  27. En Week-End à Paris (A Week-End in Paris) (Rancho Special No. 32, 1961)

  28. Le Fantôme d'Alexander Krown (The Ghost of Alexander Krown) (Rancho Special No. 33 + Last Unumbered Issue, 1961)

before finally finishing in Fantasia

  1. Le Cercle Vert (The Gren Circle) (Fantasia Nos. 1-3, 1957)

  2. Trafic d'Armes (Gun Smuggling) (reusing Fantax Nos. 5-6) (Fantasia Nos. 3-4, 6, 1957)

  3. Altitude 3000 (Fantasia No. 5, 1957)

  4. Chasse à l'Homme (Man Hunt) (Fantasia Nos. 7-9, 1957-58)

  5. Région Interdite (Forbidden Area) (Fantasia Nos. 9-11, 12, 1958)

  6. Le Vaisseau Fantôme (The Ghost Ship) (Fantasia Nos. 12-13, 1958)

  7. Contre les Kidnappers (Against the Kidnappers) (Fantasia Nos. 14-16, 1958)

  8. Le Rendez-Vous d'Istambul (Rendezvous in Istambul) (Fantasia Nos. 17-18, 1958)

  9. Le Gang des Secrets Atomiques (The Atomic Secrets Gang) (Fantasia Nos. 19-20, 1958)

  10. Vacances Napolitaines (Napolitan Holidays) (Fantasia Nos. 21-22, 1959)

  11. Les Conspirateurs (The Conspirators) (Fantasia Nos. 23-25, 1959)

  12. Les Fantômes (The Ghosts) (Fantasia Nos. 26-28, 1959)

  13. Les Faux-Monnayeurs (The Counterfeiters) (Fantasia Nos. 28-30, 1959)

  14. Le Retour de Manco Pacac (The Return of Manco Pacac) (Fantasia Nos. 30-31, 1959)

  15. Le Dragon Rouge (The Red Dragon) (Fantasia No. 31, 1959)

  16. Le Bouddha de Jade (The Jade Buddha) (Fantasia No. 32-33, 1960)

  17. La Déesse Kali (The Goddess Kali) (Fantasia Nos. 33-35, 1960)

  18. Course contre la Mort (Race Against Death) (Fantasia Nos. 35-40, 1960)

  19. L'Affaire des Bases US en Italie (The Affair of the US Bases in Italy) (Fantasia Nos. 41-45, 1960)

  20. Au Pays du Soleil Levant (In the Land of the Rising Sun) (Fantasia Nos. 46-47, 1961)

  21. Espionnage à Cap Canaveral (Spying at Cape Canaveral) (Fantasia No. 48 + Last Unumbered Issue of Special Rancho, 1961)

Much of the information on this page comes verbatim from Cool French Comics, used with permission. Likewise the images.

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