The Daltons

The Daltons are fictional outlaws in the Lucky Luke Western comics series and arch-enemies to Lucky Luke. They were created by artist Morris and writer René Goscinny. They are loosely inspired by the historic Dalton Gang of the United States, active in the early 1890s, and are billed as their cousins. While Morris depicts the historic Dalton brothers as evil and successful, these Daltons are portrayed as less skillful and more prone to fighting among the siblings. The four Daltons are depicted as identical except for height and intelligence. The oldest brother Joe is shown as the shortest and smartest, and the youngest brother Averell as the tallest and dumbest. Their storylines often begin with the gang escaping from prison. They are followed by prison dog Rantanplan as they try to carry out whatever plans Joe Dalton, or their mother Ma Dalton, has in mind. Usually the gang is captured and back in jail at the end of the story, while Lucky Luke rides off into the sunset. The characters have appeared in the comic book version of Lucky Luke, as well as in the adaptations of the 1983 animated TV series, the 1991 film, and the 1992 TV series. A spin-off animated series, Rantanplan, also featured them, and they starred in a short-story, animated show that made its debut in 2010.