Cover of Il Piccolo Ranger, September 1976.

Il Piccolo Ranger (i.e. "The Little Ranger") is an Italian comic book series centered on Kit Teller, a character created in 1958 by writer Andrea Lavezzolo in tandem with illustrator Francesco Gamba and later developed by numerous authors; they were published in Italy by Edizioni Audace in the striped format in the series of the same name and later in a new series in the Bonelli format published from 1963 to 1985. The character belongs to a group of teenage heroes very popular in the fifties and sixties, such as Captain Miki, the Little Sheriff and others, wanted so young to facilitate their identification with potential young buyers, that being their peers, they could reflect themselves in the protagonists of comic stories. The series presents its own originality, giving life to a long and engaging comic epic with both tragic and humorous tones among the most successful of the western genre of the period. The series was also published in France, the former Yugoslavia (now in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia), Turkey, Greece, Spain and Brazil.

A traditional western series addressed to a young audience, it debuted in 1958 and was published until 1985.[1][2] Until 1963, Il Piccolo Ranger comic books also featured in their appendix episodic stories featuring other characters, including works by Hugo Pratt, Guido Nolitta and Dino Battaglia.[1] It was released fortnightly until 1971, then monthly until its cancellation.[2] Between 1995 and 1996 a collection series in 13 paperback volumes was published in a limited edition by Editrice Dardo.[2]

Biography

Kit Teller is the son of Mary Worth and Ted Moses Teller who emigrate from Wales in search of fortune to the United States where, once they arrive, they venture into the wild frontier territories in search of a job. During this trip, on the border between Missouri and Illinois, Kit was born in 1861. Eight months after Kit's birth, his mother died and little Kit fell ill. Saved by the Indians of the Red Bison tribe, Kit and his father stay with the Indians for almost a year and then leave to join the rangers and send Kit to a college in the east. Moses becomes a ranger and obtains permission from the commander to keep the little Kit at the fort until the child reaches reach college age. The Little Ranger series starts from this moment. Kit's father during a mission deserted and disappeared going to live with the Indians and for this reason he is considered a traitor. The fort's rangers would like to keep the fact from little Kit that is well-liked anyway. The Little Ranger lives his adventures in a wild land facing outlaws, ferocious Indians but also wise reptiles, extraterrestrials or medieval warriors arrived who knows how in the new world. Among the characters he meets, perhaps the most unusual are two Mormons, Italian-American vegetarians: SATURNINO and SALVATORE. They are expert of every art and science, endowed with strange powers. Among other things, they talk to animals, in a way not unlike what happens in the pages of the Tarzanesque Akim. They warn the two Tellers, father and son, to beware of the water on full moon nights. Such a warning will save them from several ambushes. At the end of each adventure, the young ranger finds his friends within the reassuring walls of the ranger fort. Among them the fiancée Claretta Morning, the maternal vivander of the strong Rosa Morning, mother of Claretta, the drunkard Brandy Jim, the Chinese cook and washerman Cin Lao, the sergeant O'Hara, Teeth Bill, Frankie Bellevan, Annie Four guns, Ibrahim Bamboula.

Editorial history

The character made his debut in the Collana Audace of the homonymous publishing house by Gian Luigi Bonelli in the classic striped format published in seven series published from 15 June 1958 to 25 April 1971 for a total of 328 issues. The screenplays are by Andrea Lavezzolo and, to a lesser extent, by Guido Nolitta while the drawings are by Francesco Gamba and Birago Balzano. Subsequently, with the books not sold, the publisher re-proposed the Little Ranger series in a total of 69 collections, starting from n. 11 of the series Supplement to the Audace series. The collections do not have a periodicity and the price is 100 lire for the first volumes and 120 for the remaining issues. From 1963 the stories proposed in the strip format in the Audace series were reprinted in the Bonelli format in the series Gli albi del cowboy – Nuova serie up to page 55 of n. 89 when unpublished stories of the character began to be published; the publication ended after 255 issues in February 1985 in which Kit, Frankie and their friends, finished their years with the Rangers uniform, retired to the countryside and began a new life as ranchers. The merit of the longevity of the series, however, must also be attributed to those who continued the work of Andrea Lavezzolo as Decio Canzio who, while maintaining the spirit of the series, made the narrative more agile, updating it to the changing times or like Giorgio Pezzin, Marcello Toninelli and the If Staff; note that Guido Nolitta wrote the last adventure of the series.

An unpublished self-contained episode entitled "Secret document" was published as an appendix to n. 99 of Commander Mark in the Herald Series. In May 1992, a 148-page special issue was published entitled "The return of the Rangers" written by Mauro Boselli and drawn by Francesco Gamba. Finally, in 2006, the Editoriale Mercury published a new unpublished story entitled "Zoltan the Magician", written by Ermes Senzò and drawn by Luigi Merati. Starting from February 2012, the Little Ranger is reprinted in an edition for newsstands by If Edizioni.

List of albums of the series "The books of the cowboy – New series"

NumberOriginal titleTitlePubblication date
1Il Piccolo RangerThe Little RangerDecember 1963
2L'indiano biancoWhite IndianJanuary 1964
3Il segno di Manitù The Sing of ManitouFebruary 1964
4L'uomo di ferroIron manMarch 1964
5Il padrone della folgoreThe Master of LightningApril 1964
6Mani in alto! Hands Up!May 1964
7Sepolto vivo! Buried Alive!June 1964
8La casa del misteroThe House of MysteryJuly 1964
9Il morso del serpenteThe Snake BiteAugust 1964
10Nuove recluteNew RecruitsSeptember 1964
11La bussola stregataThe Bewitched CompassOctober 1964
12Kit contro tutti! Kit Against AllNovember 1964
13Il totem d'avorioThe Ivory TotemDecember 1964
14Il pugnale maleseThe Malay DaggerJanuary 1965
15Il tranelloThe TrapFebruary 1965
16L'inferno verdeThe Green HellMarch 1965
17La stella del NordThe North StarApril 1965
18Formiche rosseRed AntsMay 1965
19La maschera di ceraThe Wax MaskJune 1965
20Le colline proibiteThe Forbidden HillsJuly 1965
21Azione notturnaNight ActionAugust 1965
22Rangers all'attaccoRangers AttackSeptember 1965
23Il Cavaliere NeroThe Black KnightOctober 1965
24Il terzo compliceThe Third AccompliceNovember 1965
25Missione compiutaMission AccomplishedDecember 1965
26Battaglia nel canyonBattle in the CanyonJanuary 1966
27Allarme al forteAlarm at the FortFebruary 1966
28Fulmine NeroBlack LightningMarch 1966
29Killer JimKiller JimApril 1966
30L'Orda RossaThe Red HordeMay 1966
31Spari nella notteShoots in the NightJune 1966
32Colui che viene da NordHe Who Comes From the NorthJuly 1966
33I negrieri dei CaraibiThe Caribbean SlaversAugust 1966
34La cascata della morteThe Waterfall of DeathSeptember 1966
35La voce nelle tenebreThe Voice in the DarknessOctober 1966
36Orme sul sentieroFootprints on the TrailNovember 1966
37Segnali di fumoSmoke SignalsDecember 1966
38Bottino di guerraSpoils of WarJanuary 1967
39L'invincibileThe InvincibleFebruary 1967
40La collana di smeraldiThe Emerald NecklaceMarch 1967
41Il fantasmaThe GhostApril 1967
42Un eroe ritornaA Hero ReturnsMay 1967
43Il sospetto! The Suspect!June 1967
44Gli avventurieriThe AdventurersJuly 1967
45La lunga pistaThe Long TrekAugust 1967
46La ribellioneThe RebellionSeptember 1967
47Frontier TownFrontier TownOctober 1967
48Nel campo nemicoIn the Enemy CampNovember 1967
49La Banda dei CinqueThe Gang of FiveDecember 1967
50Veleno! Venom!January 1968
51Rangers in agguatoRangers LurkingFebruary 1968
52Caccia all'uomoManhuntMarch 1968
53MalatierraMalatierraApril 1968
54Bandiera biancaWhite flagMay 1968
55La valle maledettaThe Cursed ValleyJune 1968
56Old NickOld NickJuly 1968
57La legge di LynchLynch's LawAugust 1968
58La caverna dell'oro'The Cave of GoldSeptember 1968
59Il cavallo d'acciaioThe Steel HorseOctober 1968
60Guerra indianaIndian WarNovember 1968
61Tragica fineTragic EndDecember 1968
62L'albero della morteThe Tree of DeathJanuary 1969
63Il tesoroThe TreasureFebruary 1969
64La valle nascostaThe Hidden ValleyMarch 1969
65Sulla via di AustinOn the Way to AustinApril 1969
66Ombra RossaRed ShadowMay 1969
67L'assedio!The SiegeJune 1969
68L'ultima beffaThe ultimate BluffJuly 1969
69Senza tregua!Without RespiteAugust 1969
70Avventura in MessicoAdventure in MexicoSeptember 1969
71Bande rivaliRival GangsOctober 1969
72Assalto a Valle NeraAssault on Black ValleyNovember 1969
73Il trionfo di KitKit's triumphDecember 1969
74Verso l'IrlandaTowards IrelandJanuary 1970
75Lo spettro dello stagnoThe Spectrum of the PondFebruary 1970
76Il castello maledettoThe Cursed CastleMarch 1970
77I naufragatoriThe ShipwreckersApril 1970
78L'isola in fiammeThe Island on FireMay 1970
79La gloriosa impresaThe Glorious FeatJune 1970
80Terra bruciata!Scorched earth!July 1970
81Oro!Gold!August 1970
82"El Charro""El CharoSeptember 1970
83La fine di un banditoThe End of a BanditOctober 1970
84Il deserto non-perdonaThe Desert Does Not ForgiveNovember 1970
85Storia di un ribelleStory of a RebelDecember 1970
86La legione dei dannatiThe Legion of the DamnedJanuary 1971
87Silver LakeSilver LakeFebruary 1971
88La regina delle tenebreThe Queen of DarknessMarch 1971
89La pietra della vitaThe Stone of LifeApril 1971
90Quartiere cineseChinatownMay 1971
91Le tigri del mare'The Sea TigersJune 1971
92L'immortaleThe ImmortalJuly 1971
93Il diabolico baroneThe Diabolic BaronAugust 1971
94Il libro rossoThe Red BookSeptember 1971
95La parola di un rangerThe Word of a RangerOctober 1971
96La banda degli evasiThe Gang of EscapeesNovember 1971
97Luna di sangueBlood MoonDecember 1971
98Il ragazzo selvaggioThe Wild BoyJanuary 1972
99Bisonte NeroBlack BisonFebruary 1972
100Lost Valley (a colori) Lost Valley (in color)March 1972
101Kit è scomparsoKit Has DisappearedApril 1972
102Il Grande VecchioThe Great Old ManMay 1972
103Nel cuore della giunglaIn the Heart of the JungleJune 1972
104La città mortaThe Dead CityJuly 1972
105Oltre il confineBeyond the BorderAugust 1972
106L'arma del delittoThe Murder WeaponSeptember 1972
107Campesinos! Campesinos!October 1972
108La casa sulla collinaThe House on the HillNovember 1972
109Uomini violentiViolent MenDecember 1972
110La tenda giallaThe Yellow CurtainJanuary 1973
111L'artiglio del mostroThe Monster's ClawFebruary 1973
112Il solitario del PecosThe Solitaire of PecosMarch 1973
113Gli sbandatiThe StragglersApril 1973
114L'oro del SudThe Gold of the SouthMay 1973
115"Agua Blanca" "Agua Blanca"June 1973
116Un ranger a New YorkA Ranger in New YorkJuly 1973
117Il Fantasma dell'Opera'The Phantom of the OperaAugust 1973
118Gli angeli giustizieriThe Angels of JusticeSeptember 1973
119La città nella paludeThe City in the SwampOctober 1973
120Texas in fiammeTexas on fireNovember 1973
121Il complottoThe ConspiracyDecember 1973
122La banda inafferrabileThe Elusive GangJanuary 1974
123Il vulcano spentoThe Extinct VolcanoFebruary 1974
124L'iceberg della morteThe Iceberg of DeathMarch 1974
125Nodo scorsoio!Slipknot!April 1974
126Le mille e una trappolaThe Thousand and one TrapMay 1974
127Il professionistaThe ProfessionistJune 1974
128La roccia nel desertoThe Rock in the DesertJuly 1974
129Raffica mortaleDeadly BarrageAugust 1974
130Il fiume nascostoThe Hidden RiverSeptember 1974
131Ku Klux Klan!Ku Klux KlanOctober 1974
132La maschera del terroreThe Mask of TerrorNovember 1974
133La belva umanaThe Human BeastDecember 1974
134A mosca cieca! A Blind Fly!January 1975
135Il terzo giustiziereThe Third ExecutionerFebruary 1975
136Il monacoThe MonkMarch 1975
137Riserva ApacheApache ReserveApril 1975
138L'Olandese VolanteThe Flying DutchmanMay 1975
139La galleria della morteThe Gallery of DeathJune 1975
140Destinazione TucsonDestination TucsonJuly 1975
141La legione degli invulnerabiliThe Legion of the InvulnerablesAugust 1975
142L'incredibile duelloThe Incredible DuelSeptember 1975
143La montagna incantataThe Enchanted MountainOctober 1975
144La crociera dell'"Hispaniola" The Cruise of the "Hispaniola"November 1975
145L'Isola dei DelfiniThe Island of the DolphinsDecember 1975
146Duello sull'oceanoDuel on the OceanJanuary 1976
147La perla dell'OklahomaThe Pearl of OklahomaFebruary 1976
148Sfida infernaleInfernal ChallengeMarch 1976
149La febbre dell'oroThe Gold RushApril 1976
150La rupe della pauraThe Cliff of FearMay 1976
151Il mostro del plenilunioThe Monster of the Full MoonJune 1976
152La barriera invisibileThe Invisible BarrierJuly 1976
153Viaggio nella preistoriaJourney into PrehistoryAugust 1976
154I rettili sapientiThe Wise ReptilesSeptember 1976
155Mesa del NorteMesa del NorteOctober 1976
156Tiro al bersaglioTarget ShootingNovember 1976
157Il Dragone NeroThe Black DragonDecember 1976
158Il volto dell'assassinoThe Face of the AssassinJanuary 1977
159L'ultimo agguatoThe Last AmbushFebruary 1977
160Il vendicatoreThe AvengerMarch 1977
161Attacco al vagone postaleAttack on the Mail CarApril 1977
162Il segreto dell'idoloThe Secret of the IdolMay 1977
163Binario mortoDead End TrackJune 1977
164Sfida nella città fantasmaChallenge in the Ghost TownJuly 1977
165I Cavalieri della NotteThe Knights of the NightAugust 1977
166La tana del diavoloThe Devil's LairSeptember 1977
167La Vedova NeraThe Black WidowOctober 1977
168Infamia! Infamy!November 1977
169L'ultimo attoThe Last ActDecember 1977
170WinchesterWinchesterJanuary 1978
171Il ragno e la moscaThe Spider and the FlyFebruary 1978
172Il mercante di LaredoThe Laredo MerchantMarch 1978
173Rintocchi di morteChimes of deathApril 1978
174La spia messicanaThe Mexican SpyMay 1978
175La sesta vittimaThe Sixth VictimJune 1978
176Traguardo all'infernoFinish Line in HellJuly 1978
177L'imboscataThe AmbushAugust 1978
178La maschera dell'odioThe Mask of HatredSeptember 1978
179La congiura dei potentiThe Conspiracy of the PowerfulOctober 1978
180Un branco di lupiA WolfpackNovember 1978
181Il guerriero di ghiaccioThe Ice WarriorDecember 1978
182La nave vichingaThe Viking ShipJanuary 1979
183Gli uomini condorThe Condor MenFebruary 1979
184La miniera maledettaThe Cursed MineMarch 1979
185L'assassino è tra noiThe Assassin is among usApril 1979
186I Tre SerpentiThe Three SerpentsMay 1979
187I prigionieri del puebloThe Prisoners of the PuebloJune 1979
188La tempesta di fuocoThe FirestormJuly 1979
189Operazione TerroreOperation TerrorAugust 1979
190Gli artigli del falcoThe Talons of the HawkSeptember 1979
191Lo Spirito dei BoschiThe Spirit of the WoodsOctober 1979
192Sentiero di guerraWar TrailNovember 1979
193Luna di morteDeath MoonDecember 1979
194Il Signore delle StelleThe Lord of the StarsJanuary 1980
195L'uomo che non-poteva morireThe Man Who Couldn't DieFebruary 1980
196La vendetta del faraonePharaoh's VengeanceMarch 1980
197Delitto perfettoPerfect CrimeApril 1980
198La peste africanaThe African PlagueMay 1980
199Lampi sul MessicoLightning on MexicoJune 1980
200Alto tradimentoHigh TreasonJuly 1980
201La febbre della paludeSwamp FeverAugust 1980
202Khubai Khan! Khubai Khan!September 1980
203La fugaThe EscapeOctober 1980
204La pista dei SiouxThe Trek of the SiouxNovember 1980
205La Valle dei TeschiThe Valley of the SkullsDecember 1980
206Il mistero del tempioThe Mystery of the TempleJanuary 1981
207Tragica magiaTragic MagicFebruary 1981
208Il mantello neroThe Black CloakMarch 1981
209Markus!Markus!April 1981
210Per un milione di dollariFor a Million DollarsMay 1981
211Il messaggioThe MessageJune 1981
212Un uomo da salvareA Man To Be SavedJuly 1981
213L'oro di GoldstoneGoldstone's GoldAugust 1981
214Orrore dall'ignotoHorror From the UnknownSeptember 1981
215Viaggio allucinanteHallucinating JourneyOctober 1981
216Lo SparvieroThe SparrowhawkNovember 1981
217Il coltello sacroThe Sacred KnifeDecember 1981
218Ai confini del TexasOn the Border of TexasJanuary 1982
219L'accampamento segretoThe Secret CampFebruary 1982
220Lo stregone rossoThe Red SorcererMarch 1982
221Il genio del maleThe Evil GeniusApril 1982
222Agguato nella prateriaAmbush in the PrairieMay 1982
223Il pirata BarbaneraThe Pirate BlackbeardJune 1982
224I naufragatori dei CaraibiThe Shipwreckers of the CaribbeanJuly 1982
225L'uomo dai due voltiThe Man With Two FacesAugust 1982
226Tre giorni per morireThree Days To DieSeptember 1982
227Malinke!Malinke!October 1982
228I diavoli delle montagneThe Devils of the MountainsNovember 1982
229La furia dei WudogThe Fury of the WudogsDecember 1982
230Il terrore di Black ValleyThe Terror of Black ValleyJanuary 1983
231Allarme al castelloAlarm at the CastleFebruary 1983
232Il villaggio dell'incuboThe Nightmare VillageMarch 1983
233L'ombra inafferrabileThe Elusive ShadowApril 1983
234I pascoli dell'odioThe Pastures of HateMay 1983
235La trama del delittoThe Plot of the CrimeJune 1983
236L'impero dei MendozaThe Empire of the MendozaJuly 1983
237Il risveglio del dinosauroThe Awakening of the DinosaurAugust 1983
238Il ribelleThe RebelSeptember 1983
239Assedio al Picco SolitarioSiege of Lonely PeakOctober 1983
240Jack lo sterminatoreJack the ExterminatorNovember 1983
241Duello sul trenoDuel on the TrainDecember 1983
242I morti viventiThe Living DeadJanuary 1984
243Danza macabraMacabre DanceFebruary 1984
244Herr DoctorHerr DoctorMarch 1984
245Il sosiaTwinApril 1984
246Le grotte della pauraThe Caves of FearMay 1984
247Tentato omicidioAttempted MurderJune 1984
248Uno sporco intrigoA Dirty IntrigueJuly 1984
249Sangue sulla neveBlood on the SnowAugust 1984
250Senza pietà Without pity!September 1984
251Il re della frontieraThe King of the FrontierOctober 1984
252Il forte del disonoreThe fort of dishonorNovember 1984
253Lotta di spieFight of SpiesDecember 1984
254L'ultima avventuraThe latest adventureJanuary 1985
255Rangers, addio!Rangers, goodbye!February 1985

See also

Other comics series created by Andrea Lavezzolo:

References

  1. 1 2 Gianni Bono. Guida al fumetto italiano. Epierre, 2003. pp. 1481–5.
  2. 1 2 3 Franco Fossati (15 September 1992). "Piccolo Ranger". Dizionario Illustrato del Fumetto. Mondadori, 1992. ISBN 8804355441.
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