Michel Vaillant: the most famous racing driver in the history of comics
Created in 1957 by Jean Graton, Michel Vaillant is the main character of a comic strip bearing his name, on the theme of motorsport. The story of this hero is closely associated with the 24 Hours of Le Mans, to the point that fiction meets reality in 2017, during the 85th edition of the famous race.
A reference in the automotive world
First published in 1957, in a short format of four boards, in Le Journal de Tintin, a weekly magazine of realistic comic strips, Michel Vaillant, victim of its success with readers, quickly took the form of a series of comic strip albums.
All of them tell the story of Michel Vaillant, a renowned French racing driver, racing for the team created by his father and which bears the name of "Vaillante". Throughout the series, we can follow the adventures of this hero, on different circuits in Europe and America. Surrounded by his family, he must face his enemies and confront a large number of dangers.
Its author, Jean Graton, would describe his character as "a strong, loyal and courageous friend". His son, Philippe Graton, who died in 2021, took over the reins of Graton Éditeur, alongside two French cartoonists and a scriptwriter.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans at the heart of Michel Vaillant’s albums
Jean Graton's passion for the 24 Hours of Le Mans can be found in 13 of the 80 albums of Michel Vaillant's adventures. In 2017, as the famous fictional driver celebrated his 60th birthday, a new album was released: Rébellion, in which the action takes place at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In this album, we see the Vaillant family at their worst, following the burial of Michel Vaillant's brother, who died in a serious accident. While the clan is broken by this misfortune, they decide, in order to try to get back on their feet and restore their reputation, to bet on a victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with two competition cars...
When fiction becomes reality
This fictional story gave way to reality, because in June 2017, a few days after the release of Rébellion, two cars named "Vaillante Rébellion" took part in the 85th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It was the Swiss team Rébellion, passionate about the adventures of Michel Vaillant, who took the bet to win the legendary Sarthe circuit. This was initially a successful bet, because the Vaillante Rébellion n°13 finished on the podium, in 3rd position, but it was unfortunately disqualified later, due to unauthorized modifications to the bodywork...
A new collaboration coming soon
When two professionals passionate about cars and Michel Vaillant meet, great ideas spring forth. This is precisely what is happening with designer Luc Kieffer and Jean-Louis Dauger, Michel Vaillant's development manager. Both are in contact with the aim of developing products related to the world of Michel Vaillant...
