Doc Doxey's Elixir by Morris

Why read the book?

Doc Doxey rolls into one settlement after another, gathers a crowd, and sells bottles of his cure-all to trusting townsfolk. Lucky Luke, hired as the doctor's helper, soon works out that the elixir cures nothing at all and that the whole show is a swindle.

When Luke sees the harm the fraud does to honest people, he turns on his employer and sets out to expose him. The album leans on a real feature of the old West, the medicine show, and follows a simple line from trust to deceit to comeuppance, with Jolly Jumper along for the ride.

Favourite quote

What I Loved

It is one of the early albums where Morris works alone, and the satire of the medicine show is sharp and clean. Doc Doxey makes a fine rogue, all patter and confidence, and watching the patter unravel is a steady pleasure. The art is brisk and the joke at the heart of the story still lands.

Key Takeaway

A glib salesman and a bottle of nothing make a small, well-aimed swipe at the snake-oil trade of the old West.

Enjoyed this post?

Well, you could share the post with others, follow me with RSS Feeds and/or send me a comment via email.

Tags