Le Vieux Nick et Barbe-Noire (literally Old Nick and Blackbeard; formerly Le Vieux Nick) is a Belgian comic series. Set in the seventeenth century, the series depicts the misadventures of Old Nick, an old sailor, known for his trickery, as he battles his main enemy, Blackbeard. It was created by Marcel Remacle (fr) and published between 1958 and 1990, created in no.1039 of the newspaper Spirou. It staged Old Nick a sailor who fight for the right time right privateers and pirates. Originally published as The Old Nick, she finally incorporates the name of Blackbeard in its title; the latter, enemy of Old Nick from the fourth story, gradually steals the hero as to be the sole protagonist of some albums.
The main character of the series is Old Nick an elderly seaman with a round face, a white beard and a black head scarf. To beat his enemies, he uses guile rather than force. Blackbeard is the sworn enemy of Old Nick, and gradually share the starring role in the series with the latter two. It is the terror of the seas, feared by everyone, but is more ridiculous than actually dangerous; he fears his grandfather, nicknamed Bon-papa, who spends his time giving him slaps. The courageous Sebastian, whose favorite weapon the spear is the companion of Old Nick. Lucifer, a much more formidable pirate Blackbeard that holds the villain in several albums; dressed in a devil costume, he confronts both the Old Nick as Blackbeard, the two enemies occasionally joining forces against him.
