Italian comics
Encyclopedia
Italian comics are comics
made in Italy. They are locally known as fumetto fuˈmet:o – plural
form fumetti fuˈmet:i – although this latter term is often used in English
to describe a specific comic genre (see Fumetti
). The most popular Italian comics have been translated into many languages. The term fumetto (literally little puff of smoke) refers to the balloon
that contains the dialogs (also called nuvoletta in Italian
).
The first illustrated satirical publication appeared in 1848, in L'Arlecchino, a daily paper published in Naples. Other noteworthy examples of satirical papers of the period include Lo Spirito Folletto published in Milan, Turin's Il Fischietto and Il Fanfulla, established in Rome in 1872.
As far as publications for kids, some of the most significant titles of the period are Il Giornale per i Fanciulli (1834), Il Giovinetto Italiano (1849), and Il Giornale dei Bambini (1881).
In 1899 Il Novellino debuted: the paper will be the first to publish Outcault's Yellow Kid in Italy in 1904. But the first Italian comic will not appear until four years later.
Il Corrierino introduced American comics to the Italian audience; however, it was edited to replace balloons with captions. Following its spectacular success (reaching 700 000 copies), several other periodicals appeared during the following years: Il Giornaletto (1910), Donnina (1914), L'Intrepido (1920) and Piccolo mondo (1924).
Beginning January 1, 1939 the publication of foreign comics was forbidden, and the Italian material was required to follow a strict standard, exalting heroism, patriotism and the superiority of the Italian race. To work around these restrictions, some publishers simply renamed American heroes with Italian names. The only exception to the censorship was Topolino
, the Italian name for Mickey Mouse
, published by Nerbini starting on December 31, 1931. Apparently, the reason behind this special treatment for Walt Disney
's character was Benito Mussolini
's children passion for the little mouse.
In 1932 Milan publisher Lotario Vecchi started Jumbo
, a weekly magazine that many consider the first true Italian comics publication. The magazine reached a circulation of 350 000 copies, sanctioning comics as a mainstream medium with broad appeal. In 1935 Nerbini sold Topolino
to Mondadori, which published it with great success until 1988.
In 1937 Il Vittorioso appeared, a Catholic magazine entirely composed of Italian comics. It was an attempt to compete with similar secular publications like L'Avventuroso (1934), Il Monello (1933) and L'Audace (1937).
Among the numerous publications of the period were L'Avventura (1944), a Roman magazine that presented American adventure strips like Mandrake
, L'Uomo Mascherato (The Phantom)
, and Flash Gordon
. Another Roman publication appeared in 1945: Robinson, a first attempt to target a more adult audience. It introduced several American characters like Prince Valiant
, Tarzan
, Secret Agent X-9
, Rip Kirby
, Li'l Abner
and Dick Tracy
. Robinson lasted until 1947, publishing 90 issues.
In 1945, one of the most original magazines of the period was born: L'asso di Picche published in Venice
as a result of the work of a group of young venetian artists including Alberto Ongaro
, Damiano Damiani, Dino Battaglia
, Rinaldo D'Ami and above all Hugo Pratt
. Their distinctive approach to the art form earned them the name of venetian school of comics. Among the characters created for the magazine were Pratt's L'Asso di Picche, Battaglia's Junglemen, Draky and Robin Hood.
Inspired by the success of the Catholic Il Vittorioso, the Italian communist party decided to exploit the comic medium for their own propaganda: in 1949 Il Pioniere was born. Aimed at a very young audience, the new publication presented fantasy material as well as adventures, with an eye to the social issues of the period.
In 1954 Il Disco Volante began publication. It is the Italian version of British weekly Eagle, and introduced Dan Dare
to the Italian public. In 1955 Tintin appeared, adapted from the French Le Journal de Tintin
, which first presented Franco-Belgian comics
to the Italian public.
But the most significant phenomenon of the period was the appearance of comics books. Printed in a variety of formats, from strip size to book
lets to giant size, they presented collected stories from the periodicals as well as new adventures of Italian characters. It is on the comic books pages that heroes made in Italy gained popularity, eventually overshadowing their American counterparts.
Among the host of Italian series that were created during these years, Tex Willer
is without doubt the most renowned.
Born on September 30, 1948, from the imagination of Gian Luigi Bonelli
and from the pencil of Aurelio Galleppini
, Tex Willer would become the model for a line of publications centered around the popular comic book format that became known as Bonelliano, from the name of the publisher. These comic books presented complete stories in 100+ black and white pages in a pocket book format. The subject matter was always adventure, whether western, horror, mystery or science fiction. The bonelliani are to date the most popular form of comics in the country.
Some of the series that followed Tex Willer were Zagor
(1961), a tomahawk
wielding hero who protects the imaginary Darkwood forest in eastern US, Il Comandante Mark (1966), featuring a soldier in the American independence war, and more recently Mister No
(1975), about an American pilot who operates a small tourist flying agency in the Amazonian jungle, and Martin Mystère
(1982), featuring an anthropologist/archaeologist/art historian who investigates paranormal phenomena and archaeological mysteries.
Another popular series, Diabolik
featuring a criminal mastermind, was published since the 1960s, influenced later series such as Kriminal
and Satanik
. The latter created in the 1960s by one of the most famous duos of comics history, Magnus
& Bunker
, whose most outstanding creation was however the humorous espionage series Alan Ford (1969).
Another famous author of humouristic strips is Franco Bonvicini
, whose Sturmtruppen
met a wide success abroad.
Though read by a more restricted audience, in the past years the comics series which met the greatest critical success are Corto Maltese
, by Hugo Pratt, and Valentina by Guido Crepax
. While the former is a kind of summa of the evolution into an adult form of the classic adventure comics, the latter gave birth to that special kind of erotic comics quite typical of the Italian scene, and whose main pupils have been in more recent years Milo Manara
and Paolo Eleuteri Serpieri
.
, i.e., stories featuring Disney characters (from Mickey Mouse
and Donald Duck universes
). After the 1960s, American artists of Disney comics, such as Carl Barks
and Floyd Gottfredson
did not produce as many stories as in the past. At present American production of new stories has dwindled (Don Rosa
publishes in Europe), and this niche has been filled by companies in South America, Denmark and Italy. The Italian 'Scuola disneyana' has produced several innovations: building the Italian standard length for stories (30 pages), reinterpreting famous works of literature in 'Parodie', writing long stories up to 400 pages.
Among the most important artists and authors are Marco Rota
, Romano Scarpa
, Giorgio Cavazzano
, Massimo De Vita, Giovan Battista Carpi
and Guido Martina. The best known Disney character created in Italy is 'Paperinik' (known as Duck Avenger or Phantom Duck to English audiences).
Italy prints around 8000 pages of new Disney stories per year, exported worldwide (it makes up 50% of the total production). The main publication, digest size
"Topolino
", prints only new stories every week, but there exist 32 different series of reprints going on, for 30 millions of copies sold each year.
In the last 10 years Disney Italia produced innovative series like PK
(Paperinik stories with an American superheroes flavour), W.I.T.C.H.
or Monster Allergy
.
Comics
Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...
made in Italy. They are locally known as fumetto fuˈmet:o – plural
Plural
In linguistics, plurality or [a] plural is a concept of quantity representing a value of more-than-one. Typically applied to nouns, a plural word or marker is used to distinguish a value other than the default quantity of a noun, which is typically one...
form fumetti fuˈmet:i – although this latter term is often used in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
to describe a specific comic genre (see Fumetti
Fumetti
Fumetti is an Italian word which refers to all comics. In English, the term refers specifically to photonovels or photographic comics, a genre of comics illustrated with photographs rather than drawings. Italians call these fotoromanzi...
). The most popular Italian comics have been translated into many languages. The term fumetto (literally little puff of smoke) refers to the balloon
Balloon
A balloon is an inflatable flexible bag filled with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, or air. Modern balloons can be made from materials such as rubber, latex, polychloroprene, or a nylon fabric, while some early balloons were made of dried animal bladders, such as the pig...
that contains the dialogs (also called nuvoletta in Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
).
History
Italian fumetto has its roots in periodicals aimed at younger readers and in the satirical publications of the 19th century. These magazines published cartoons and illustrations for educational and propagandistic purposes.The first illustrated satirical publication appeared in 1848, in L'Arlecchino, a daily paper published in Naples. Other noteworthy examples of satirical papers of the period include Lo Spirito Folletto published in Milan, Turin's Il Fischietto and Il Fanfulla, established in Rome in 1872.
As far as publications for kids, some of the most significant titles of the period are Il Giornale per i Fanciulli (1834), Il Giovinetto Italiano (1849), and Il Giornale dei Bambini (1881).
In 1899 Il Novellino debuted: the paper will be the first to publish Outcault's Yellow Kid in Italy in 1904. But the first Italian comic will not appear until four years later.
Birth
On December 27, 1908 Italian newsstands saw the first issue of Il Corriere dei Piccoli, the first mainstream publication primarily dedicated to comics. The first issue introduced readers to the adventures of Bilbolbul, a little black kid drawn by Attilio Mussino that is considered the first Italian comic character. Despite being officially considered the birthplace of fumetto, the Corrierino, as it is nicknamed, does not use balloons in the stories that it publishes, opting instead for captions in verse. Regardless, the sequential narration and the returning characters make the publication rightfully the first Italian comic magazine.Il Corrierino introduced American comics to the Italian audience; however, it was edited to replace balloons with captions. Following its spectacular success (reaching 700 000 copies), several other periodicals appeared during the following years: Il Giornaletto (1910), Donnina (1914), L'Intrepido (1920) and Piccolo mondo (1924).
Fumetto during Fascism
The fascist regime was quick to recognize the potential for propaganda through the new medium. During the '20s several periodicals published educational comics for Italian youth, including Il Giornale dei Balilla (1923) and La piccola italiana (1927).Beginning January 1, 1939 the publication of foreign comics was forbidden, and the Italian material was required to follow a strict standard, exalting heroism, patriotism and the superiority of the Italian race. To work around these restrictions, some publishers simply renamed American heroes with Italian names. The only exception to the censorship was Topolino
Topolino
Topolino, is an Italian digest-sized comic series featuring Disney comics. The series has had a long running history, first appearing in 1932...
, the Italian name for Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at The Walt Disney Studio. Mickey is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves...
, published by Nerbini starting on December 31, 1931. Apparently, the reason behind this special treatment for Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
's character was Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
's children passion for the little mouse.
In 1932 Milan publisher Lotario Vecchi started Jumbo
Jumbo
Jumbo was a large African Bush Elephant, born 1861 in the French Sudan – present-day Mali – imported to a Paris zoo, transferred to the London Zoo in 1865, and sold in 1882 to P. T...
, a weekly magazine that many consider the first true Italian comics publication. The magazine reached a circulation of 350 000 copies, sanctioning comics as a mainstream medium with broad appeal. In 1935 Nerbini sold Topolino
Topolino
Topolino, is an Italian digest-sized comic series featuring Disney comics. The series has had a long running history, first appearing in 1932...
to Mondadori, which published it with great success until 1988.
In 1937 Il Vittorioso appeared, a Catholic magazine entirely composed of Italian comics. It was an attempt to compete with similar secular publications like L'Avventuroso (1934), Il Monello (1933) and L'Audace (1937).
After World War II: Bonelli and the rise of the comic book
The end of World War II marked a flurry of activity in the Italian comic press: many titles that were forced to suspend publication during the war come back to saturate the newsstands, joined by new publications often backed by improvised publishers looking for a quick buck. Finally this oversupply of comic material resulted in a crisis of the traditional comic magazine.Among the numerous publications of the period were L'Avventura (1944), a Roman magazine that presented American adventure strips like Mandrake
Mandrake the Magician
Mandrake the Magician is a syndicated newspaper comic strip, created by Lee Falk , which began June 11, 1934. Phil Davis soon took over as the strip's illustrator, while Falk continued to script. The strip was distributed by King Features Syndicate.Davis worked on the strip until his death in 1964,...
, L'Uomo Mascherato (The Phantom)
The Phantom
The Phantom is an American adventure comic strip created by Lee Falk, also creator of Mandrake the Magician. A popular feature adapted into many media, including television, film and video games, it stars a costumed crimefighter operating from the fictional African country Bengalla.The Phantom is...
, and Flash Gordon
Flash Gordon
Flash Gordon is the hero of a science fiction adventure comic strip originally drawn by Alex Raymond. First published January 7, 1934, the strip was inspired by and created to compete with the already established Buck Rogers adventure strip. Also inspired by these series were comics such as Dash...
. Another Roman publication appeared in 1945: Robinson, a first attempt to target a more adult audience. It introduced several American characters like Prince Valiant
Prince Valiant
Prince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur, or simply Prince Valiant, is a long-run comic strip created by Hal Foster in 1937. It is an epic adventure that has told a continuous story during its entire history, and the full stretch of that story now totals more than 3700 Sunday strips...
, Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
, Secret Agent X-9
Secret Agent X-9
Secret Agent X-9 was a comic strip begun by writer Dashiell Hammett and artist Alex Raymond . Syndicated by King Features, it ran from January 22, 1934 until February 10, 1996....
, Rip Kirby
Rip Kirby
Rip Kirby was a popular comic strip featuring the adventures of the eponymous lead character, a private detective created by Alex Raymond in 1946...
, Li'l Abner
Li'l Abner
Li'l Abner is a satirical American comic strip that appeared in many newspapers in the United States, Canada and Europe, featuring a fictional clan of hillbillies in the impoverished town of Dogpatch, Kentucky. Written and drawn by Al Capp , the strip ran for 43 years, from August 13, 1934 through...
and Dick Tracy
Dick Tracy
Dick Tracy is a comic strip featuring Dick Tracy, a hard-hitting, fast-shooting and intelligent police detective. Created by Chester Gould, the strip made its debut on October 4, 1931, in the Detroit Mirror. It was distributed by the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate...
. Robinson lasted until 1947, publishing 90 issues.
In 1945, one of the most original magazines of the period was born: L'asso di Picche published in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
as a result of the work of a group of young venetian artists including Alberto Ongaro
Alberto Ongaro
-Biography:Born in Venice, he lived for a long time in South America and England, before returning to his birth city in 1979.A friend and collaborator of Hugo Pratt, he also worked for Il Corriere dei Piccoli...
, Damiano Damiani, Dino Battaglia
Dino Battaglia
Dino Battaglia was an Italian comic artist, noted for a distinctive and expressive style, best known for his visual adaptations of classic novels.-Biography:...
, Rinaldo D'Ami and above all Hugo Pratt
Hugo Pratt
Hugo Eugenio Pratt was an Italian comic book creator who was known for combining strong storytelling with extensive historical research on works such as Corto Maltese...
. Their distinctive approach to the art form earned them the name of venetian school of comics. Among the characters created for the magazine were Pratt's L'Asso di Picche, Battaglia's Junglemen, Draky and Robin Hood.
Inspired by the success of the Catholic Il Vittorioso, the Italian communist party decided to exploit the comic medium for their own propaganda: in 1949 Il Pioniere was born. Aimed at a very young audience, the new publication presented fantasy material as well as adventures, with an eye to the social issues of the period.
In 1954 Il Disco Volante began publication. It is the Italian version of British weekly Eagle, and introduced Dan Dare
Dan Dare
Dan Dare is a British science fiction comic hero, created by illustrator Frank Hampson who also wrote the first stories, that is, the Venus and Red Moon stories, and a complete storyline for Operation Saturn...
to the Italian public. In 1955 Tintin appeared, adapted from the French Le Journal de Tintin
Tintin (magazine)
Le journal de Tintin or Kuifje , was a weekly Belgian comics magazine of the second half of the 20th century...
, which first presented Franco-Belgian comics
Franco-Belgian comics
Franco-Belgian comics are comics that are created in Belgium and France. These countries have a long tradition in comics and comic books, where they are known as BDs, an abbreviation of bande dessinée in French and stripverhalen in Dutch...
to the Italian public.
But the most significant phenomenon of the period was the appearance of comics books. Printed in a variety of formats, from strip size to book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
lets to giant size, they presented collected stories from the periodicals as well as new adventures of Italian characters. It is on the comic books pages that heroes made in Italy gained popularity, eventually overshadowing their American counterparts.
Among the host of Italian series that were created during these years, Tex Willer
Tex Willer
Tex Willer is the main fictional character of the Italian comics series Tex, created by writer Gian Luigi Bonelli and illustrator Aurelio Galleppini, and first published in Italy on 30 September 1948. It is among the most popular characters of Italian comics, with translations to numerous ...
is without doubt the most renowned.
Born on September 30, 1948, from the imagination of Gian Luigi Bonelli
Gian Luigi Bonelli
Giovanni Luigi Bonelli , was an Italian comic book author and writer.Born in Milan, he is best remembered as the co-creator of Tex Willer, together with artist Aurelio Galleppini. His son Sergio Bonelli was also a comic book writer, as well as the publisher of Tex Willer series until his own death...
and from the pencil of Aurelio Galleppini
Aurelio Galleppini
Aurelio Galleppini , better known with his nickname Galep, was an Italian comics artist and illustrator....
, Tex Willer would become the model for a line of publications centered around the popular comic book format that became known as Bonelliano, from the name of the publisher. These comic books presented complete stories in 100+ black and white pages in a pocket book format. The subject matter was always adventure, whether western, horror, mystery or science fiction. The bonelliani are to date the most popular form of comics in the country.
Some of the series that followed Tex Willer were Zagor
Zagor
Zagor is an Italian comic book created by editor and writer Sergio Bonelli and artist Gallieno Ferri. Zagor was first published In Italy by Sergio Bonelli Editore in 1961.-Character:...
(1961), a tomahawk
Tomahawk (axe)
A tomahawk is a type of axe native to North America, traditionally resembling a hatchet with a straight shaft. The name came into the English language in the 17th century as a transliteration of the Powhatan word.Tomahawks were general purpose tools used by Native Americans and European Colonials...
wielding hero who protects the imaginary Darkwood forest in eastern US, Il Comandante Mark (1966), featuring a soldier in the American independence war, and more recently Mister No
Mister No
Mister No is an Italian comic book, first published in Italy in 1975 by Sergio Bonelli Editore.Mister No was created by writer Sergio Bonelli under the pseudonym Guido Nolitta, and by artist Gallieno Ferri, in Spring 1975. The regular monthly series endured for 379 publications, and the last issue...
(1975), about an American pilot who operates a small tourist flying agency in the Amazonian jungle, and Martin Mystère
Martin Mystère
Martin Mystère is an Italian comic book. Created by writer Alfredo Castelli and drawn by Giancarlo Alessandrini, it was first published in Italy by Sergio Bonelli Editore in 1982....
(1982), featuring an anthropologist/archaeologist/art historian who investigates paranormal phenomena and archaeological mysteries.
Another popular series, Diabolik
Diabolik
Diabolik is a fictional character, an anti-hero featured in Italian comics. He was created by sisters Angela and Luciana Giussani in 1962. His stories appear in monthly black and white digest-sized booklets. The character was inspired by several previous characters from Italian and French pulp...
featuring a criminal mastermind, was published since the 1960s, influenced later series such as Kriminal
Kriminal
Kriminal is an Italian comics series featuring an eponymous fictional character, created in 1964 by Magnus and Max Bunker, the authors of Alan Ford, Maxmagnus and Satanik.-Characters:...
and Satanik
Satanik
Satanik is an Italian noir comic book created in December 1964 by Max Bunker and Magnus , also the authors of the popular series Kriminal and Alan Ford.-Synopsis:...
. The latter created in the 1960s by one of the most famous duos of comics history, Magnus
Roberto Raviola
Magnus, pseudonym of Roberto Raviola, was an Italian comic book artist, regarded as one of the foremost cartoonists of all time in his country.-Biography:Born in Bologna in 1939, Raviola lived there for his whole life....
& Bunker
Max Bunker
Max Bunker, pseudonym of Luciano Secchi is an Italian comic book author.Secchi was born in Milan. His career started with a western style comic book Maschera Nera , in 1962, and went on to enjoy success with Kriminal and Satanik in collaboration with Magnus...
, whose most outstanding creation was however the humorous espionage series Alan Ford (1969).
Another famous author of humouristic strips is Franco Bonvicini
Franco Bonvicini
Franco Bonvicini, also known as Bonvi, was an Italian comic book artist, creator of Sturmtruppen and Nick Carter strips.-Biography:...
, whose Sturmtruppen
Sturmtruppen
Sturmtruppen was a successful Italian series of anti-war comic books, written and drawn by Bonvi, the artistic pseudonym of Franco Bonvicini starting as four-frame comic strips back in 1968 and evolving into fully sized collector books up to the 1990s and first decade of the third millennium.The...
met a wide success abroad.
Though read by a more restricted audience, in the past years the comics series which met the greatest critical success are Corto Maltese
Corto Maltese
Corto Maltese is a comics series featuring an eponymous character, a complex sailor-adventurer. It was created by Italian comic book creator Hugo Pratt in 1967...
, by Hugo Pratt, and Valentina by Guido Crepax
Guido Crepax
Guido Crepax was an Italian comics artist. He is most famous for his character Valentina, created in 1965 and very representative of the spirit of the sixties. The Valentina series of books and strips became noted for Crepax's sophisticated drawing, and for the psychedelic, dreamlike storylines,...
. While the former is a kind of summa of the evolution into an adult form of the classic adventure comics, the latter gave birth to that special kind of erotic comics quite typical of the Italian scene, and whose main pupils have been in more recent years Milo Manara
Milo Manara
Maurilio Manara – known professionally as Milo Manara – is an Italian comic book writer and artist, best known for his erotic approach to the medium.-Career:...
and Paolo Eleuteri Serpieri
Paolo Eleuteri Serpieri
Paolo Eleuteri Serpieri is an Italian comic book writer and illustrator, noted for his works of highly detailed renderings of the human form, particularly erotic images of women...
.
Disney Italia
Italy also produces many Disney comicsDisney comics
Disney comics are comic books and comic strips featuring Walt Disney characters.The first Disney comics were newspaper strips appearing from 1930 on . In 1940, Western Publishing began producing Disney comic books in the United States...
, i.e., stories featuring Disney characters (from Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse universe
The Mickey Mouse universe is a fictional universe where some cartoon characters created by the The Walt Disney Company live, the most famous of which is Mickey Mouse. It is coexistent with the Duck universe, a spin-off of the Mickey Mouse universe which centers around Mickey's friend Donald Duck...
and Donald Duck universes
Scrooge McDuck universe
The Duck universe is a fictional universe where Disney cartoon characters Donald Duck and Scrooge McDuck live. It is a spin off of the older Mickey Mouse universe, yet has become much more extensive...
). After the 1960s, American artists of Disney comics, such as Carl Barks
Carl Barks
Carl Barks was an American Disney Studio illustrator and comic book creator, who invented Duckburg and many of its inhabitants, such as Scrooge McDuck , Gladstone Gander , the Beagle Boys , The Junior Woodchucks , Gyro Gearloose , Cornelius Coot , Flintheart Glomgold , John D...
and Floyd Gottfredson
Floyd Gottfredson
Arthur Floyd Gottfredson was an American cartoonist best known for his defining work on the Mickey Mouse comic strip. He has probably had the same impact on the Mickey Mouse comics as Carl Barks had on the Donald Duck comics...
did not produce as many stories as in the past. At present American production of new stories has dwindled (Don Rosa
Don Rosa
Keno Don Hugo Rosa, known simply as Don Rosa, is an American comic book writer and illustrator known for his stories about Scrooge McDuck, Donald Duck and other characters created by Carl Barks for Disney comics, such as The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck.-Early life:Don Rosa's grandfather,...
publishes in Europe), and this niche has been filled by companies in South America, Denmark and Italy. The Italian 'Scuola disneyana' has produced several innovations: building the Italian standard length for stories (30 pages), reinterpreting famous works of literature in 'Parodie', writing long stories up to 400 pages.
Among the most important artists and authors are Marco Rota
Marco Rota
Marco Rota is an Italian Disney comic artist who served as editor-in-chief of Disney Italia from 1974 to 1988.-Career:...
, Romano Scarpa
Romano Scarpa
Romano Scarpa was one of the most famous Italian creators of Disney comics.-Biography:Growing up in Venice he developed a particular love for American cartoons and Disney comics, that, at the time, were published in the big format of the Topolino Giornale which was then printing now classic Floyd...
, Giorgio Cavazzano
Giorgio Cavazzano
Giorgio Cavazzano is an Italian comic strip artist. He started his career at age 14, as an inker for Romano Scarpa...
, Massimo De Vita, Giovan Battista Carpi
Giovan Battista Carpi
Giovan Battista Carpi was an Italian comics artist. He worked mainly for Disney comics, mostly on books featuring Donald Duck and Scrooge McDuck, although he occasionally drew Mickey Mouse as well...
and Guido Martina. The best known Disney character created in Italy is 'Paperinik' (known as Duck Avenger or Phantom Duck to English audiences).
Italy prints around 8000 pages of new Disney stories per year, exported worldwide (it makes up 50% of the total production). The main publication, digest size
Digest size
Digest size is a magazine size, smaller than a conventional or "journal size" magazine but larger than a standard paperback book, approximately 5½ x 8¼ inches, but can also be 5⅜ x 8⅜ inches and 5½ x 7½ inches. These sizes have evolved from the printing press operation end...
"Topolino
Topolino
Topolino, is an Italian digest-sized comic series featuring Disney comics. The series has had a long running history, first appearing in 1932...
", prints only new stories every week, but there exist 32 different series of reprints going on, for 30 millions of copies sold each year.
In the last 10 years Disney Italia produced innovative series like PK
PKNA
PKNA - Paperinik New Adventures is a Disney comic, published in Italy from 14 March 1996 to 20 December 2000, about the new adventures of Paperinik, the superhero created in 1969 by Guido Martina, Elisa Penna and Giovan Battista Carpi, which served as Donald Duck's secret identity.The first issue...
(Paperinik stories with an American superheroes flavour), W.I.T.C.H.
W.I.T.C.H.
W.I.T.C.H. is an Italian fantasy/Magical girl comic series created by Elisabetta Gnone, Alessandro Barbucci and Barbara Canepa. It tells the story of five teenage girls who are chosen to be the new Guardians of Kandrakar, protectors of the center of the universe from people and creatures who wish...
or Monster Allergy
Monster Allergy
Monster Allergy is a comic book series of Disney Italy published by Buena Vista Comics.- History :In 1996, Disney Italy launched a new comic company called PKNA with an unusual format, featuring human characters rather than the typical anthropomorphic animals that Walt Disney used the first thirty...
.
Famous authors
- Giancarlo AlessandriniGiancarlo Alessandrini-Biography:Born in Iesi, Alessandrini graduated from Ancona's Art Institute and begins drawing comics professionally in 1972 for Il Corriere dei Ragazzi with the story Il Cifrario del Maggiore Martin written by Mino Milani...
- Dino BattagliaDino BattagliaDino Battaglia was an Italian comic artist, noted for a distinctive and expressive style, best known for his visual adaptations of classic novels.-Biography:...
- Giancarlo BerardiGiancarlo BerardiGiancarlo Berardi is an Italian comic book writer. Born in Genoa, he is most famous as creator of comics Ken Parker and Julia .- External links :*...
- Luciano BernasconiLuciano BernasconiLuciano Bernasconi is an Italian comic book artist. In the early 1960s, he worked for fellow artist Carlo Cedroni's Studio Barbato, Editions Lug in France, and Edizioni Europer in Rome....
- Gian Luigi BonelliGian Luigi BonelliGiovanni Luigi Bonelli , was an Italian comic book author and writer.Born in Milan, he is best remembered as the co-creator of Tex Willer, together with artist Aurelio Galleppini. His son Sergio Bonelli was also a comic book writer, as well as the publisher of Tex Willer series until his own death...
- Franco BonviciniFranco BonviciniFranco Bonvicini, also known as Bonvi, was an Italian comic book artist, creator of Sturmtruppen and Nick Carter strips.-Biography:...
- Luciano BottaroLuciano BottaroLuciano Bottaro was an Italian comic book artist.Bottaro's characteristic style is highly appreciated in Europe - many countries publish his comics .Influenced by Otto Messmer's Felix the...
- Bruno BozzettoBruno BozzettoBruno Bozzetto is an Italian cartoon animator, creator of many short pieces, mainly of a political or satirical nature. He created his first animated short "Tapum! the weapons' story" in 1958 at the age of 20. His most famous character, a hapless little man named "Signor Rossi" Bruno Bozzetto...
- Max BunkerMax BunkerMax Bunker, pseudonym of Luciano Secchi is an Italian comic book author.Secchi was born in Milan. His career started with a western style comic book Maschera Nera , in 1962, and went on to enjoy success with Kriminal and Satanik in collaboration with Magnus...
- Guido BuzzelliGuido BuzzelliGuido Buzzelli was an Italian comic book artist, writer, illustrator and painter.-Biography:Buzzelli was born in Rome into a family in which his grandfather had been a decorator, his father a painter and his mother a model. He frequented the Academy of St. Luke and initially decided to follow his...
- Silvio Cadelo
- Renzo Calegari
- Alfredo CastelliAlfredo CastelliAlfredo Castelli is an Italian comic book author and writer.-Biography:Born in Milan, Castelli began his comic book career at an early age, creating the strip Scheletrino, a humor series for Italian comic book Diabolik, when he was only 16 years old.In 1966, with Paolo Sala, he created Comics Club...
- Claudio CastelliniClaudio CastelliniClaudio Castellini is an Italian comic book artist. According to his website, Castellini has a "love for technical details, influenced by artists like Neal Adams and John Buscema".-Biography:...
- Giorgio CavazzanoGiorgio CavazzanoGiorgio Cavazzano is an Italian comic strip artist. He started his career at age 14, as an inker for Romano Scarpa...
- Guido CrepaxGuido CrepaxGuido Crepax was an Italian comics artist. He is most famous for his character Valentina, created in 1965 and very representative of the spirit of the sixties. The Valentina series of books and strips became noted for Crepax's sophisticated drawing, and for the psychedelic, dreamlike storylines,...
- Gianni De LucaGianni De LucaGianni De Luca was an Italian comic book artist, illustrator, painter and etcher.-Biography:De Luca was born at Gagliano and moved to Rome to study architecture; however, he soon moved to comics and started his career as comics artists in 1946 for the magazine Il Vittorioso with Anac the Destroyer...
- Paolo Eleuteri SerpieriPaolo Eleuteri SerpieriPaolo Eleuteri Serpieri is an Italian comic book writer and illustrator, noted for his works of highly detailed renderings of the human form, particularly erotic images of women...
- Aurelio GalleppiniAurelio GalleppiniAurelio Galleppini , better known with his nickname Galep, was an Italian comics artist and illustrator....
- Vittorio GiardinoVittorio GiardinoVittorio Giardino is an Italian comic artist.Giardino was born in Bologna, where he graduated in electrical engineering in 1969.At the age of 30, he decided to leave his job and devote himself to comics...
- Dario Guzzon
- Nik Guerra
- Benito JacovittiBenito JacovittiBenito Jacovitti was an Italian comic artist.Benito Jacovitti was born in Termoli, Molise in the southern part of the country. He was still a kid when he started drawing on the pavement of the village's streets. The son of a railwayman, Benito entered Macerata's art school at age 11, graduating to...
- Tanino LiberatoreTanino LiberatoreGaetano Liberatore , better known as Tanino Liberatore, is an Italian comics author and illustrator. His best known fictional character is RanXerox.- Life and work :...
- MagnusRoberto RaviolaMagnus, pseudonym of Roberto Raviola, was an Italian comic book artist, regarded as one of the foremost cartoonists of all time in his country.-Biography:Born in Bologna in 1939, Raviola lived there for his whole life....
- Milo ManaraMilo ManaraMaurilio Manara – known professionally as Milo Manara – is an Italian comic book writer and artist, best known for his erotic approach to the medium.-Career:...
- Lorenzo MattottiLorenzo MattottiLorenzo Mattotti is an Italian comics and graphical artist as well as an illustrator. His illustrations have been published in magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Vogue, The New Yorker, Le Monde and Vanity Fair...
- Attilio Micheluzzi
- Ivo MilazzoIvo MilazzoIvo Milazzo is an Italian comic book artist.He was born in Tortona, and worked mainly for Sergio Bonelli Editore. Together with his friend, writer Giancarlo Berardi, in 1974 he created Ken Parker, one of the most appreciated western characters of European comics.His style is somewhat reminiscent...
- Walter Molino
- Morrik
- Leonardo Ortolani
- Francesca Paolucci
- Andrea PazienzaAndrea PazienzaAndrea Pazienza , was an Italian comics artist and painter.- Life :Pazienza was born in San Benedetto del Tronto, province of Ascoli Piceno , in 1956....
- Hugo PrattHugo PrattHugo Eugenio Pratt was an Italian comic book creator who was known for combining strong storytelling with extensive historical research on works such as Corto Maltese...
- Massimo RotundoMassimo RotundoMassimo Rotundo is an Italian comics artist.After attending the Academy of Fine Arts in his native city, Rome, he made his debut as comics artist in 1978 in collaboration with Eura Editoriale. Later he worked for other publications, like L'Eternauta, Comic Art, Orient Express, Heavy Metal and Ècho...
- Pietro Sartoris
- Franco SaudelliFranco SaudelliFranco Saudelli is an Italian comics artist, mostly known for his erotic stories.-Biography:Franco Saudelli was born in Latina , but moved soon to Rome....
- Romano ScarpaRomano ScarpaRomano Scarpa was one of the most famous Italian creators of Disney comics.-Biography:Growing up in Venice he developed a particular love for American cartoons and Disney comics, that, at the time, were published in the big format of the Topolino Giornale which was then printing now classic Floyd...
- Tiziano SclaviTiziano SclaviTiziano Sclavi is an Italian comic book author, journalist and writer of several novels. Sclavi is most famous as creator of the comic book Dylan Dog in 1986, for Italian publishing house Sergio Bonelli Editore...
- Giovanni Sinchetto
- Luigi Siniscalchi
- Ferdinando TacconiFerdinando TacconiFredinando Tacconi was an Italian comics artist.Tacconi was born in Milan. He earned a degree in Applied Arts from Castello Sforzesco...
- Stefano TamburiniStefano TamburiniStefano Tamburini was an Italian graphic artist, author and publisher.Born in Rome, he founded the magazines Combinazioni , Cannibale and Frigidaire...
- Enrico Teodorani
- Sergio ToppiSergio ToppiSergio Toppi is an Italian cartoonist.-Career:Born in Milan, Toppi made his debut in the illustration world working for the renowned Italian publisher UTET, and collaborated to several advertisement campaigns....
- Silvia ZicheSilvia ZicheSilvia Ziche is an Italian comic book artist and writer.Silvia Ziche is mainly known for her work on the Italian Donald Duck comics. Her drawing style is simplistic and comical, and includes many funny facial expressions on the characters...
Bonelli adventure comics
- Tex WillerTex WillerTex Willer is the main fictional character of the Italian comics series Tex, created by writer Gian Luigi Bonelli and illustrator Aurelio Galleppini, and first published in Italy on 30 September 1948. It is among the most popular characters of Italian comics, with translations to numerous ...
by Gian Luigi BonelliGian Luigi BonelliGiovanni Luigi Bonelli , was an Italian comic book author and writer.Born in Milan, he is best remembered as the co-creator of Tex Willer, together with artist Aurelio Galleppini. His son Sergio Bonelli was also a comic book writer, as well as the publisher of Tex Willer series until his own death...
(since 1948) - ZagorZagorZagor is an Italian comic book created by editor and writer Sergio Bonelli and artist Gallieno Ferri. Zagor was first published In Italy by Sergio Bonelli Editore in 1961.-Character:...
by Sergio BonelliSergio BonelliSergio Bonelli was an Italian comic book author and publisher.Sergio Bonelli was born in Milan, the son of Gian Luigi Bonelli, the creator of Tex Willer and many other Italian comic strips. In order to distinguish himself from his father, he usually wrote his scripts under the pen name Guido Nolitta...
(since 1965) - Martin MystèreMartin MystèreMartin Mystère is an Italian comic book. Created by writer Alfredo Castelli and drawn by Giancarlo Alessandrini, it was first published in Italy by Sergio Bonelli Editore in 1982....
by Alfredo CastelliAlfredo CastelliAlfredo Castelli is an Italian comic book author and writer.-Biography:Born in Milan, Castelli began his comic book career at an early age, creating the strip Scheletrino, a humor series for Italian comic book Diabolik, when he was only 16 years old.In 1966, with Paolo Sala, he created Comics Club...
(since 1982) - Dylan DogDylan DogDylan Dog is an Italian horror comics series featuring an eponymous character created by Tiziano Sclavi for the publishing house Sergio Bonelli Editore...
by Tiziano SclaviTiziano SclaviTiziano Sclavi is an Italian comic book author, journalist and writer of several novels. Sclavi is most famous as creator of the comic book Dylan Dog in 1986, for Italian publishing house Sergio Bonelli Editore...
(since 1986) - Nathan NeverNathan Neverthumb|200px|right|Cover for Nathan Never #1.Nathan Never is a black-and-white, science fiction Italian comic book, published monthly in Italy since 1991 by Sergio Bonelli Editore. It is written by Michele Medda, Antonio Serra and Bepi Vigna...
by Michele MeddaMichele MeddaMichele Medda is an Italian comics writer.Medda was born in Cagliari, Sardinia. In 1991, together with Antonio Serra and Bepi Vigna, he created the science fiction series Nathan Never for Sergio Bonelli Editore...
, Antonio SerraAntonio Serra (comics)Antonio Serra is an Italian comics writer.-Biography:Serra was born in Alghero, Sardinia. After some collaborations with amateur publications, in 1991, together with Michele Medda and Bepi Vigna, he created the science fiction series Nathan Never for Sergio Bonelli Editore, for which he had worked...
and Bepi Vigna (since 1991) - Mister NoMister NoMister No is an Italian comic book, first published in Italy in 1975 by Sergio Bonelli Editore.Mister No was created by writer Sergio Bonelli under the pseudonym Guido Nolitta, and by artist Gallieno Ferri, in Spring 1975. The regular monthly series endured for 379 publications, and the last issue...
by Sergio BonelliSergio BonelliSergio Bonelli was an Italian comic book author and publisher.Sergio Bonelli was born in Milan, the son of Gian Luigi Bonelli, the creator of Tex Willer and many other Italian comic strips. In order to distinguish himself from his father, he usually wrote his scripts under the pen name Guido Nolitta...
(from 1975 to 2006) - Ken Parker by Giancarlo BerardiGiancarlo BerardiGiancarlo Berardi is an Italian comic book writer. Born in Genoa, he is most famous as creator of comics Ken Parker and Julia .- External links :*...
and Ivo MilazzoIvo MilazzoIvo Milazzo is an Italian comic book artist.He was born in Tortona, and worked mainly for Sergio Bonelli Editore. Together with his friend, writer Giancarlo Berardi, in 1974 he created Ken Parker, one of the most appreciated western characters of European comics.His style is somewhat reminiscent...
(from 1977 to 1998)
Adventure comics
- Corto MalteseCorto MalteseCorto Maltese is a comics series featuring an eponymous character, a complex sailor-adventurer. It was created by Italian comic book creator Hugo Pratt in 1967...
, Sergeant KirkSergeant KirkSergeant Kirk, El Sargento Kirk or Sgt. Kirk, is the title and main character of a western comics series by Italian comic book creator Hugo Pratt and Argentine author Héctor Germán Oesterheld.-Publication history:...
, Fort WheelingFort WheelingFort Wheeling, or simply Wheeling, is the title of a comics series set in colonial North America, by Italian comics creator Hugo Pratt.-Publication history:Wheeling first appeared in the Argentine comics magazine Misterix in 1962...
, Jesuit JoeJesuit JoeJesuit Joe is a mysterious character who appears in the eponymous story of Italian comics creator Hugo Pratt. This graphic novel was initially serialised in Pilote, before it was released as hardcover albums in 1980, in France entitled Jésuite Joe, and in Italy, entitled L'uomo del grande nord,...
, Morgan, all by Hugo PrattHugo PrattHugo Eugenio Pratt was an Italian comic book creator who was known for combining strong storytelling with extensive historical research on works such as Corto Maltese... - DiabolikDiabolikDiabolik is a fictional character, an anti-hero featured in Italian comics. He was created by sisters Angela and Luciana Giussani in 1962. His stories appear in monthly black and white digest-sized booklets. The character was inspired by several previous characters from Italian and French pulp...
by Angela and Luciana Giussani - Kriminal and SatanikSatanikSatanik is an Italian noir comic book created in December 1964 by Max Bunker and Magnus , also the authors of the popular series Kriminal and Alan Ford.-Synopsis:...
by Max Bunker and Magnus - Lo SconosciutoLo SconosciutoLo Sconosciuto is an Italian comics series created in 1975 by Roberto Raviola, better known his pseudonym Magnus. It has been translated into English as The Specialist....
(The Unknown) by Magnus - Lazarus LeddLazarus LeddLazarus Ledd is an Italian comic book, first published in Italy in 1993 by Edizioni Star Comics.Authors who worked to the Lazarus Ledd include writers Ade Capone, Stefano Vietti, Marcello Toninelli and drawers Emanuelo Barison, Alberto Gennari, Giancarlo Olivares and Stefano Raffaele....
by Ade Capone - RanXeroxRanXeroxRanxerox is a science fiction graphic novel series by Stefano Tamburini and Tanino Liberatore, two Italian artists who had worked on such magazines as Cannibale and Frigidaire...
by Tanino LiberatoreTanino LiberatoreGaetano Liberatore , better known as Tanino Liberatore, is an Italian comics author and illustrator. His best known fictional character is RanXerox.- Life and work :...
and Stefano TamburiniStefano TamburiniStefano Tamburini was an Italian graphic artist, author and publisher.Born in Rome, he founded the magazines Combinazioni , Cannibale and Frigidaire...
Humour comics
- Alan Ford and MaxmagnusMaxmagnusMaxmagnus is a comics series featuring an eponymous character, created in 1968 by Italian comic book creator Max Bunker and comics artist Magnus, for the magazine Eureka.-Synopsis:...
by Max BunkerMax BunkerMax Bunker, pseudonym of Luciano Secchi is an Italian comic book author.Secchi was born in Milan. His career started with a western style comic book Maschera Nera , in 1962, and went on to enjoy success with Kriminal and Satanik in collaboration with Magnus...
and MagnusRoberto RaviolaMagnus, pseudonym of Roberto Raviola, was an Italian comic book artist, regarded as one of the foremost cartoonists of all time in his country.-Biography:Born in Bologna in 1939, Raviola lived there for his whole life.... - CattivikCattivikCattivik was an Italian humoristic comic book character created by Bonvi .The character first appeared in the magazine Tiramolla on 19 July 1970...
by BonviFranco BonviciniFranco Bonvicini, also known as Bonvi, was an Italian comic book artist, creator of Sturmtruppen and Nick Carter strips.-Biography:...
(later Silver) - Lupo AlbertoLupo AlbertoLupo Alberto is an Italian comic book series created by Guido Silvestri in 1974. It details the adventures of Lupo Alberto, a blue wolf. The main protagonist of the comic book, Lupo Alberto takes the shape of the common man who has a goal in life and a certain amount of bad luck...
by Silver - SturmtruppenSturmtruppenSturmtruppen was a successful Italian series of anti-war comic books, written and drawn by Bonvi, the artistic pseudonym of Franco Bonvicini starting as four-frame comic strips back in 1968 and evolving into fully sized collector books up to the 1990s and first decade of the third millennium.The...
by BonviFranco BonviciniFranco Bonvicini, also known as Bonvi, was an Italian comic book artist, creator of Sturmtruppen and Nick Carter strips.-Biography:... - Cocco BillCocco BillCocco Bill is an Italian comics character by Benito Jacovitti. He is the star of a parody Western comic set in hypothetical places in the Far West. He is a hot-tempered gunslinger who drinks chamomile tea. Occasionally mocked for this, Bill responds with violence...
by Benito JacovittiBenito JacovittiBenito Jacovitti was an Italian comic artist.Benito Jacovitti was born in Termoli, Molise in the southern part of the country. He was still a kid when he started drawing on the pavement of the village's streets. The son of a railwayman, Benito entered Macerata's art school at age 11, graduating to... - Rat-ManRat-Man (comics)Rat-Man is an Italian comic about an inept superhero of the same name, created by Leonardo Ortolani in 1989. Although it was initially meant to be a satire of other superheroes, most prominently Batman, it has since evolved into an independent comic sporting a complex, evolving continuity...
by Leo Ortolani
Erotic comics
- Click (Il Gioco) and Giuseppe BergmanGiuseppe BergmanGiuseppe Bergman is the Candide-like protagonist of the works of Italian cartoonist Milo Manara. The anti-heroic Italian youth stars in four graphic novels which are an ironic deconstruction of adventure stories and comic books as a medium....
by Milo ManaraMilo ManaraMaurilio Manara – known professionally as Milo Manara – is an Italian comic book writer and artist, best known for his erotic approach to the medium.-Career:... - Valentina by Guido CrepaxGuido CrepaxGuido Crepax was an Italian comics artist. He is most famous for his character Valentina, created in 1965 and very representative of the spirit of the sixties. The Valentina series of books and strips became noted for Crepax's sophisticated drawing, and for the psychedelic, dreamlike storylines,...
- DruunaDruunaDruuna is an erotic science fiction and fantasy comic book character created by Italian cartoonist Paolo Eleuteri Serpieri. Most of Druuna's adventures revolve around a post-apocalyptic future, and the plot is often a vehicle for varied scenes of hardcore pornography and softcore sexual imagery...
by Paolo Eleuteri SerpieriPaolo Eleuteri SerpieriPaolo Eleuteri Serpieri is an Italian comic book writer and illustrator, noted for his works of highly detailed renderings of the human form, particularly erotic images of women... - CalaveraCalavera (comics)Calavera is an Italian adult comic book featuring a female character with razor claws named Francisca Calavera. It was created by writer Enrico Teodorani and artist Joe Vigil, published in Italy by E.F. edizioni, and in the U.S. by Carnal Comics as Calavera: Beautiful, Bloody & Bare.Calavera is a...
by Enrico Teodorani and Joe Vigil - DjustineDjustineDjustine is an Italian comic book series written by Enrico Teodorani.The Djustine character was created from a fusion of Sergio Corbucci's film character Django, and the Marquis de Sade's titular "Justine".- Publication history :...
by Enrico Teodorani
See also
- Donald Duck pocket booksDonald Duck pocket booksThe Donald Duck pocket books are a series of paperback-sized publications published in various European countries, featuring Disney comics.- Background :...
- For a non-exhaustive list of Italian authors, see List of comic creators
- For a non-exhaustive list of Italian comic books, see List of comic books
External links
- afNews: daily news and all kind of information about fumetti and comic art. Press agency by Gianfranco GoriaGianfranco GoriaGianfranco Goria is an Italian cartoonist, script-writer, Disney creator and journalist. He founded the Italian cartoonists society , the daily news service , the , and the National Union of Comic Artists . He is the editor of the Italian editions of important essays about comic art by Scott...
- uBC Fumetti: fumetti from publisher Bonelli, with translations in English and other languages
- Museo del Fumetto Fondazione Franco Fossati
- Website TexBR Italian comics of Sergio Bonelli Editore
- An article (2010) about Italian comics