Fino al 13 settembre in mostra “Diabolik – Eva Kant. Una vita vissuta diabolikamente” presentata dalla provincia di Roma a Palazzo Incontro. Dopo 47 anni dal suo debutto Diabolik rimane uno dei personaggi preferiti dei fumetti. L’eposizione, curata da Vincenzo Mollica, è divisa in sei sezioni distribuite nei tre piani del palazzo
LE IMMAGINI / FUMETTI
Diabolik, una vita di rapine
si apre una mostra a Roma
Gruppo (sexy) di famiglia etrusca in un interno
il manifesto di Milo Manara
Il manifesto disegnato da Milo Manara per una campagna (che comprende anche una mostra di fumetti e un libro) sull’antica civiltà dei centro Italia. Un’immagine troppo voluttuosa? «Macchè» dice il disegnatore: «è un popolo che sapeva godersi la vita»
Un invito a entrare in una famiglia etrusca». È questo che Milo Manara ha immaginato per il manifesto di Etruscomix, l’iniziativa ideata dalla Soprintendenza per i Beni archeologici dell’Etruria meridionale e organizzata con Comicon, il salone del fumetto di Napoli, per avvicinare, soprattutto i giovani, a questo popolo, alla sua cultura e ai suoi luoghi.
Il manifesto di Manara, scelto per la sensualità e per l’appeal del suo tratto, sarà lanciato su bus e metrò di Roma e sui giornali (tra cui il mensile XL). Un mix inaspettato, archeologia e fumetti (da cui verrà tratto anche un libro, edito da Black Velvet), che continuerà al Museo nazionale etrusco di Villa Giulia, a Roma: accanto ai reperti archeologici veri-anno esposte sei storie a fumetti
particolare di Marino Neri
dei fumetto ispirate agli Etruschi (dal 30 giugno al 25 ottobre, wwìv.civitaJt). I sei giovani disegnatori chiamati a realizzarle (Francesco Cattani, Marino Neri, Paolo Parisi, Michele Petrucci, Alessandro Rak, Claudio Stassi) sono stati ospitati una settimana tra Villa Giulia, Cerveteri e Tarquinia per trovare la giusta ispirazione.
Al Sarcofago degli sposi del Museo di Villa Giulia si è ispirato invece Manara per la coppia del suo manifesto. «Con questa campagna abbiamo voluto api-ire una finestra stilla storia» spiega l’artista. Uno scorcio troppo sensuale? «Dai banchetti dipinti nei loro sepolcri ho capito che gli Etruschi sapevano godersi la vita. Avrebbero apprezzato i miei disegni, credo».
Articolo di FRANCESCA FREDIANI estratto da “IL VENERDI” di “La Repubblica”
Edizione 2009
Cartoon Club riporta in riviera il mondo dei fumetti che sarà accompagnato da mostre, concerti e spettacoli rigorosamente a tema per i tantissimi appassionati
Un mondo di fumetti e molto altro ancora con la XXV edizione di Cartoon Club: il Festival Internazionale del Cinema d’Animazione e del Fumetto, che si svolgerà a Rimini dal 10 luglio al 1°agosto 2009.
CARTOON CLUB A PIAZZALE FELLINI
Ore 21, ingresso libero, in caso di maltempo Teatro Novelli, via Cappellini, 3 “Cuore” del Festival è senza dubbio Piazzale Fellini. Qui si aprirà la manifestazione venerdì 10 luglio con una serata dedicata a Cartoon Network (proiezioni di cartoni animati del canale satellitare). Segue sabato 11 luglio lo spettacolo Filù…disegnar coi versi, con l’artista Alvalenti, apparso in trasmissioni come Bravograzie 2008 (RAI) e Seven Show (Italia 7), oltre alle partecipazioni a Laboratorio Zelig di Bologna e Laboratorio Zelig Off di Milano. Domenica 12 luglio ritorna a Rimini l’applauditissimo Gruppo Alcuni con il nuovo spettacolo teatrale Il circo dei cartoni – Il mistero di Leonardo ragazzo.Si prosegue il week-end successivo con la serata di venerdì 17 luglio dedicata ai simpatici e travolgenti Ed, Edd & Eddy (i personaggi più longevi di Cartoon Network, apparsi la prima volta nel 1999) con la presentazione in anteprima del lungometraggio The Big Picture Show del 2008. Sabato 18 luglio è il turno di Banda Cartoons, concerto dal vivo con le sigle più celebri dei cartoni animati. Domenica 19 luglio piazzale Fellini sarà invece allietato dai personaggi del canale satellitare Nickelodeon, dai Pinguini del Madagascar a Spongebob.
I COMPLEANNI AI MUSEI COMUNALI
Ore 21, ingresso libero. In caso di maltempo all’interno dei Musei Comunali. Festeggiamenti importanti ai Musei Comunali di Rimini (via Tonini, 1): qui Cartoon Club, nella suggestiva cornice del Lapidario Romano,
celebra personaggi notissimi del mondo del cinema d’animazione e precisamente Wile E. Coyote e Bip Bip, nati sessant’anni fa (martedì 14 luglio), Batman, creato settant’anni fa, con la proiezione del lungometraggio animato “Batman e il mistero di Batwoman”, realizzato nel 2003 (martedì 21 luglio) e Braccio di Ferro, ovvero Popeye, che
spegne ben ottanta candeline (28 luglio).
RITORNO AL CHIOSTRO
Ore 21, ingresso libero (In caso di maltempo cinema Tiberio). Cartoon Club ritorna al Chiostro in Borgo San Giuliano (viale Tiberio, 16) con due serate, la prima (giovedì 16 luglio) dedicata a Federico Fellini con lo spettacolo Il gran lunatico della Compagnia del Serraglio, in collaborazione con la Fondazione Fellini, ovvero
l’arte dei Maestro riminese spiegata ai più piccoli e la seconda (giovedì 23 luglio) Quando l’Uomo Ragno parla italiano con i disegnatori italiani impegnati con i più noti supereroi e proiezioni di cortometraggi a tema.
EVENTI SPECIALI
World Fashion Musical: finalmente l’anima è un musical, scritto e ideato da Christine Joan Johnson, con l’accompagnamento visivo delle animazioni di Riccardo Maneglia e Massimo Modula, in scena domenica
19 luglio al Teatro Novelli (ore 21, ingresso libero). Il Grand Hotel di Rimini è invece la sede di Animation Meeting in programma venerdì 24 luglio (ore 21, ingresso ad invito): l’evento Dall’Ombra fonde musica dal vivo e cinema d’animazione con Massimo Ottoni e Christian Ravaglioli, assieme ai protagonisti del concorso Project Awards della Regione Emilia-Romagna. A seguire Dante in punta di matita: Franco Costantini declama “La Divina Commedia” mentre Marcello Toninelli disegna il suo “Dante”. Sabato 25 luglio la suggestiva cornice di Castelsismondo accoglierà invece Music Gate, spettacolo di musica e cinema d’animazione a cura di RAI-Gulp e Antoniano di Bologna (ore 21.30, ingresso libero, in caso di maltempo al Teatro Novelli).
LA TRE GIORNI DI RIMINICOMIX
In caso di maltempo gli eventi all’aperto sono al Teatro Novelli. Da venerdì 24 a domenica 26 luglio Cartoon Club ritorna a piazzale Fellini con il clou dell’evento: come sempre il piazzale sarà animato da Riminicomix, mostra mercato del fumetto (dalle ore 17 alle ore 24, ingresso libero) con tutte le novità del settore (fumetti, CD, giochi di ruolo, videogames, DVD ed altro ancora) dalle proiezioni di cortometraggi animati da tutto il mondo ogni sera a partire dalle ore 21 (anche lunedì 27 luglio) e dalla V Cosplay Convention (dalle ore 15) con sfilate e concorsi per i costumi ispirati a personaggi di fumetti e cartoni animati, con la presenza del gruppo La Flotta di Vega nel pomeriggio di sabato 25 luglio.
Venerdì 24, sabato 25 e domenica 26 luglio, dalle ore 10 alle ore 12,30 (Bagno 27, ingresso libero) il tradizionale appuntamento con Fumetti on The Beach, ovvero le performance dal vivo dei più importanti disegnatori italiani.
Tra gli appuntamenti in programma a piazzale Fellini inoltre lo stage di fumetto (24-26 luglio dalle ore 15,30 alle ore 17, solo su prenotazione), gli incontri con gli autori (dalle ore 17.30 alle ore 19.30 nello stand di Riminicomix), il Projects Award della Regione Animata (venerdì 24 luglio, ore 17.30) il Martyn Mystère Day (sabato 25 luglio dalle ore 17.30 alle 19.30) e l’Insonne Day (domenica 26 luglio, dalle ore 17.30 alle ore 19.30) dedicato agli autori e ai fans di Desdy Metus, la deejay nottambula creata da Giuseppe di Bernardo.
I LUNGOMETRAGGI
Ore 21, ingresso € 5,00, ridotti € 4,50. In caso di maltempo Cinema Corso Tre serate con lungometraggi alla Corte degli Agostiniani (via Cairoli, 40). La prima serata (giovedì 30 luglio) è dedicata all’ultimo capolavoro del maestro giapponese Hayao Miyazaki Ponyo sulla scogliera, preceduto dai cortometraggi realizzati nell’ambito
del laboratorio “La voce dei popoli 2009”. Venerdì 31 luglio è invece in programma Le avventure del topino Despereaux diretto da Sam Fell e Robert Stevenhagen, anticipato dall’assegnazione del Premio Signor
Rossi. Serata di chiusura sabato 1 agosto con Tiffany e i tre briganti di Hayo Freitag, tratto dal celebre libro per bambini di Tomi Ungerer.
LE MOSTRE
Ingresso libero. Omaggio ad Osvaldo Cavandoli, indimenticabile amico del Festival, e al suo personaggio Mr. Linea grazie alla mostra Osvaldo Cavandoli. Magica Linea ospitata dal 14 al 31 luglio nei Musei Comunali di
Rimini ( da martedì a sabato dalle ore 10 alle ore 12.30 e dalle ore 16.30 alle ore 19.30. domenica dalle ore 16.30 alle ore 19.30 e martedì e venerdì anche apertura serale dalle ore 21 alle ore 23). A Palazzo del Podestà in piazza Cavour si possono invece visitare dal 17 al 30 luglio la mostra dedicata al disegnatore Giancarlo
Alessandrin – La “ligne claire” all’italiana e la mostra Nel mezzo del cammin di una vignetta. Dante a fumetti nel mondo (dalle ore 10 alle ore 12 e dalle ore 18 alle ore 23).
Due mostre anche a Palazzina Roma, dal 24 al 27 luglio: la prima celebra i 75 anni di Paperino, una delle creature più amate di casa Disney, la seconda è imperniata sui lavori dell’ Emilia Romagna Projects Award con i nuovi talenti dell’animazione (ore 18-23).
I PREMI
Cartoon Club assegnerà anche quest’anno i tradizionali riconoscimenti come il XIII Premio Signor Rossi per le scuole di cinema d’animazione italiane ed estere, il XIII Premio “Franco Fossati” per le opere italiane di storia, critica e saggistica sul fumetto, il V Premio Fede a Strisce, Fumetto Cristiano – Roberto Ramberti e il I Premio
Cartoon Baby, con una giuria di bambini della scuola primaria di primo e secondo grado, per assegnare il premio al miglior film d’animazione fruibile da un pubblico di bambini.
CARTOON CLUB ON TOUR
Il Festival propone inoltre altri appuntamenti nel territorio della Provincia di Rimini. Dal 17 al 30 luglio (dalle 9 alle ore 22, ingresso gratuito) il Centro Commerciale Le Befane di Rimini ospita la mostra Nostra Signora degli Enigmi: Martin Mystère e i misteri italiani. Cartoon Club sarà anche presente al Mystfest di Cattolica sabato 11 luglio, alle ore 18.30 (piazza Mercato/Cinema Snaporaz) con la presentazione del libro Lezioni di fumetto: Bruno Brindisi, una linea chiara per raccontare l’orrore. Segue aperitivo con l’autore alla presenza di Bruno Brindisi, Carlo Lucarelli e Paolo Guiducci. Sulla spiaggia di Rimini terme a Miramare di Rimini venerdì 17 luglio serata speciale Eroi sulla spiaggia (ore 21.15, ingresso gratuito) con i più bei cortometraggi animati presentati al Festival nei suoi 25 anni di attività. Infine a Villa Verucchio, nel chiostro del convento dei Frati Minori, dal 26 luglio al 4 agosto, è possibile visitare la mostra Nostro fratello di Assisi. Storia di un’esperienza di Dio a fumetti (ingresso libero).
Per informazioni: Cartoon Club tel. 
0541/784193
oppure www.cartoonclub.it
Una graphic novel sul caso di Federico Aldrovandi.
Un romanzo a fumetti che narra due storie: un «normale» episodio di tragica violenza e la storia dei due autori che hanno seguito prima l’inchiesta e poi il processo.
All’alba del 25 settembre del 2005, un diciottenne muore a Ferrara, pochi minuti dopo essere stato fermato dalla polizia se una madre tenace e coraggiosa non avesse, dopo mesi di silenzi, aperto un blog per battersi per una giustizia negata sarebbe la storia di Federico Aldrovandi si sarebbe ridotta ad un trafiletto di cronaca locale. Dalla scoperta di quel blog, grazie alle pagine di Indymedia, e da un lavoro di inchiesta di tre anni nasce Zona del silenzio, un romanzo a fumetti autobiografico firmato da Checchino Antonini insieme al fumettista Alessio Spataro racconta come ha appreso e seguito la storia e la tragedia di Federico Aldrovandi.
Leggi il seguito dell\’articolo
Kings in Disguise is a six issue comic book limited series, published in 1988 by Kitchen Sink Press. It was created by writer Jim Vance and artist Dan Burr. It is considered as one of the hundred best comic book stories of all time and has been hailed by Alan Moore, Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman and Art Spiegelman It was issued in trade paperback in 1990 and 2006.
It’s a multiple Harvey and Eisner Award winner.
The story is set during the Depression.
Quote
“One of the most moving and compelling human stories to emerge out of the graphic story medium.” —Alan Moore
References
- Vance, James (2006). Kings in Disguise. Dan Burr, ill.. New York: W.W. Norton. ISBN 0393328481. OCLC 62697235.
Link
Il fumetto ai tempi della recessione |
The long-awaited USA film premiere of THE DIABOLIKAL SUPER-KRIMINAL FILM has just been scheduled at the internationally prestigious SAN DIEGO COMIC CONVENTION in San Diego, California on Saturday, July 25, 2009!
Click on the poster below for updates and to see the movie trailer, music video and other behind the scenes information!
Mort Todd produced the film and will present the screening. Mort also writes the English SADISTIK books and is in preproduction on an animated web series.
Clicca sul poster qui sotto per gli aggiornamenti e per vedere il film trailer, video musicali e altre informazioni dietro le quinte!
 John Burns with a copy of magazine FutureQuake |
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| Born | John M. Burns 1938 Essex, England |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British |
| Area(s) | artist |
| Notable works | The Seekers Danielle Modesty Blaise Zetari Nikolai Dante The Bendatti Vendetta |
John Burns (sometimes John M. Burns) is an English comics artist, with a career stretching back to the mid-1960s.
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Biography
His initial work was as an illustrator for Junior Express and School Friend.[1] During the 1960s, Burns worked on TV Century 21 and its sister magazines, including the Space Family Robinson series in “Lady Penelope”.
A sample of Burns’s art from his brief run on the Modesty Blaise strip, #4761 c. 09/79, the “Eve & Adam” storyline.
For a while he drew daily comics strips for newspapers The Daily Sketch, The Daily Mi
rror and The Sun, including The Seekers, Danielle and, for a period succeeding Enrique Romero during 1978-79, Modesty Blaise.[1]
He moved on to illustrate TV tie-in strips for now-defunct title Look-in, always scripted by Angus P. Allan, Burns was already well-known by the start of the 1980s. He also worked on the title story for Countdown.
It was when he made the crossover to 2000 AD, along with fellow Look-in alumni Jim Baikie and Arthur Ranson, that his position in British comics was cemented.
Burns began by working on Judge Dredd, a strip to which he continues to contribute to this day. By his own admission (in a 2004 interview with David Bishop in the Judge Dredd Megazine), Burns does not enjoy drawing science fiction strips, and the look of Judge Dredd is one that he finds particularly unpleasant to draw:[2] this is ironic, as his version has drawn much reader acclaim.[citation needed]
Burns art from the Nikolai Dante strip
Recently, Burns lobbied to work on the Nikolai Dante strip, and has proved so successful that he is now considered the lead artist on the story.[citation needed] He has also co-created (with Robbie Morrison) a contemporary adventure strip, The Bendatti Vendetta, for the Megazine, this is unique for the title in having no science fiction or fantasy elements at all.
He recently finished an adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, whose script was rendered by Amy Corzine, for UK publisher Classical Comics.[3] Having previously worked on similar adaptions of Lorna Doone by R. D. Blackmore and, which is more, Wuthering Heights by Brontë’s sister Emily, Burns was able to bring considerable experience to the project.
Burns’s recent work is fully painted, and very solidly crafted.
Bibliography
Comics work includes:
- Judge Dredd:
- “Garbage Disposal” (with Garth Ennis, in 2000 AD #738, 1991)
- “Twilight’s Last Gleaming” (with Garth Ennis, in 2000 AD #754-756, 1991)
- “Raider” (with Garth Ennis, in 2000 AD #810-814, 1992)
- “Part Exchange” (with Dan Abnett, in 2000 AD #903, 1994)
- “Revenge of the Chief Judge’s Man” (with John Wagner, in 2000 AD #1342-1349, 2003)
- “Bite Fight!” (with John Smith, in Judge Dredd Megazine #224-225, 2004)
- Black Light: “Survivor Syndrome” (with Dan Abnett/Steve White, in 2000 AD #1001-1005, 1996)
- Penthouse Comix:
- “Abducted by Aliens” (with Eliot R. Brown/George Caragonne/Buzz Dixon, in Penthouse Comix #17-20, 1996-1997)
- “Zheena: Deadlier Than The Male” (with Ian Edginton, in Penthouse Comix #26, 1997)
- Nikolai Dante (with Robbie Morrison):
- “Cruel Seas” (in 2000 AD #1148-1149, 1999)
- “Requiem for Lost Love” (in 2000 AD #1150, 1999)
- “Rudinshtein Irregulars ” (in 2000 AD #1183-1190, 2000)
- “Love and War” (in 2000 AD #1200-1207, 2000)
- “One Last Night in the House of Sin” (in 2000 AD prog 2001, 2000)
- “The Romanov Empire” (in 2000 AD #1250-1262, 2001)
- “Hell and High Water” (in 2000 AD prog 2003 & #1322-1328, 2002-2003)
- “The Sea Falcon” (in 2000 AD prog 2004, 2003)
- “Agent of Destruction” (in 2000 AD prog 2005 & #1420-1427, 2004-2005)
- “How could you believe me when I said I loved you when you know I’ve been a liar all my life?” (in 2000 AD #1428-1431, 2005)
- “Primal Screams” (in 2000 AD #1433-1436, 2005)
- “Devil’s Deal” (in 2000 AD prog 2006, 2005)
- “Usurper” (in 2000 AD #1487-1489, 2006)
- “The Depths” (in 2000 AD #1500-1501, 2006)
- “Dragon’s Island” (in 2000 AD #1502-1507, 2006)
- “The Road of Bones” (in 2000 AD prog 2007, 2006)
- “Deadlier than the Male” (in 2000 AD #1518-1520, 2007)
- “The Beast of Rudinshtein” (in 2000 AD #1532-1535, 2007)
- “The Dissenter” (in 2000 AD #1537, 2007)
- “The Chaperone” (in 2000 AD #1560-1564, 2007)
- “Destiny’s Child” (in 2000 AD prog 2008, 2007)
- “The Tsar’s Daughter” (in 2000 AD #1578-1580, 2008)
- “Prisoner of the Tzar” (in 2000 AD #1612-ongoing, 2008)
- The Scarlet Apocrypha: “Necrocultura” (with Dan Abnett, in Judge Dredd M egazine #4.12, 2002)
- The Bendatti Vendetta (with Robbie Morrison):
- “The Bendatti Vendetta” (in Judge Dredd Megazine #4.13-18, 2002)
- “Blooded” (in Judge Dredd Megazine #209-211, 2003)
- “See Naples and Die” (in Judge Dredd Megazine #234-236, 2005)
- Jane Eyre (adapted by Amy Corzine, 144 pages, Classical Comics, Spring 2008, ISBN 978-1-906332-06-8, ISBN 978-1-906332-08-2)
Notes
- ^ a b “John M. Burns”. Comiclopedia. Lambiek. http://lambiek.net/artists/b/burns_jm.htm.
- ^ “Interrogation – John Burns Veteran” (by David Bishop, in Judge Dredd Megazine #224, 2004)
- ^ Classical Comics – Bringing classics to life
References
- 2000 AD profile
- John Burns data FFF (Italian)
Roberto Bonadimani nasce a Sona in provincia di Verona. All’età di 4 anni disegna con un carboncino un trenino sulla parete delle scale di casa. La madre non lo rimprovera, si complimenta con lui e apprezza il suo lavoro.
Questo primo caloroso incitamento potrebbe essere stato l’impr
inting che gli ha fatto amare da sempre e per sempre il disegno e il segno.
E’ dunque naturale che ami da subito, dai primi apprendimenti del saper leggere, il fumetto. Topolino e Tex sono le sue prime letture che lo stimolano a riempire quaderni e quaderni di storie a fumetti sceneggiate e disegnate.
All’età di dodici anni si perde, al cinema, la prima visione di “Pianeta proibito”, uno dei film culto del genere fantascientifico di tutti i tempi, per le sue tematiche e implicazioni teologiche. Ma non si lascia sfuggire il romanzo pubblicato da Uran
ia (Mondadori) che legge una decina di volte di seguito. Il ibro influenzerà definitivamente tutto il suo lavoro e lo porterà ad amare la letteratura fantastica, di fantascienza e fantasy.
Vincitore di moltissimi premi, compreso lo Yellow Kid alla carriera (Lucca Comics 1998) ha inizialmente pubblicato per la Casa Editrice Sansoni, e le Edizioni Nord. Le sue storie a fumetti sono apparse per Mondadori, Armenia, case editrici indipendenti o underground.
A parte qualche rara collaborazione, scrive, progetta, sceneggia e disegna le sue storie a fumetti.
Lavora e vive a Verona.
Link
Ink on Line – Intervista a Roberto Bonadimani
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| Born | Alfredo P. Alcala 23 August 1925 Talisay, Negros Occidental, Philippines |
|---|---|
| Died | 8 April 2000 (aged 74) Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. |
| Nationality | Filipino |
| Area(s) | Penciller, Inker |
| Notable works | Voltar Savage Sword of Conan Swamp Thing |
| Awards | Inkpot Award, 1977 |
Alfredo P. Alcala (August 23, 1925 – April 8, 2000) was a Filipino comic book artist, born in Talisay, Negros Occidental in the Philippines.
Biography
Alcala was born with a creative interest in designing. He was hooked on comic books in his early childhood, and his interest continued throughout his life. He was so compelled with art that he would start drawing pictures and begin posting them in his school’s hallways. Alcala was so determined to pursue his career in art that he dropped out of school as a young teenager to do so. He first received his break by doing various commercials and painting signs. Later, he began working in an ironworker’s shop, designing household materials like lamps, household furniture, and showed his excellence in craftsmanship by designing a church pulpit.
The biggest honor of his childhood came when he started drawing cartoons during the Japanese occupation in World War II. He acted as a spy for the American forces not even having intentions on doing so. Alcala would draw pictures and give them to the leader of the American unit which would help them in the war.
Alcala admired many different comic book artists during his time. He was so inspired by Lou Fine’s works that he started working in the world of comic books in October 1948, starting with an illustration in one of the local comic magazines called Bituin Komiks. At the end of the year, he would find himself doing many works for Ace Publications, which was the biggest publishing company in the Philippines.
At that time, Ace Publications was the publisher of four comic books (Filipino Komiks, Tagalog Klassiks, Espesial Komiks and Hiwaga Komiks), with each featuring some of Alcala’s work. Working with the company helped him develop many opportunities and expand his career. He took the challenge and made a good living by doing so. Alcala never used assistants to complete his work. He said, “I somehow felt that the minute you let someone else have a hand in your work no matter what, it’s not you anymore. Its like riding a bicycle built for two.”[1]
Alcala became a star of the Filipino comics scene. He was so famous that a comic magazine was named after him, the Alcala Komix Magazine. Alcala introduced himself to the American comic universe when he created the comic book Voltar in 1963, which was a major success. Alcala won numerous awards and became a worldwide attraction, which led him to work for DC Comics in the early 1970s, doing horror and fantasy titles. He also helped recruit up-and-coming Filipino artists such as Alex Niño. With his newfound success in the United States came a plethora of assignments; he moved to New York in 1976.
Alcala joined Warren Publishing in 1977 and would draw 39 stories for Warren from 1977 through 1981. His series Voltar would be reprinted in issues 2 through 9 of the magazine The Rook.
In the early 1980s, he moved on to take part in the art more suitable for his creative niche. Alcala went on to pencil popular comic books such as Star Wars and Conan the Barbarian. He also inked Don Newton’s pencil artwork in Batman.
By 1990s, his booming career and popularity led him to different projects, including drawing animations for films. Alcala also illustrated the novel Daddy Cool written by the late Donald Goines. He also worked on Swamp Thing for DC, which marked his return to the comics business. His contributions spanned several genres, including superheroes, horror, and fantasy.
On April 8, 2000, Alcala died from cancer in Southern California. He was survived by his wife, Lita and two sons, Christian Voltar and Alfred Jr.
Selected bibliography
- Captain Marvel (Marvel Comics, 1974)
- Conan the Barbarian (Marvel Comics, 1975; as inker (with John Buscema as penciller)
- Adventures on the Planet of the Apes (Marvel Comics, 1976-1977; an adaptation of the second, third and fourth movies of the Planet of the Apes series)
Notes
- ^ Spurgeon, Tom. “Alfredo Alcala, 1925-2000,” The Comics Reporter (May 30, 200
0). Accessed Feb. 13, 2009.
References
- Alfredo Alcala at the Comic Book DB
- Alcala’s son’s website, with tributes to Alcala
- Alfredo Alcala (posted May 5,2000)
- Alfredo Alcala bio at Lambiek.net’s Comiclopedia
External links
 Madman: The Oddity Odyssey cover |
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| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | various |
| First appearance | Creatures of the Id, 1990 |
| Created by | Mike Allred |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Zane Townsend |
| Team affiliations | The Atomics |
| Notable aliases | Frank Einstein |
| Abilities | Possesses the supernatural aptitude to learn things, Psychometry, Empathy and Supernatural Reflexes |
Madman is a comic book series set in one of the many parallel worlds existing in the Multiv
erse. Mike Allred is the creator of the Madman comic book and all its characters. Madman’s world is particularly strange. It is a world where mutants, extraterrestrials and freaks run rampant. The comic book primarily takes place in Snap City and Buzztown.
Character History
Madman (aka Frank Einstein) is not your average hero. Named after Frank Sinatra and Albert Einstein, his name is also a pun on Frankenstein.
Frank was a hitman who was killed in a car accident, then stitched back together and brought to life by a pair of mad scientists, Dr. Egon Boiffard and Dr. Gillespie Flem. This resurrection leaves Frank with supernatural reflexes and a slight degree of precognitive and empathic power. Frank doesn’t remember anything about his former life. Frank has only faint, troubling memories relating to his death. Madman’s costume is based on the only thing he remembered from his past: a fascination with a comic book character called Mr. Excitement.
Frank Einstein now lives as a jack-of-all-trades wanderer, accompanied by a variety of allies. Only one of Frank’s reanimators, Dr. Flem, is still around. Dr. Boiffard, in attempt to boost his brain power, transmuted his entire head into neural tissue, thus leaving him an invalid in a hospital. Despite the fact Frank has blue skin, a metal scalp plate and criss-crossed Frankenstein-like scars, he has a steady girlfriend, a secretary by the name of Josephine “Joe” Lombard. Madman’s other allies include Mott, an alien from the planet Hoople who was saved by Frank when the crazy alien, Zenelle, wanted to marry and eat Mott; Gale, an invisible female scientist who was tattooed by mutant clones and further rendered invisible by her attempts to eliminate the tattoos; Astroman and Machina, a pair of robotic humanoids. Astroman was built to be an aid to Frank and was loaded with some of Frank’s lost information. Astroman grew to love Frank’s girlfriend, Joe, which made Machina very jealous. Frank’s also aided by Marie and Warren, two artificial intelligences from the future.
Madman encountered Superman and Lois Lane once, due to a plot by the mischievous Mister Mxyzptlk where the two switched dimensions, becoming physical hybrids of each other and then had to retrieve portions of Superman’s powers, which had been doled out amongst various people across both worlds. Finally, the two confronted Mister Mxyzptlk, Madman defeating him in a game of Twister before tricking him into saying his name backwards.
Currently, Joe has been fused with Luna (AKA It Girl, an Atomic) and has recently been “pulled” from her body. Frank has met with ghosts and learned more about his previous life, including great insights to the ways of the universe. After Frank is told of Joe being pulled from Luna, he rushes back to Dr. Flem’s laboratory but finds that Mr. Monstadt has returned in an new, artificial body which is powerful enough to defeat him, most of the Atomics and Joe, who was going to surprise Frank as becoming “Madgirl.” Instantly after the defeat of Monstadt, a fallen Atomic is revived and the team celebrates by a camping trip.
After a nasty incident where Frank is shot, he and Joe start moving into an old mansion which he has inherited from his previous life. During an incident inwhich one of Monstadt’s minions trapped Frank within a magical snow globe filled with strange man eating beasts, Frank and Joe now have cable.
The recent Atomic Comics series has focused more on philosophical elements than basic hero vs. villain stories.
Antagonists
One of Madman’s primary enemies is Mr. Monstatd, his former employer (or so it is hinted). Madman has also fought runaway renegade robots from Dr. Flem’s lab who were controlled by the mysterious and super-intelligent Factor Max. Other antagonists include the Mutant Street Beatniks, the Moonboys, the Puke, and the G-Men from Hell, Mattress and Crept. However, the G-Men are occasional allies, and several of the Mutant Street Beatniks become allies as well. Frank has also faced Generic Monsters a number of times.
The Atomics
Former enemies, now allies, are the Mutant Street Beatniks who were originally just ordinary beatniks. When Mott first arrived he was being chased by Zenelle, a female alien from a species infamous throughout the galaxy for devouring their mates after the wedding night. Zenelle left behind a trail of spores as she tracked Mott through the city, exposure to which caused the beatniks to mutate into disgusting, warty versions of themselves. Zenelle fell in love with one of these mutants and carried him away, much to the relief of Mott.
Blaming Madman for their deformity, the Mutant Street Beatniks remained bitter enemies until they discovered that their deformation was simply the first stage of their mutation, which gave them super powers such as elasticity. Discovering these powers cleared up their skin condition, so they no longer hate Madman and have formed a super-hero team calling themselves The Atomics. Around this time, their missing comrade returned from space, revealing that Zenelle had actually fallen in love with him to the degree she went against her culture and refused to eat him. Because of the different time-flow between Snap City and Zenelle’s planet, when their comrade returned he brought with him his teenage son, the product of his union with Zenelle.
Powers and Abilities
Frank’s resurrection altered his body giving him various supernatural abilities.
After his resurrection, Frank’s mind possesses supernatural intuitive talent for learning things. This supernatural ability allows him to instinctively learn any skill and gain knowledge at a superhuman rate.
Frank has also manifested numerous psionic abilities that border also on the supernatural. The first is psychometry: he can obtain information about an individual through paranormal means by making physical contact. Second is empathy: he has the paranormal ability sense the emotions of others also through physical contact. Last, Frank has the ability of clairvoyance. He is able to perceive the future, sometimes manifesting in vague dreams while asleep, other times have displayed in clear thought and had occurred at will. Unfortunately he does not have complete control over his psionic abilities.
Frank possesses supernatural physical coordination. His agility and reflexes are
far superior to those of an ordinary human. His tendons and connective tissues are more elastic and his nerve endings transfer stimuli faster. In combination with his ability to learn new things and his psionic abilities, Frank can perform any feat of derring-do with ease.
Appearances in other media
Film and television
- Allred did the artwork for the fictional Bluntman and Chronic comic in the film Chasing Amy (in which he appears in a cameo as himself). The pages were collected as part of the film’s published screenplay, where one can see Madman in one panel beneath the light of the “blunt signal”. In the Chasing Amy DVD commentary, Ben Affleck and Kevin Smith stated that in one take the character can be seen reading Madman and that in more than one take Ben Affleck describes Madman as “A classy book.”
- Many have felt that the short-lived animated series Freakazoid! was plagiarism of Madman. There are undeniable similarities between the tones of the two series, as well as the designs of the titular characters (both have blue skin and wear skin-tight jump suits – of opposite colours to one another – with a chest emblem of an exclamation point). Throughout the run of the show, Allred remained silent. However, in 2003, he responded to the situation on the message board of his official website (See External Links below), saying that he did notice the similarities and asked for credit. He received no response, but he chose not to pursue legal action.
Film adaptation
- According to Allred, he was first offered the chance to sell the movie rights to Madman back in 1992 (he has not said who made the offer, only that he declined).
- Since 1998, film-maker Robert Rodriguez has owned the film rights to Madman. Both he and Allred have given numerous signals as to th
e start of production over the years with no result. Although both have been occupied with other projects (Allred was instrumental in connecting Rodriguez with Frank Miller, leading to the production of Sin City), both have been eager to see this film made.
At the 2006 WonderCon in San Francisco, Allred announced that Madman the Movie was in pre-production and hoped to begin filming before the end of the year. He teased fans in attendance by saying that the titular role had already been cast “but I can’t tell you who it is yet… When we announce it, you’re gonna be like ‘What?’, then you’ll think about it for a second and see that it’s perfect.”
External links
Alarico Gattia
Alarico Gattia (Genova, 9 dicembre 1927) è un autore di fumetti italiano.
Carriera
Negli anni cinquanta si trasferì per motivi professionali a Milano, dove esordì come artista pubblicitario, e dove inizierà a collaborare come illustratore per alcune pubblicazioni della Mondadori.
Negli anni sessanta disegnerà le matite di diverse puntate di Diabolik, per poi trasferirsi per un lungo periodo a Il Giornalino, applicandosi nella riduzione di molti classici della letteratura, tra cui I tre moschettieri, su testi di Luciano Giacotto.
Nel 1977, per le edizioni Cepim di Sergio Bonelli scrive e disegna due volumi della collana Un uomo un’avventura: L’Uomo del Klondike e L’Uomo del Sud.
Nei primi anni ottanta collaborerà con il giornalista Enzo Biagi alla stesura di Storia d’Italia a fumetti, edito da Mondadori.
Nel 1983 sarà uno dei dodici disegnatori chiamati a dare una loro personale interpretazione di Tex Willer per il portfolio delle Edizioni d’Arte lo Scarabeo I Volti Segreti di Tex. Questo sarà l’antefatto del suo approdo sulle pagine del personaggio per il quale realizzerà una storia dal titolo Glorieta Pass pubblicata sull’Almanacco del West (testi di Mauro Boselli) nel 1998.
Nella seconda metà degli anni ottanta è tra i fondatori della Associazione Illustratori per cui ricopre anche il ruolo di presidente. In quegli stessi anni realizza anche alcune storie per la rivsta Comic Art.
Nel 1984 viene premiato con il prestiggioso Yellow Kid.
Forse non tutti sanno che il grande maestro del cinema internazionale, 
romagnolo.
