Alfredo Castelli
| Alfredo Castelli | |
|---|---|
 Castelli in 2010 | |
| Born | 26 June 1947 Milan, Italy |
| Died | 7 February 2024 (aged 76) Milan, Italy |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Area(s) | Writer |
Notable works | Martin Mystère, Mister No |
Alfredo Castelli (26 June 1947 – 7 February 2024) was an Italian comic book artist 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 104, the first Italian fanzine dedicated to comics. A year later Castelli started writing scripts for several Italian comic books, including Pedrito el Drito and Piccola Eva published by Universo, Cucciolo and Tiramolla for Edizioni Alpe, and Topolino for Mondadori.
Castelli then expanded into television, writing several advertisements as well as the series Cappuccetto a Pois with
In 1978 Castelli wrote for Supergulp magazine the adventures of Allan Quatermain, an explorer specializing in archaeological mysteries that foreshadowed Castelli's most famous creation.
In the same year Castelli began his cooperation with publisher Sergio Bonelli, writing stories for Zagor and Mister No. Two years later, he submitted the idea for a new series to Bonelli based on a New York researcher who investigated scientific mysteries: after two years of gestation, in 1982 he created Martin Mystère. The series, initially drawn by Giancarlo Alessandrini, marked a turning point in Italian popular comics history, introducing modern and sophisticated themes in a market dominated by traditional adventures aimed at a younger audience. Martin Mystère opened the door to many other new course characters, both from Bonelli and other publishers.
In 1983 Castelli and
Castelli also wrote a book on the first 25 years of American newspaper comics (1895–1919), entitled Eccoci ancora qui.
Castelli died on 7 February 2024, at the age of 76.[1]
References
- ^ "È morto Alfredo Castelli, sceneggiatore simbolo del fumetto popolare italiano". Fumettologica (in Italian). 7 February 2024.
Sources
- Interview with Alfredo Castelli (in Italian)
