Guido Buzzelli
Encyclopedia
Guido Buzzelli was an Italian comic book artist, writer, illustrator and painter.
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 father's steps. Later, however, he entered the workshop of Rino Albertarelli
, one of the main Italian comic book artists of the time, debuting in the 1950s with the magazine Zorro; he also provided covers for magazines of the publisher Fratelli Spada. Other Buzzelli comics of the time include Susan Bill, Alex l'eroe dello spazio, Bill dei Marines, Bambola and Dray Tigre .
Later he moved to Spain
and then to England
, where he produced the strip Angélique for the Daily Mirror. After his return to Italy and his marriage to Grazia de Stefani (1960), he initially devoted himself to painting. He returned to comics with a personal project, La rivolta dei racchi ("The Revolt of the Ugly", 1966), a fantasy history containing a sarcastic metaphor of the class struggle
; the work was to be published only in 1970 in France, on the magazine Charlie. He soon established himself as one of the most praised comics artists in France and, later, also in Italy, with other stories such as I Labirinti (1970), Zil Zelub (1972), Annalisa e il diavolo (1973), L'intervista (1975), L'Agnone (1977), La guerra videologica (1978), all mixing social themes with fantastic and dream-like atmospheres.
In 1973 he received the Yellow Kid Prize as best illustrator and author in the Lucca
Comics convention, followed in 1979 by the French equivalent, the Crayon d'Or. He then started to collaborate with magazines and newspapers such as Linus
, Alter Linus, Paese Sera, Il Messaggero
, L'Espresso
, L'Eternauta, Psyco, Corriere dei Ragazzi, Comic Art, Playmen
, Menelik, L'Unità
, and, in France, Pilote, Métal Hurlant
, À Suivre
, Circus, Le Monde
, Fluide Glacial and others. Under the pseudonym of Blotz he created several erotic illustration published in France in Charlie Mensuel
as well as the collections Démons and Buzzelliades.
In 1976 Buzzelli illustrated L'uomo del Bengala for Sergio Bonelli Editore
; for the same publication in 1985 he drew the first giant-size volume of Tex Special
, written by Claudio Nizzi
(1985). In the 1980s he collaborated with Italian television and taught in the European Institute of Design.
Buzzelli died in Rome in 1992.
Biography
Buzzelli was born in RomeRome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
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 father's steps. Later, however, he entered the workshop of Rino Albertarelli
Rino Albertarelli
Rino Albertarelli was an Italian comics artist.He was born in Cesena. He moved to Milan in 1928, debuting in 1935 for the comics magazines ArgentoVivo! and L'Audace...
, one of the main Italian comic book artists of the time, debuting in the 1950s with the magazine Zorro; he also provided covers for magazines of the publisher Fratelli Spada. Other Buzzelli comics of the time include Susan Bill, Alex l'eroe dello spazio, Bill dei Marines, Bambola and Dray Tigre .
Later he moved to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and then to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where he produced the strip Angélique for the Daily Mirror. After his return to Italy and his marriage to Grazia de Stefani (1960), he initially devoted himself to painting. He returned to comics with a personal project, La rivolta dei racchi ("The Revolt of the Ugly", 1966), a fantasy history containing a sarcastic metaphor of the class struggle
Class struggle
Class struggle is the active expression of a class conflict looked at from any kind of socialist perspective. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels wrote "The [written] history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggle"....
; the work was to be published only in 1970 in France, on the magazine Charlie. He soon established himself as one of the most praised comics artists in France and, later, also in Italy, with other stories such as I Labirinti (1970), Zil Zelub (1972), Annalisa e il diavolo (1973), L'intervista (1975), L'Agnone (1977), La guerra videologica (1978), all mixing social themes with fantastic and dream-like atmospheres.
In 1973 he received the Yellow Kid Prize as best illustrator and author in the Lucca
Lucca
Lucca is a city and comune in Tuscany, central Italy, situated on the river Serchio in a fertile plainnear the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Lucca...
Comics convention, followed in 1979 by the French equivalent, the Crayon d'Or. He then started to collaborate with magazines and newspapers such as Linus
Linus (magazine)
Linus is an Italian comics magazine. The first number was published in April 1965 by Milano Libri, a subsidiary of Rizzoli. It is currently published by Baldini & Castoldi in monthly issues....
, Alter Linus, Paese Sera, Il Messaggero
Il Messaggero
Il Messaggero is an Italian newspaper based in Rome, Italy, founded in 1878.It is owned by the Italian publishing company Caltagirone Editore, and its leaders include Azzurra Caltagirone, the partner of the political leader Pierferdinando Casini, on its board...
, L'Espresso
L'Espresso
l'Espresso is an Italian newsmagazine. It is one of the two most prominent Italian weeklies, the other being Panorama. Since the latter has been acquired by right-wing tycoon and politician Silvio Berlusconi, l'Espresso enjoys the reputation of being the main politically independent newsmagazine...
, L'Eternauta, Psyco, Corriere dei Ragazzi, Comic Art, Playmen
Playmen
Playmen was an Italian adult entertainment magazine. It was founded in 1967 by a mother of three, Adelina Tattilo, reaching fame as Italy's Playboy magazine....
, Menelik, L'Unità
L'Unità
l'Unità is an Italian left-wing newspaper, originally founded as official newspaper of the Italian Communist Party.-History:L'Unità was founded by Antonio Gramsci on 12 February 1924, as the newspaper of workers and peasants, the official newspaper of Italian Communist Party : it was printed in...
, and, in France, Pilote, Métal Hurlant
Métal Hurlant
Métal Hurlant is a French comics anthology of science fiction and horror comics stories, created in December 1974 by comics artists Jean Giraud and Philippe Druillet together with journalist-writer Jean-Pierre Dionnet and financial director Bernard Farkas.The four were collectively known as "Les...
, À Suivre
À Suivre
or was a Franco-Belgian comics magazine published from February 1978 to December 1997 by the Casterman publishing house....
, Circus, Le Monde
Le Monde
Le Monde is a French daily evening newspaper owned by La Vie-Le Monde Group and edited in Paris. It is one of two French newspapers of record, and has generally been well respected since its first edition under founder Hubert Beuve-Méry on 19 December 1944...
, Fluide Glacial and others. Under the pseudonym of Blotz he created several erotic illustration published in France in Charlie Mensuel
Charlie Mensuel
Charlie Mensuel was a French monthly comics magazine. Its publication began in February 1969, and ceased in February 1986.-History:...
as well as the collections Démons and Buzzelliades.
In 1976 Buzzelli illustrated L'uomo del Bengala for Sergio Bonelli Editore
Sergio Bonelli Editore
Sergio Bonelli Editore is a publishing house of Italian comics. It takes its name from its president and comic book author, Sergio Bonelli....
; for the same publication in 1985 he drew the first giant-size volume of Tex Special
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 ...
, written by Claudio Nizzi
Claudio Nizzi
Claudio Nizzi is an Italian comic author.He started his career as comic scriptwriter in 1963, writing for the "Vittorioso", a comic newspaper. During 1969 he started to work for Il Giornalino creating many characters...
(1985). In the 1980s he collaborated with Italian television and taught in the European Institute of Design.
Buzzelli died in Rome in 1992.
Sources
- Luca Raffaelli, introduction to L'arte di Buzzelli, I Classici del Fumetto di Repubblica #57.