Eroi EsseGesse

Eroi EsseGesse, art by Manlio Truscia

Giovanni Sinchetto, Dario Guzzon & Pietro Sartoris

EsseGesse is the collective signature of three Italian artists, Giovanni Sinchetto (Esse), Dario Guzzon (G.) and Pietro Sartoris (Esse), who have built up a collective oeuvre during several decades. Giovanni Sinchetto began his career in 1943 with ‘Fulmine Mascherato’, a comic published by Della Casa. Pietro Sartoris and Dario Guzzon both debuted at the publishing houses Taurina and Alpe.

After these individual projects, the three decided to form a team. For publisher Torelli, they created the character ‘Kinowa’, together with scenario writer Lavezzolo, in 1950. ‘Kinowa’ was soon followed by creations like ‘Capitan Miki’ (1951) and ‘Il Grande Blek’ (1954) at Araldo.

In 1965, they created, ‘Alan Mistero’ (known in France as ‘Ombrax’) and ‘Il Comandante Mark’ (‘Cap’tain Swing’). After the death of his two companions, Dario Guzzon continued ‘Il Comandante Mark’ together with the female illustrator Lina Buffolente until 1999.

Born today Lina Buffolente

Born today Lina Buffolente

Lina Buffolente (27 October 1924 – 7 March 2007)  studied at the Academy Brera of Milan until World War II. She started her comics activities at Edital publishers in 1941, as an assistant to Giuseppe Capadonia. In 1942, she created ‘Petto de Pollo’ with Leone Cimpellin at Alpe publishers. Several series followed, such as ‘Piccolo Re’, ‘Colorado Kid’, ‘Hello Jim’, ‘Frisco Jim’ and ‘Calamity Jane’. Her production intensified in 1948, when she joined publishers like Arc (‘Tom Bill’, ‘Tom Mix’), Audace (‘Furio Mascherato’) and Venturo (comics adaptations of ‘les Misérables’ and ‘Les Mystères de Paris’).

For the latter, she also created ‘Nadia’, a character that appeared in the bilingual Per Voi/For You magazine.

cont. lambiek

Pippo Franco Cartoonist

Pippo Franco Cartoonist

La Fratelli Spada, di Giuseppe Spada che da stampatore della storica Nerbini di Firenze, diventa a sua volta editore, a cavallo fra il 1962 e il 1963 rileva molte collane iniziate dal suo precedessore. Bat Star che in realtà era il Brick Bradford, creato da William Ritt e Clarence Gray negli anni ’30. L’ Agente Segreto X9, di Alex Raymond. Copertinisti della Fratelli Spada erano Germano Ferri, Mario Caria e… Pippo Franco che si firmava Pippo65.

Born today Pietro Gamba

Born today Pietro Gamba

Pietro Gamba (24 October 1925 – 23 December 2008)  was born in Varedo. He started his career in comics in 1948 when he collaborated with the publishers Agostino Della Casa and Giuseppe Caregaro (his first story was ‘Kabor’). In 1950, he took over ‘Kinowa’, a series created by writer Andrea Lavezzolo and the EsseGesse collective. In 1954, he drew ‘Zà La Mort’ written by Gianluigi Bonelli, and two years later he came up with another version of ‘Pecos Bill’ with writer Cesare Solini.

For the publishing house Dardo, he illustrated serials like ‘Timbergek’ (with Renzo Barbieri), ‘Ray Fox’ and ‘Dick Cheyenne’, as well as covers for ‘Stormy Red’.

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Born today Edgardo Dell’Acqua

Edgardo Dell’Acqua (23 October 1912 – 1986)  was one of the classic artists of Italian adventure serials, which came to blossom in comic magazines like L’Audace and Il Vittorioso in the 1930s and 1940s. He was at the top of his production with the action comic book ‘Gim Toro’ in the second half of the 1940s. As the market changed, he worked on small-format western comic books in the 1950s, and on adult-oriented erotic comic books in the 1960s and 1970s. He has mainly worked for publishing houses from his hometown Milan.

Dell’Acqua studied painting at art school, and was initially an assistant for painter Alberto Vassallo on the production of film posters. Dell’Acqua made his first comic story at the age of 20 under the guidance of Antonio Rubino. This story, ‘Mario e Furio nell’Africa misteriosa’ was published in I Tre Porcellini in 1936. Around the same period, he was one of the illustrators of the children’s magazine II Cartoccino dei Piccoli. He also made several stories for the children’s magazine Il Corriere dei Piccoli, such as ‘Storia di Francesco Matteo Maciò’, ‘Fiamme sul Polo’ and ‘L” Invasione di Milano’.

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Born today Pini Segna

Born today Pini Segna

Born in Florence (22 October 1925 – 13 September 2012), Pini Segna graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in 1944. He settled in the Langhe area during the second World War and has lived there for the rest of his life. In 1946, he debuted with the Vincenzo Baggioli scripted ‘Agente K6’, followed by ‘Il Giustiziere Mascherato’, for the publishing house Nuova Aurora.

In the following year, for Editoriale Sportiva, he made ‘Penna Azzurra’. Starting in 1948, he worked as an illustrator of ‘Saetta’ and ‘Volpe’ stories for Alpe, and as a collaborator of Arc publications like ‘Pantera Bionda’, ‘Tom Mix’ and ‘Tom Bill’.

cont. Lambiek

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