Italian comics | |
---|---|
Earliest publications | 1908 on |
Publishers |
Edizioni Alpe Sergio Bonelli Editore Panini Comics Star Comics Edifumetto |
Publications |
Il Corriere dei Piccoli Topolino Corto Maltese Valentina Diabolik |
Creators |
Antonio Rubino Hugo Pratt Magnus Sergio Bonelli Milo Manara |
Series | "Bilbolbul" "Tex Willer" "Dylan Dog" "RanXerox" "Martin Mystère" |
Languages | Italian |
Related articles | |
Italian comics are known in Italy as fumetto [fuˈmetto], plural form fumetti [fuˈmetti]. The most popular Italian comics have been translated into many languages. The term fumetto (literally little puff of smoke) refers to the distinctive word balloons that contain the dialog in comics (also called nuvoletta in Italian).
The term fumetti is often used in English to refer to photo comics, regardless of origin or language.
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 propagandist 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 was the first to publish Outcault's Yellow Kid in Italy in 1904. But the first Italian comic will not appear until four years later.
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 was nicknamed, did not use balloons in the stories that it publishes, opting instead for captions in verse. Regardless, the sequential narration and the recurring characters made the publication rightfully the first Italian comic magazine.