Bruno Angoletta (7 September 1889 - 7 January 1954) was an Italian illustrator, cartoonist and painter. Angoletta was born in Belluno, from Orlando, a lawyer, and Francesca Bettio. For some years he studied law in

Padua Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of the ...

, but later abandoned his studies to entirely focusing into drawing and painting as an autodidact. In late 1900s he started a collaboration as an illustrator with the satirical weekly magazine ''

L'Asino ''L'Asino'' (The Donkey) was an Italian magazine of political satire founded in Rome on November 27, 1892, by Guido Podrecca (1865–1923) and Gabriele Galantara (1867–1937), a former mathematics student, designer and cartoonist, both with a soci ...

'', then he moved to Rome where he also began to collaborate with the magazine ''La tribuna illustrata''. At the outbreak of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, despite his pericarditis, he volunteered, was wounded and taken prisoner in Bohemia but even performed acts of heroism that earned him two decorations. In 1921, he founded with Antonio Beltramelli the monthly children magazine ''Giro Giro Tondo'', published by

Mondadori Arnoldo Mondadori Editore () is the biggest publishing company in Italy. History The company was founded in 1907 in Ostiglia by 18-year-old Arnoldo Mondadori who began his publishing career with the publication of the magazine ''Luce!''. In 1 ...

. In January 1928, in the pages of ''

Corriere dei Piccoli The ''Corriere dei Piccoli'' (Italian for "Courier of the Little Ones"), later nicknamed ''Corrierino'' ("Little Courier"), was a weekly magazine for children published in Italy from 1908 to 1995. It was the first Italian periodical to make a re ...

'', Angoletta started his most successful comic character, the soldier

Marmittone ''Marmittone'' is an Italian comic strip series created by Bruno Angoletta. Background Started in , Marmittone ("rooky") is derived from the "marmitta", the huge pot in which the military rations are cooked. The main character is a simple-mind ...

, a mild-mannered young soldier who often, due to its mild-tempered and not inclined to war, ends up being punished and translated into the cell. The comic strip was published until 1940.B.P. Boschesi, ''Manuale dei fumetti'', Mondadori, 1976, pp. 32-33. Other well known comic characters he created in the period between the two wars were Sor Calogero Sorbara, Ermete Centarbe and Romolino & Romoletto, a couple of twins often glorifying the Fascist victories.

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