''Corto Maltese'' is a series of adventure and

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

comics named after the character Corto Maltese, an adventurous sailor. It was created by the Italian comic book creator

Hugo Pratt Ugo Eugenio Prat, better known as Hugo Pratt (15 June 1927 – 20 August 1995), was an Italian comic book creator who was known for combining strong storytelling with extensive historical research on works such as ''Corto Maltese''. He was ind ...

in 1967. The comics are highly praised as some of the most artistic and literary

graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

s ever written and have been translated into numerous languages and adapted into several animated films. The series features ''Corto Maltese'', an enigmatic sea captain who lives in the first three decades of the 20th century. Born in

Valletta Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an administrative unit and capital of Malta. Located on the main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, its population within administrative limits in 2014 wa ...

on the island of

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

on 10 July 1887, the son of a sailor from

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

, and a gypsy from

Seville Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...

. In his adventures full of real-world references, ''Corto'' has often crossed with real historical characters like the American author

Jack London John Griffith Chaney (January 12, 1876 – November 22, 1916), better known as Jack London, was an American novelist, journalist and activist. A pioneer of commercial fiction and American magazines, he was one of the first American authors to ...

and his nurse Virginia Prentiss, the American outlaw Butch Cassidy, the German

World War I 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 ...

flying ace

Red Baron Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a seconda ...

, and many others.

Publication history

The character debuted in the serial ''Ballad of the Salty Sea'', one of several Pratt stories published in the first edition of the magazine '' Sergeant Kirk'' in July 1967. The story centers around smugglers and pirates in the World War I-era Pacific Islands. In 1970, Pratt moved to France and began a series of short ''Corto Maltese'' stories for the French magazine ''

Pif Gadget ''Pif Gadget'' was a French comic magazine for children that ran from 1969 to 1993 and 2004 to 2009. Its readership peaked in the early 1970s. Predecessors ''Pif'' has its origins in ''Le Jeune Patriote'', a youth magazine published by French Co ...

'', an arrangement lasting four years and producing many 20-page stories. In 1974 he returned to full-length stories, sending Corto to 1918

Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive region, geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a ...

in the story ''Corto Maltese in Siberia'', first serialised in the Italian comics magazine '' Linus''. In 1976, ''Ballad of the Salty Sea'' was published in book format and was awarded the prize for best foreign realistic comic album at the

Angoulême International Comics Festival The Angoulême International Comics Festival (french: Festival international de la bande dessinée d'Angoulême) is the second largest comics festival in Europe after the Lucca Comics & Games in Italy, and the third biggest in the world after ...

. Pratt continued to produce new stories over the next two decades, many first appearing in the eponymous comics magazine ''Corto Maltese'', until 1988 when the final story ''Mu, the Lost Continent'' was serialised, ending in June 1989. On October 7, 2014, Italian publisher Cong, who owns the rights to Corto Maltese, announced that a new album was being made by writer Juan Díaz Canales and artist Rubén Pellejero. "Under the Midnight Sun" was released in Europe on September 30, 2015 and takes place in 1915. In September 2017, a second album, "Equatoria" set in 1911 was published. In November 2019, a third album, "All Saints Day" set in 1912–1913 was published. The fourth album by Canales and Pellejero was published in September 2022, entitled "Berlin Nocturne". It takes place in Berlin and Prague in 1924.

Character

Corto Maltese (whose name derives from the Andalusian

argot A cant is the jargon or language of a group, often employed to exclude or mislead people outside the group.McArthur, T. (ed.) ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (1992) Oxford University Press It may also be called a cryptolect, argo ...

and means "quick hands") is a laconic sea captain adventuring during the early 20th century (1900–1920s). A "rogue with a heart of gold", he is tolerant and sympathetic to the underdog. Born in

on July 10, 1887, he is the son of a British sailor from

and an

Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a "historical nationality". The t ...

n– Romani witch and prostitute known as ''"La Niña de Gibraltar"''. As a boy growing up in the Jewish quarter of Córdoba, Maltese discovered that he had no fate line on his palm and therefore carved his own with his father's razor, determining that his fate was his to choose. Although maintaining a neutral position, Corto instinctively supports the disadvantaged and oppressed. The character embodies the author's skepticism of national, ideological and religious assertions. Corto befriends people from all walks of life, including the murderous Russian Rasputin (no relation with the historical figure, apart from physical resemblance and some character traits), British heir Tristan Bantam, voodoo priestess Gold Mouth and

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places * Czech, ...

academic Jeremiah Steiner. He also knows and meets various real-life historical figures, including

Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century f ...

Hermann Hesse Hermann Karl Hesse (; 2 July 1877 – 9 August 1962) was a German-Swiss poet, novelist, and painter. His best-known works include ''Demian'', '' Steppenwolf'', '' Siddhartha'', and ''The Glass Bead Game'', each of which explores an individual's ...

, Butch Cassidy,

James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important writers of ...

, Gabriele D'Annunzio,

Frederick Rolfe Frederick William Rolfe (surname pronounced ), better known as Baron Corvo (Italian for "Crow"), and also calling himself Frederick William Serafino Austin Lewis Mary Rolfe (22 July 1860 – 25 October 1913), was an English writer, artist, ph ...

, Joseph Conrad, Sükhbaatar, John Reed, White Russian general

Roman von Ungern-Sternberg Nikolai Robert Maximilian Freiherr von Ungern-Sternberg (russian: link=no, Роман Фёдорович фон Унгерн-Штернберг, translit=Roman Fedorovich fon Ungern-Shternberg; 10 January 1886 – 15 September 1921), often refer ...

, Enver Pasha of Turkey and Sergei Semenov, modelled after Grigory Semyonov. His acquaintances treat him with great respect, as when a telephone call to

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secretar ...

frees him from arrest when he is threatened with execution on the border of Turkey and

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ' ...

. Corto's favourite book is ''

Utopia A utopia ( ) typically describes an imaginary community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book '' Utopia'', describing a fictional island societ ...

'' by

Thomas More Sir Thomas More (7 February 1478 – 6 July 1535), venerated in the Catholic Church as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, judge, social philosopher, author, statesman, and noted Renaissance humanist. He also served Henry VIII as Lord ...

, but he never finishes it. He also read books by

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, Lugones, Stevenson, Melville and Conrad, and quotes

Rimbaud Jean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud (, ; 20 October 1854 – 10 November 1891) was a French poet known for his transgressive and surreal themes and for his influence on modern literature and arts, prefiguring surrealism. Born in Charleville, he start ...

. ''Corto Maltese'' stories range from straight historical adventure to occult dream sequences. He is present when the

is shot down, helps the Jívaro in South America, and flees Fascists in Venice, but also unwittingly helps Merlin and

Oberon Oberon () is a king of the fairies in medieval and Renaissance literature. He is best known as a character in William Shakespeare's play ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'', in which he is King of the Fairies and spouse of Titania, Queen of the Fairi ...

to defend Britain and helps Tristan Bantam to visit the

lost continent Lost lands are islands or continents believed by some to have existed during pre-history, but to have since disappeared as a result of catastrophic geological phenomena. Legends of lost lands often originated as scholarly or scientific theor ...

of Mu. Chronologically, the first adventure, ''Corto Maltese: The Early Years'', happens during the

Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...

. In other albums he experiences the

Great 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 ...

in several locations, participates in the

Russian Civil War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Russian Civil War , partof = the Russian Revolution and the aftermath of World War I , image = , caption = Clockwise from top left: {{flatlist, *Soldiers ...

after the

October Revolution The October Revolution,. officially known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. in the Soviet Union, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin that was a key mome ...

, and appears during the early stages of Fascist Italy. In a separate series by Pratt, ''The Desert Scorpions'', Corto is said to be missing in action in Spain during the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...

Chronology

This is a list of the twelve original ''Corto Maltese'' novels in chronological order. French editions were published by

Casterman Casterman is a publisher of Franco-Belgian comics, specializing in comic books and children's literature. The company is based in Brussels, Belgium. History The company was founded in 1780 by Donat-Joseph Casterman, an editor and bookseller ...

, Italian by Edizioni Lizard, English editions by IDW's EuroComics imprint. *1905 ''Corto Maltese: The Early Years'' (black and white 1981) *1913–1915 '' The Ballad of the Salty Sea'' (black and white 1967–1969) *1916–1917 ''Under the Sign of Capricorn'' (black and white 1971) *1917 ''Beyond the Windy Isles'' (black and white 1970–1971) *1917–1918 '' Celtic Tales'' (black and white 1971–1972). *1918 ''The Ethiopian'' (black and white 1972–1973). *1918–1920 ''Corto Maltese in Siberia'' (black and white 1974–1975). *1921 ''Fable of Venice'' (black and white 1977). *1921–1922 '' The Golden House of Samarkand'' (black and white 1980). *1923 ''Tango'' (black and white 1985). *1924 ''The Secret Rose'' (black and white 1987). *1925 ''Mu, the Lost Continent'' (black and white 1988–1989). In 2015 the series was continued by Ruben Pellejero and Juan Díaz Canales, with the following albums published thus far: *1911 ''Equatoria'' (2017, black and white/color). *1912–1913 ''All Saints Day'' (2019, black and white/color). *1915 ''Under the Midnight Sun'' (2015, black and white/color). *1924 ''Berlin at Night'' (2022, black and white/color). In 2021 a reboot series was launched by Martin Quenehen and Bastien Vivès reimagining the character for the 21st Century. *2021 ''The Black Sea'' (2021, black and white/color)

Merchandising

*A Corto Maltese

tarot The tarot (, first known as '' trionfi'' and later as ''tarocchi'' or ''tarocks'') is a pack of playing cards, used from at least the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play card games such as Tarocchini. From their Italian roots ...

deck was published by tarot publisher lo Scarabeo in 2008.

Adaptations

*In 1975–1977, Secondo Bignardi produced semi-animated ''Corto Maltese'' stories for the

RAI RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana (; commercially styled as Rai since 2000; known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane) is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many ter ...

television programme ''Supergulp, fumetti in TV!''. *A French-language animated film, ''Corto Maltese, la cour secrète des arcanes'' adapting ''Corto Maltese in Siberia'', was released in 2002. Also in 2002,

Canal + Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flow und ...

produced a series of ''Corto Maltese'' adventures for television, adapting the stories ''The Ballad of the Salty Sea'', ''Under the Sign of Capricorn'', ''Celtic Tales'' and ''The Golden House of Samarkand''. Canadian animator and cartoonist

Guy Delisle Guy Delisle (born January 19, 1966) is a Canadian cartoonist and animator, best known for his graphic novels about his travels, such as ''Shenzhen'' (2000), '' Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea'' (2003), '' Burma Chronicles'' (2007), and ''Jerus ...

documented his observations of colleagues working on one of these French-language adaptations at

SEK Studio Korean April 26 Animation Studio () is a state-owned North Korea, North Korean animation studio, based in Othan-dong, Central District (Pyongyang), Central District, Pyongyang. History The studio started operations in September 1957, as 4.26 C ...

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...

in ''

Pyongyang Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populat ...

''. *On 20 September 2018, a new opera, ''Corto Maltese: The Ballad of the Salty Sea'', based on the stories of Hugo Pratt, premiered at the Teatru Manoel in Valletta (Malta) by the Teatru Manoel Youth Opera, as part of Valletta 2018 European Capital of Culture. The production, which was commissioned and co-produced by the Valletta 2018 Foundation and Teatru Manoel, was an adaptation of ''The Ballad of the Salty Sea''. The opera was composed by Monique Krüs with a libretto by director Corina Van Eijk, based on an original script by Tama Matheson. Stage and set designs were by Jolanda Lanslots. * Christophe Gans was developing a new live-action film, for release in 2020. It was an adaptation of ''Corto Maltese in Siberia''. It starred Tom Hughes as Corto and Milla Jovovich, and was to be produced by

Samuel Hadida Samuel Hadida (17 December 1953 – 26 November 2018) was a Moroccan-born French film producer. Life and career Hadida was born in Casablanca, Morocco. In 1978, he co-founded the company Metropolitan Filmexport with his brother Victor. The com ...

. However, it was cancelled due to legal problems. *In November 2022 it was announced that

Frank Miller Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957) is an American comic book writer, penciller and inker, novelist, screenwriter, film director, and producer known for his comic book stories and graphic novels such as his run on ''Daredevil'' and subsequen ...

is going to adapt the graphic novel into a six episodes hourlong TV series with

StudioCanal StudioCanal S.A.S. (formerly known as Le Studio Canal+, Canal Plus, Canal+ Distribution, Canal+ D.A., Canal+ Production, and Canal+ Image and also known as StudioCanal International) is a French film production and distribution company that owns ...

for

Canal+ Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flo ...

Notes

References

''Corto Maltese'' publication chronology
FFF

BDoubliées

External links

Corto Maltese Official Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maltese, Corto

Corto Maltese ''Corto Maltese'' is a series of adventure and fantasy comics named after the character Corto Maltese, an adventurous sailor. It was created by the Italian comic book creator Hugo Pratt in 1967. The comics are highly praised as some of the most ...

1967 comics debuts 1989 comics endings

Comics set in the 1900s Comics set in the 1910s Comics set in the 1920s Fictional sailors Fictional sea captains Fictional explorers Fictional Maltese people Fictional treasure hunters Fictional World War I veterans Italian comics characters Comics characters introduced in 1967

Romani comics characters Cultural depictions of Ernest Hemingway