Renzo Barbieri (10 March 1940 – 23 September 2007) was an author and editor of

Italian comics Italian comics, also known as ''fumetto'' , plural form ''fumetti'' , are comics that originate in Italy. The most popular Italian comics have been translated into many languages. The term ''fumetto'' (literally ''little puff of smoke'') refers ...

as well as the founder of the publishing house Edifumetto. In 1980 he wrote ''Il Manuale del Playboy'' (Manual for Playboys), a textbook about where European playboys live, what cars they drive, and other lifestyle tips.

Biography

The Beginning

Barbieri was born in

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. In the early 1960s he started collaborating with comics publishers like Editoriale Dardo and Edizioni Alpe. He was also a journalist for the tabloid ''

La Notte ''La Notte'' (; en, "The Night") is a 1961 drama film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and starring Marcello Mastroianni, Jeanne Moreau and Monica Vitti (with Umberto Eco appearing in a cameo). Filmed on location in Milan, the film is the rela ...

''. In the mid-1960s, after reading a rather violent White Cartoon French book, he decided to open a publishing house in Milan and developed the idea of "pocket comics", also known as a digest. This was a time when the adult ''black comics'' genre (''

Diabolik ''Diabolik'' ( or ) is an Italian comic series created by sisters Angela and Luciana Giussani. One of the most popular series in the history of Italian comics, ''Diabolik'' was created in 1962 and consists of more than 900 volumes, and has led ...

'', '' Kriminal'' and ''

Satanik ''Satanik'' is an Italian noir comic book created in December 1964 by Max Bunker (writer) and Magnus (artist), also the authors of the popular series '' Kriminal'' and '' Alan Ford''. Synopsis Satanik is Marny Bannister, a skilled female chemis ...

''), a series of paperback featuring graphic violence and scantily-clad women, was at its peak. In 1966 he created Editore 66, inspired by film and literary subjects of the time (such as ''Angelica'' and

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

) and developed the plots of his first two comics books, ''

Isabella Isabella may refer to: People and fictional characters * Isabella (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Isabella (surname), including a list of people Places United States * Isabella, Alabama, an unincorpor ...

'' and ''Grendizer'' (both illustrated by

Sandro Angiolini Sandro Angiolini (6 June 1920 – 15 October 1985) was an Italian comics creator. Biography Angiolini was born in Milan. In 1966 he was the first to illustrate one of Italy's most important adult comics, '' Isabella'', written by Renzo Barbieri a ...

). Initially slightly erotic in terms of contents, the books became progressively more pornographic towards the end of the 1970s, reflecting the sexual revolution and the increasing permissiveness in the press and in film taking place in Italy at the time. Images like a bare breast which in the mid-1960s would have been scandalous suddenly looked almost chaste and innocent.

Erregi

In 1967 Barbieri partnered with Giorgio Cavedon, and together they founded the publishing house ErreGi. They went on to create other sexy-heroines like Jacula, Lucrezia, Messalina, Hessa, De Sade, Lucifera, Jolanda, Vartan, Walalla, Yra, Jungle and Bonnie. In 1972, as a result of creative differences and the need to reinvest the capital to cope with the rising competition in

erotic comics Erotic comics are adult comics which focus substantially on nudity and sexual activity, either for their own sake or as a major story element. As such they are usually not permitted to be sold to legal minors. Like other genres of comics, they c ...

, Barbieri and Cavedon separated and formed their own companies. Cavedon retained all the popular existing titles and renamed ErreGi Ediperiodici. Barbieri founded Edifumetto.

Edifumetto

Under the new banner of Edifumetto, Barbieri created some of the most notable titles of the horror and soft porn comics genre, including ''Zora la Vampira'', ''Rolando del Fico'', ''Cimiteria,'' ''Vampiro'', ''Scheletro'', '' Sukia'' ''Belzeba'', Playcolt, Mafia, ''Poppea'', ''Necron'', and dozens of other characters. Their success was due in large part to the covers painted by classically trained artists such as

Alessandro Biffignandi Alessandro Biffignandi (8 October 1935 – 22 January 2017) was an Italian illustrator, mostly known for his covers for digest-sized, adult comics whose themes were sex, violence, and horror. Biography Alessandro Biffignandi was born in 1935 ...

Emanuele Taglietti Emanuele Taglietti (born 1943)''Sex and Horror: The Art of Emanuele Taglietti'', Korero Press, 2015, is an Italian illustrator, mostly known for his covers for digest-sized, adult comics whose themes were sex, violence, and horror. Biogra ...

, Roberto Molino, Pino Dangelico, Enzo Sciotti, and Carlo Jacono. Within a few years Edifumetto was publishing a new edition almost every day (and doubled in the summer with special supplements). To diversify the brand, Barbieri created other publishing ventures, including Edizioni GEIS, SEGI, Il Vascello, Centroedizioni, Squalo Comics, Renzo Barbieri Editore, and produced time-sensitive comics like ''Il Paninaro'', ''Skate Map'' and ''Il Leghista''. Barbieri's last company, Edifumetto 3000, folded in the early 2000s.

Bibliography

Series dedicated to

vampirism A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...

: * ''Jacula'' (1969), originally published by ''Erregi'' until 1982, with a total of 327 books. * ''Zora la vampira'', published from 1972 to 1985, stories by Giuseppe Pederiali, drawings by

Birago Balzano Birago Balzano (5 January 1936 – 25 March 2022) was a leading Italian cartoonist who was the designer and illustrator of the adult horror character Zora. Biography Born in Trinitapoli, in the southern region of Apulia, Italy, when Balzano wa ...

, Gianni Pinaglia and Pino Antonelli for a total of 288 books and 12 special editions. * '' Sukia'' conceived by Nicholas Prince, published from 1977 to 1986, with a total of 150 books. * ''Yra'' designed by Leone Frollo, written by Ruby Ventura. Published from 1980 to 1981. * ''Il Manuale del Play Boy'', Centroedizioni, Milan, 1980.

Sources

External links

Sukia, Jacula, De Sade, Lando, Il Tromba: la grande epopea della Edifumetto di Milano
articolo di Giovan Battista Brambilla, da ''Babilonia'', May 2004 {{DEFAULTSORT:Barbieri, Renzo Italian comics artists Italian comics writers Writers from Milan Italian magazine editors Italian publishers (people) Comic book publishers (people) 1940 births 2007 deaths 20th-century Italian journalists