He died at 76 years old Alfredo Castelli, one of the greatest names in Italian comics, known to the general public above all as the creator of Martin Mystery, but creator of many other characters. He was a screenwriter, comics historian, journalist, founder and collaborator of magazines, from Il Corriere dei Ragazzi a The Journal. He was born in Milan on 26 June 1947. At a very young age – at least 20 years old – he had already entered the comics world with the adventures of skeletonpublished in appendix a Diabolik.
The announcement of his passing was made by Bonelli Editore, with whom he worked “from 1971 until a few days ago, as editor and screenwriter”. From the first stories to Murmur a Mister No a Martin Mystère, without excluding Dylan Dog e Nathan Never.
“Curiosity, books, delays, logorrhea – we read on the Bonelli website – details, however, operative to outline a character”. This is how Alfredo Castelli defined in an interview a few years ago the traits in common between him and his most famous comic creation, that Martin Mystère who has delighted, intrigued and stimulated thousands of readers for more than forty years. Born in Milan on June 26, 1947, Castelli had entered the world of comics already in 1965, writing and drawing the adventures of Skeletrino, published in the appendix to “Diabolik”.
Curious by nature, intellectually omnivorous, he has been capable of moving nimbly between the most diverse genres and publications since his early days, sometimes donning the clothes of a screenwriter, now those of an essayist or historian. Precisely this incredible versatility has made him a point of reference for many colleagues and authors, as well as naturally for his many readers, making him one of the key figures in the history of Italian comics.
Among the characters he created we remember only running The Aristocrats, The Shadow, The Little Man, Uncle Boris and Allan Quatermain – with the latter acting as the basis on which to develop the idea of Martin Mystère – but the first Italian comics fanzine was also born from his mind, Comics Club 104, way back in 1966. He collaborated with our publishing house continuously from 1971 until a few days ago, working as an editor and screenwriter. His first stories for what was not yet called Sergio Bonelli Editore were for Zagor and Mister No, characters that he did not abandon even after Martin Mystère hit the newsstands. Subsequently he also wrote for Dylan Dog and Nathan Never (in both cases planning the meetings between the characters mentioned and the Detective of the Impossible), for Ken Parker and for the historic series of hardbacks for newsstands A man. An adventure.
A professional journalist, he has published numerous essays on the history of comics and popular literature, especially deepening his knowledge of early comics. He has also been involved as a film, television and radio author and screenwriter. His over fifty-year comics career was recently summarized and told in an exhibition that debuted in Lucca Comics & Games 2022 before being also set up in Milan and Pordenone. Among the many awards he received during his long career we remember the two Yellow Kidthe first received in Lucca in 1970 and the second won in Rome in 1996. In Lucca he was also recognized as “Master of Comics” in 2015, when the cast of his hands was included in the Walk of Fame.
Alfredo Castelli’s artistic and intellectual legacy is enormous, and therefore naturally very heavy. If those who were lucky enough to be close to him remember his story-telling verve and his perennial good humor, the many readers who knew him only through the printed pages are left with many comic stories and countless essays and articles. And these will remain with us forever.”
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– 2024-04-12 04:21:39
