Patron Saint of Italian Cartoonists
Guido Buzzelli (1927-1992) was born in Rome and came from a lineage of artists. Buzzelli’s family included his grandfather, who was a decorator, his father, who was a painter, and his mother, who pursued a career as a model. Guido’s brother, Raoul Buzzelli (1932-1982), was also a cartoonist and the creator of the erotic comic “Sam Bot”.
Initially Guido pursued the same path as his father at the Academy of St. Luke. Later on, he joined the workshop of Rino Albertarelli (1908-1974), a prominent Italian comic book artist. Albertarelli gained recognition for illustrating in L’Audace, a comic magazine that was published in Italy from 1934 to 1944. In addition, he earned a reputation for his original comic art illustrating the American Western comics, with a focus on the characters like Big Bill, Zorro and Kit Carson.
Fig 1. Guido Buzzelli - Raffaella Carrà, 1972
Fig 2. Guido Buzzelli, Diamonds
Fig 3. Guido Buzzelli, La rivolta dei Racchi
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The Michaelangelo of Monsters
It was during this time that Buzzelli first entered the realm of comics, marking the birth of his career. Joining Fleetway in the later years, he continued his artistic journey by creating artwork for their collection of war-themed magazines. Unable to find satisfaction in popular genres, he experimented with painting to explore his talent. Soon Buzzelli started illustrating and crafting his own stories independently.
Fig.5. Incidente
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Fig.7. Dracula
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Read the extended version of the article in Premium and discover, among other things, more on Buzzelli's aesthetics, work for Charlie Hebdo, and 42 of his best erotic illustrations.
Click HERE for the masterful depiction of lustful orgies through history by Blas Gallego
