« When asked if they would like to have sex with me, 30 per cent said, “Yes”, while the other 70 per cent replied, “What, again?” — Silvio Berlusconi
A certain subset of Italian Fumetti— namely the sex and horror digests of the 1970s — constitutes a quagmire of oft-truly repellent material in which indisputable gems yet glimmer bright. Mostly the covers… designed to lure the sailor — or reader — to his doom.
While several of the most prolific artists of the medium were evidently talented fellows, only a couple (Averardo Ciriello being the other one) truly draw my interest, since, despite low pay and a breakneck production pace, they didn’t swipe much… or at all — unlike their colleagues. For most of the industry and society, consent and copyright appeared to be pretty fuzzy, casually dismissed notions.
I favour the work of Fernando Carcupino (1922-2003) over that of his contemporaries because he always knew how to keep things light, bright and original — never wallowing in poor taste or sadism, even when the subject matter called for it, and I thank him for it. Here are some highlights from his illustrious career.
A piece from La Settimana Umoristica no. 5 (Apr. 1954) entitled “Celluloid Terror”. All the classic ghouls are there, even that very year’s Creature From the Black Lagoon. Carcupino could spot an enduring classic from a long way off!A selection of our fine products, as they appeared in print. Vampirissimo no. 11(Nov. 1975, Edifumetto). “An Abyss of Terror”.Leaned in too close and got poked in the eye! I Sanguinari no. 9 (July 1975, Edifumetto). “Flamenco of the Damned”. Il Vampiro no. 5 (March 1974, Edifumetto). “The Black Snow”. Why, hello, Mr. Chaney!Lo Scheletro no. 13 (July 1974, Edifumetto). “The Grim Bell Ringer”. Zora la Vampira no. 1 (Jan. 1974, Edifumetto) — “Human Flesh” In French, Zora became ‘Zara‘, for some reason.Lo Scheletro no. 3 (March 1975, Edifumetto). “The Abominable King Kong”. Tabù no. 23 (Oct. 1975, Edifumetto). “Please Don’t Bite My Butt”. I Notturni no. 9 (Sept. 1973, Edifumetto). “Peter the Fornicator”. Impressive, given his mug. Vampirissimo no. 8 (Aug. 1974, Edifumetto). “Death by Fright”. Oh, he’s a spooky one, all right. Vampirissimo no. 7 (July 1974, Edifumetto). “Monster Dimension”. This is the sort of composition and treatment that Bill Sienkiewicz would “introduce” to mainstream comics a decade later, blowing the minds of Marvel Zombies who’d consumed naught but the House of Ideas’ offal, just as Jim Steranko had blown their older brothers’, a decade prior. Lo Scheletro no. 7 (Apr. 1974, Edifumetto). “Demon in Love”. This fine* monograph from Korero Press (2019) spotlights a certain facet of Carcupino’s œuvre, though it’s pretty light on the horror, which is fine by me. The narrow thematic focus (on sex, the other half of the equation) does manage to render the proceedings a tad tedious after a while, but that’s to be expected. For a better sense of the man’s versatility, check out his website.
-RG
*marred somewhat by the usual “We Italians...” introduction, yet another variation on the line of “we are so passionate, we love women so much, we can’t control ourselves” bullshit. I guess it’s perfectly commonplace, for some people, to confuse misogyny with love . Right…
I don’t know why Carcupino isn’t far better known – his stuff was great. The less cartoony it was, the better it was. He did some great covers for the digest-sized romance comics here in the UK (although whether or not they were specifically “for” those titles or were syndicated to publishers across the world is a moot point).
Ha, that dude in “The Grim Bell Ringer” does look rather Quasimodo-ish, although I’m 99.99% sure it’s actually the hulking fiend serving Bela Lugosi in THE HUMAN MONSTER (aka THE DARK EYES OF LONDON). (Fairly interesting flick, by the way.)
Added to the ‘to watch’ list! I’m guessing Signore Carcupino must have had a subscription to Midi-minuit fantastique — or its Italian equivalent, at any rate. He sure loved his classic monsters — and what’s not to love, after all?
Who's Out There? 
I don’t know why Carcupino isn’t far better known – his stuff was great. The less cartoony it was, the better it was. He did some great covers for the digest-sized romance comics here in the UK (although whether or not they were specifically “for” those titles or were syndicated to publishers across the world is a moot point).
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Ha, that dude in “The Grim Bell Ringer” does look rather Quasimodo-ish, although I’m 99.99% sure it’s actually the hulking fiend serving Bela Lugosi in THE HUMAN MONSTER (aka THE DARK EYES OF LONDON). (Fairly interesting flick, by the way.)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Added to the ‘to watch’ list! I’m guessing Signore Carcupino must have had a subscription to Midi-minuit fantastique — or its Italian equivalent, at any rate. He sure loved his classic monsters — and what’s not to love, after all?
LikeLike