European Comics Journal by DieGo Comics Publishing

Last night, Boss, I’d like a young woman who died to take a look of an overdose was at Claudia’s found in atoskip just like It’s with great pleasure that I welcome you the pages of our European Comic Journal, an informative office. this magazine for graphic novel readers in the UK one... and Europe. Let me first take this opportunity to thank the

Dear reader,

team who created this interesting and intriguing magazine, Giuseppe, Denise, Matthew and Nigel. They have been fantastic through the ups and downs and it’s so amazing to see the response of our new readership. So please, back and have a drink on me! Her computer, andgive yourself a well deserved pat on theBut... No buts! Claudia files… maybe I can figure died of overdose, andhorror, The European Comic Journal covers a wide range of topics within the fantasy, science fiction, Out of out what she had been if interviews it’s not the it will working on and… crime and mystery realms of graphic novels.the Everyquestion! issue also boasts withcase authors and be the police who I know what illustrators, drawing masterclasses and much more. This first issue will open with a series of interviews find and out.illustrator of Orcs: searches with renowned European authors such as your Stan Nicholls and Joe Flood, author are like. Forged for War, Giuseppe Di Bernardo author of both Desdemona and Adam 2.0 (our newest titles presented at LSCC), Marco Guadalupi author of the heavy-metal horror Dark Rock Chronicles. Nigel Borg and Giuseppe Pennestri’ write about their experience with translating/adapting Desdemona and Adam 2.0 to English. Last but not least is Umberto’s workshop describing the drawing technique of our beautiful cover, dedicated to Orcs and barbarian fantasy. With your knack So it is with greatest pleasure I give you theoffice first issue of the European Comic Journal. I hope you for that disorder that enjoy our magazine. You think of your will be unusable for who own programme, The Sleepless. knows how long. Where You’re just a deejay, Desdemona, would I send D.J. Fasso to Thank you, don’t get it in your head to play do his press review then? detective again. Marcella Pennestri’ It’s time… should I send Editor-in-Chef out the programme’s song?

Now get ready… it’s almost midnight, and you need to go on the air. 3 Asshole!

No, open the mic first. I’d like to say something before the jingle.

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COMICS PUBLISHING

CREDITS Editor-in-Chief: Marcella Pennestrì Publisher: Giuseppe Pennestrì Cover: Umberto Giampà Graphic Designer: Denise Di Prima Contributors: Nigel Borg, Mathew Perryman, Giuseppe Di Bernardo

Any statements made, expressed or implied in European Comic Journal are solely those of columnists or persons begin interviewed and do not represent the editorial position of the publisher, who does not accept responsability for such statements. European Comics Journal © DieGo Comics Publishing Ltd 2015. All Rights Reserved. All contents in this magazine copyright © DieGo Comics Publishing Ltd 2015 All Rights Reserved DIEGO COMICS PUBLISHING LTD 77 GRANSDEN HOUSE, SE8 3QL LONDON UNITED KINGDOM www.diegopublishing.co.uk

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The Monster of Florence

Written by Giuseppe Di Bernardo English adaptation by Giuseppe Pennestri & Matthew Perryman

lorence is not only the city of the Renaissance, the beauty of Michelangelo’s David and Botticelli’s Venus or the glittering shops of high fashion. Florence is also a city that hides a dark soul, every bit as morbid as the news stories that have, for decades, bloodied its rolling, green hills. The monstrous story that I’m about to tell you, one that has deeply influenced my life, occurred on the night of September 14, 1974 in Borgo San Lorenzo, a small village a few kilometres from Florence. It is a Saturday, on that fateful night, when Pasquale Gentilcore, 19 years old, and Stefania Pettini, 18, park in a secluded clearing in their Fiat 127. The young couple are looking for intimacy, but instead of finding caresses, find death. Around midnight, a gunshot shatters the car window. More shots follow - five .22 caliber bullets kill Pasquale. Stefania is also reached by the shots - three of them - but she is only wounded. Somebody then grabs her and drags her out of the car, stabbing her three times in the chest. The murderer then leaves the lifeless body of the girl, goes back to the car and sneaks up on the man’s body with a knife. Back then to Stefania, stabbing her ninety-six more times and finishing the assault by inserting a vine in the vagina of the victim. The horrific crime was attributed to an unknown sex maniac and it all ended there, forgotten for seven long years, until June 6, 1981. This time we are in Scandicci, a suburb of Florence. A Fiat Ritmo is parked in a country lane. In the car is Giovanni Foggi, 30, and Carmela De Nuccio, 21. The next morning an off-duty cop, taking a walk with his ten year old son, sees the car with the left window smashed. Inside is Giovanni, lying in the driving seat, half-naked and dead. Out of the car, in a ditch, is the supine body of Carmela. When the police arrive they find her dressed up but with a cut that opened the jeans from the leg up to the waist. Through the hole in the jeans, someone has completely removed the pubis with only three incisions. The ballistics expert who examines the shell casings finds that they have come from the same gun, a Beretta .22. Four months later, in the parking lot of a mall in the country of the town of Calenzano, still in the Florence district, there is a black Volkswagen Golf with the left window smashed. There are, similarly, two people outside of the car. Stefano Baldi, 26, on the left in a ravine, shot four times then finished off with four stab wounds. Susanna Cambi, 24, in a gutter drain, shot five times and stabbed twice, once in the left breast. Someone has removed the pubis with three incisions, very deep, rawer than those inflicted on poor Carmela De Nuccio. Seven .22 Long Rifle Winchester shells are found at the scene of the crime. Detectives now begin to see a pattern. The method is the same, and for the first time in Italy it comes to serial killers. June 19, 1982, seven months later. The shadow of the Monster of Florence stretches down the main road of Montespertoli Baccaiano, twenty-five kilometres south of Florence. Paolo and Antonella have just stopped with their Seat 147, or perhaps they are leaving, when they are hit. A shot for Paolo, who is bent over the steering wheel to start, and a shot for Antonella. Paolo, wounded yet somehow coherent, starts the engine. Unfortunately, he ends up with the rear wheels in a ditch on the opposite side of the road. The boy was unable to save his partner from death, but spared her from the shaming ritual that 5

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is now emblematic of the Monster of Florence. Paolo is still alive when the police arrive, but he will die in hospital before regaining consciousness, before he is able to provide investigators with any information. Antonella is dead. This time he didn’t prevail on Antonella, perhaps because the car was in the middle of the road, perhaps because it was all too visible. But the nine shells found on site are still .22s. While the terror of the ogre who kills couples spreads through the cities of Dante and Carlo Lorenzini, the police investigation focuses on the murder weapon. It is discovered that it has already fired in the summer of 1968, in circumstances too similar to be coincidence. A man who lives near Signa is awakened by a loud ring. When he looks out, he faces a scene that makes him suspect he is still dreaming. At the front door there is a six year old child, who tells him that his mother and uncle have died in their car. The car is a Alfa Romeo Giulietta, hidden in a clearing on the bank of the Vignone creek. Inside are a man and a woman, killed by four shots each, .22s. They were making love in the reclined passenger seat. On the back seat was the child, Natalino, six years and eight months. He was sleeping, woken by the shots. A man took him in his arms and led him up in front of that house. For this crime there is a murderer, and he is in jail. His name is Stefano Mele, husband of the woman killed. He tells the detectives that he threw away the gun. He is sentenced to sixteen-years and, at the time of the crimes of the Monster, is still in jail. The Monster cannot be him, because he strikes yet again. September 9, 1983. Giogoli, near Scandicci, a van is parked in the middle of a clearing. It’s Friday night and inside are two German boys, Horts and Uwe, both 24 years old, lying on a mattress that covers the floor of the van. Someone comes up and shoots seven shots through the side windows, hitting the two German boys with extreme precision. When the shooter opens the van doors, he realizes that, instead of a couple, they are two boys, one with long blond hair. Then he goes, no doubt disappointed, leaving only the same Long Rifle Winchester shells. “The Monster made a mistake,” says the newspaper headlines. Perhaps this feeds the Monster’s ferocity. The psychosis of the serial killer goes amok. The walls of Florence and nearby towns are covered by disturbing posters with a reptilian eye. The notice reads: “WATCH OUT, KIDS! YOU COULD BE ATTACKED. “ July 30, 1984, nine months after the murder of the German boys: Claudio Stefanacci and Pia Rontini are in a Fiat Panda, parked at the bottom of a lane in Boschetto di Vicchio, thirty-five miles north of Florence. They are making love on the back seat when one of the windows breaks. Pia gets up instinctively and is shot in the face. There are then two stab wounds to Pia and ten to Claudio. Pia is pulled out of the car and mutilated with three stabs to the pubis, but this does not seem to be enough for the beast killing in the Florentine countryside, so he also removes her left breast. Since 1984, the investigation of the Monster of Florence has become less thorough. An Anti-Monster task-force known as the SAM (Squadra Anti Mostro) was set up, formed by qualified police officers and Carabinieri (e.n. the Italian national military police). At the head of this task-force is Dr. Ruggero Perugini, a detective expert in criminology, graduated from the FBI Academy in Quantico where there is a unit specialising in the study of serial killer behavior. September 8, 1985 provided the stage for the final act of this bloody nightmare. San Casciano, twenty kilometres south of Florence. Along via degli Scopeti, in a clearing in a grove, a French couple have pitched a tent a few steps from their Volkswagen. They are Nadine and Jean-Michel, making love when someone rips through their tent with a knife and then shoots them. Nadine dies immediately following three shots in the head. Jean-Michel, wounded, escapes into the woods but does not make it. Someone stabs him in the back and his throat is cut. Nadine is dragged out of the tent, mutilated through removal of the pubis and left breast. Then she is returned to the tent and, for the first time, hidden. An act of mercy? No, a diabolical plan. An envelope is sent from San Piero a Sieve, a small village forty kilometres out of Florence, to deputy attorney Silvia Della Monica, the only woman who takes care of the

Monster’s crimes. Inside the envelope is a piece of Nadine’s left breast. It just so happens, perhaps due to the well-known slowness of the Italian postal service, that the bodies of the French couple are found before the deputy attorney receives the letter. The intent of the Monster is clear: to challenge the investigators who are after him. Make them aware that there was a crime, but without them knowing where and the identity of the victims. With this savage murder of 1985 closes the phase of murders attributed to the “Monster of Florence”, and so begins the phase of detective work, suspicions and convictions. Pietro Pacciani, a farmer from San Casciano, becomes the focus of the investigation. A violent man who raped his daughters, a murderer, who is found in possession of some items deemed to belong to the pair of young Germans. Pacciani’s premises are searched and a 22-caliber bullet is found in his garden. Pacciani is convicted for the murders, but things seem a little too convenient. Something, as it usually is, is amiss. More people are involved, known to the public as “i compagni di merende” (the snacks fellowship). Pacciani is discharged after the appeals trial, while his alleged associates are sentenced. Shortly before the third phase of the case, Pietro Pacciani dies in unclear circumstances - apparently, he took the wrong drugs. But could an illiterate peasant keep the police at bay for so many years? Then many witnesses start to die, all killed with techniques typical of the secret services. The prosecutors do not see clearly and begin to consider the possibility of a second level of highly placed personages ready to commission the crimes to put their hands on the Monster’s fetishes. And so rises the esoteric hypothesis that implicates a diverted branch of Masonry that would cover the instigators, including a well-known doctor from Perugia, found dead in the waters of Trasimeno Lake. During the investigation ‘houses of horror’ are found, secret societies and Satanic covens, turning the story of the Monster of Florence from crime to something much darker. There are those who connect the murders with the ‘strategia della tensione’ (strategy of tension) and ‘gli anni di piombo’ (Years of Lead); there are also those accusing one of the detectives who led the investigation, those accusing writers and journalists and those who continue to point the finger at an isolated victim to the demons that dwell in his mind. The identity of the Monster of Florence is not at all clear, even today, but its cumbersome presence was prime in drafting the adventures of Desdemona. The graphic novel is filled with adventures that combine stories of crime with a reality that is unthinkable for some, unbelievable for most. Occult textures bind the city of Florence. Wires are invisible to the distracted eyes of tourists, which focus only on the artistic beauty of the place. But like a golden casket set with precious stones, they jealously guard the bloody fetishes of humans no different to the great artists.

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Stan Nicholls Interviewer Giuseppe Pennestri

How did your collaboration with Joe Flood on the Orcs graphic novel come about?

My Orcs books were spotted by artist and film-maker Joann Sfar, who’s a leading figure in the new wave of French comic book creators. Joann kindly recommended them to Mark Siegel, Editorial Director of New York graphic novel publisher First Second Books, and Mark was keen on a graphics version. I loved the idea of seeing my characters move into a different medium, and Mark suggested that I might like to come up with a new story instead of adapting the existing novels. While I set about working that out, Mark began auditioning artists, and eventually picked Joe Flood, best known for his Hellcity strip. This was going to be my first real graphic novel. By which I mean the first one that was entirely based on my own work. I’d worked on two graphic novels before, in the 1990s, when I adapted my late friend David Gemmell’s books Legend and Wolf in Shadow into graphic novel form, which were illustrated by Chris Baker under the pen name Fangorn. My only other experience of the form was writing a handful of short strips for comic books. But this wasn’t an adaptation like the Gemmell books; it was an original story, and consequently a different kind of challenge. It seemed to me that novel readers and graphic novel readers aren’t necessarily the same audience, although there is some crossover. So I assumed that at least a portion of the graphic novel’s readership would be coming to my Orcs universe for the first time. Because of that I felt I needed to introduce new readers to the set-up. I also had to convey to Joe and Mark the feeling I wanted to put over – the essence of the concept, you might call it. What I did on those earlier graphic novels and strips was write scripts in the traditional way. In others words I described what the panels should show and what would go in the dialogue balloons and captions. But what I decided to do in this case was write the thing as a short story, a fully rendered piece of fiction, exactly as I would if it was intended to be published in an anthology or magazine. It ended up running to over 20,000 words, and I called it Fit for Purpose. Later, the title was changed to Orcs: Forged For War, and with some changes became the basis of the graphic novel. That story’s never been published anywhere in its original form, but it’s going to be included in a collection of my short stories due out in October 2013.

How did you like working with Joe Flood?

Very much. It was a good, creative experience. When I finished writing the story on which the graphic novel was going to be based, my plan was that once our editor had approved it, and Joe was happy with it, I’d move on to converting it into a script. But Joe thought the story was descriptive enough that he could work directly from it, and basically adapted it himself. He did a great job.

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I try to write my books on two levels, and did my best to carry this over into the graphic novel. The surface level’s intended to be pure entertainment. If readers get no more out of the narrative, that’s fine. But dig deeper and you’ll find a little more. The fantasy genre’s mature enough now that it can carry observations about concerns in the real world, in the here and now. In the Orcs novels and the graphic novel those concerns include how outsiders are treated, environmental issues and the nature of violence and of faith. Not that I’d like to give the impression that my books are polemics. I’m not trying to lecture people. Conveying this sort of topics in prose novels, as a kind of undercurrent or subtext, is one thing. In a graphic novel it’s more difficult, given you have less room for exposition and by necessity you’re not going to overload it with words. It’s to Joe’s credit that he understood what I was trying to do, and that meant we worked well in harness.

Did you have a say in the creation of the graphics? Could you give directions and advice?

Yes I could, and where necessary I did. Before we started we had detailed conversations about the characters, the settings and what you might call the general flavour of the project. Once we were underway I was always available if Joe needed any explaining or clarifying. Having said that, I’m a strong believer in letting experts get on with their job. I’m a writer, not an artist, and I wouldn’t dream of telling someone like Joe how to go about his business any more than he’d tell me how to put the words together. To quote the old expression, “What’s the point in owning dogs and barking yourself?” Not that I’m saying Joe’s a dog! I got to see pages as they were pencilled, and providing everything was going well I left Joe to work in peace. Incidentally, the whole thing was put together via email and the occasional phone conversation; Joe and I have yet to meet in the flesh. It’s the sort of collaboration that would have been very difficult before the advent of modern technology. We were helped enormously by the fact that First Second gave us an almost entirely free hand. They believe in the integrity of the creators and let us get on with it. It was a demonstration of trust we both really appreciated.

How does a visual work of art, like a comic or graphic novel, differ from a written piece? What issues has an artist to consider? What are the aims?

In many ways the two forms, and the aims of both, don’t differ very much. Whether a novel or a graphic novel the hope is that the reader will find the content accessible, consistent and satisfying. Not to mention readable! In the case of graphic novels, of course, there’s the additional requirement that the artwork’s pleasing. There’s a certain method involved in novel-writing, whereby plot, structure, pace, characterisation, dialogue and all the other elements combine to form a coherent whole. Naturally there’s a mechanism in the creation of graphic novels as well, and much of it’s the same as in a prose novel, though there are important differences. Perhaps the most obvious is achieving the correct balance between pictures and words, with an emphasis on the former because this is a predominantly visual medium. You learn that captions, if you have to have them at all, are redundant unless they tell you something the pictures don’t. You see the wisdom in not overloading dialogue balloons, and how narrative sequences flow better when unburdened by verbose explanations. You also come to appreciate the power of colour; not to mention how, sometimes, an absence of colour can have an impact. The most important thing for the artist to consider is how to harmonise their approach and style with the writer’s intentions. Which isn’t to say that they should simply act as a cipher – it’s vital that they should follow their instincts and be open to ideas that occur while they’re in the process of creation. In exactly the same way that an author needs to be receptive to ideas that strike when writing and not stick rigidly to an outline. Flexibility’s vital to both disciplines.

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Joe Flood Interview

Interviewer Marcella Pennestri

Q. How did your collaboration with Stan Nicholls on the Orcs graphic novel come about? A. I was contacted by Mark Siegel at First Second Books about doing some sketches based on Stan’s Orcs series. Another artist brought the concept of an Orcs graphic novel to Mark but after seeing my interpretation of Stan’s work, Mark decided I would be the best for the job. It wasn’t until I read Stan’s short story “Fit for Purpose.” (the work I would directly adapt into the Orcs; Forged for War graphic novel.) that I was in direct contact with Stan, who I corresponded with mostly via email. Q. It has been your first approach to a graphic novel, what does this experience meant from the point of view of your artwork? A. It’s a common misconception that this is my first graphic novel. Image comics published Hellcity, written by Macon Blair, in 2009. They’re an indie publisher, so Orcs is my first graphic novel with a major publisher, so it’s the first book most people are aware of. Doing a book for First Second was a world of difference compared to Image (I had finished drawing Hellcity a year before Image even became involved.). I had an editor and was responsible for adapting the writing of a well established author with an enormous fan base. I thought about these new circumstances often but never let it negatively effect my artwork or keep me from illustrating the book the way I wanted to. Both Mark and Stan completely supported me in my vision of what this world would look like. Q. The setting seems at times brutal with the presence of powerful and violent characters, how have you been able to manage the chaos in the various plates due to the presence of so many characters? A. I subscribe to the belief that less is more. A story filed with so much blood, mayhem and epic battles, I tried to show just enough to excite the reader without overwhelming them. To be fair, the graphic novel is brutal, but some of the more graphic violence is implied as compared to Stan’s novel’s which are very explicit. I attempted to do the same with the details, if you try to show too much detail in a large crowd or battle you will loose focus on what is vital to the storytelling. Q. The impression that one has in a first observation of your orcs is that they have been “humanized”, did you make a study with reference to characters or events carried from other fantasy world? A. I tried to avoid directly referencing any well know fantasy world. I don’t consider myself a fantasy

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illustrator and most of my influences are not from mainstream American comics either (I enjoy DC and Marvel, but I’ve never attempted to draw in their established style.) I love the work of Jean Giraud aka Moebius, Barry Winsdor-Smith and Frank Frazetta and it’s impossible not to be influenced by these artists when working in the realm of fantasy. Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings film adaptations influenced me, mostly using his version of orcs as the antithesis of what I wanted to create visually. All three Peter Jackson’s directors cuts add up to almost 11 hours. I would play the movies back to back in my studio and just listen to them. The sounds of swords clashing, arrows whistling and horses galloping created the perfect mood for drawing this book. Q. Does this project went as you wished? To date, looking back at your work is there something you would change? A. To be honest, the coloring. I was not directly involved, (although I did give notes, I’m unsure wether or not they were taken into consideration.) and contrary to practice the colorist was not credited. I don’t like the fact that people will assume that I’m the one responsible for the coloring. I’ll keep their name out of it, but I was unhappy with over half of the colors they turned in, but there wasn’t much I could do about it. Q. How did you feel to illustrate the story of Stan? Do you think you succeeded in your aim to illustrate it? A. I feel I did it justice. I succeeded in humanizing Stan’s unlikely heroes and making a world that feels cohesive. Also I did it on my terms, Stan had little to no influence (other than his extensive and fantastic writing that inspired my illustrations) on how or what to draw. His notes never about my visualizations and were kept to the story and dialogue and changes I attempted to make. He truly let me explore his worlds and make my own unique interpretation, and in those terms I feel I succeed.

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Umberto Giampà

Workshop

Cover “ORCS”

Umberto Giampà Italian illustrator Born in Reggio Calabria, 1982

www.facebook.com/UmbertoGiampaFanPage

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The Orc protagonist

CLIPPING

It was an honour for me to represent in this cover Stan Nicholls and Joe Floodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s characters, from whom I drew inspiration. Their Orcs arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t grotesque and deformed monstrosities, but are proud and majestic. I wanted to give the main Orc character a tough and proud bearing, using chiaroscuro to define his musculature, leathery skin and frayed, well-worn clothing.

Secondary Orc characters

With the aim of keeping the focus on the main character, the other three Orcs were sketched out in the background, in black and pale colours, with few lines. Contrary to their leader (who stands proud and stoic), they are instead moving and eager: shouting out a powerful battlecry.

CLIPPINGS

23 and

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The hammer

I imagined a weapon so large it’s like a rock, lacking particular workmanship or refinement, and exhuding a coarse power. Worked metal can already be seen making up swords, lances and axes. A weapon such as that hammer fits like a glove in the hands of the Orc (which are very different from human hands). The thorns

CLIPPING

In an open setting, with the scorching sun giving the idea of war, the thorned briars have a double purpose: to provide a terrain that suits the characters and communicate the tangled up nature that Stan Nicholls wants to give to his characters. The Orcs are humanised in sharp contrast with the monstrous humans. The thorns were drawn “in negative” using a pen (that is on a dark background on which a rubber was then used to outline the branches and thorns) and then the details inked in black.

CLIPPING

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Giuseppe Di Bernardo

Interviewer Marcella Pennestri

M.P. - Giuseppe Di Bernardo: L’Insonne (The Sleepless) ... Desdemona lives the night and is surrounded by mystery ... how was the character born? G.D. - It was in the year 1993: Andrea J. Polidori, the co-creator of Desdemona, and I, often found ourselves wandering the fog that surrounds the outskirts of Florence late at night, on the way back from some smoky pub. Between one beer and another we started to think about a comic book series that was meant to be a bit over the top but still well linked to the tradition of popular Italian comic books. Here, thanks to my involvement in a local Florentine radio station, was born Desdemona: the night owl deejay that investigates the secrets of the night and tells us about the illogical characters that inhabit the darkness of the mind. M.P.- Talking about the artistic side, what inspired you to create Desdemona and the other characters of the series? G.D. - I used Wolfman Jack, a ‘70s American speaker, as a model. He appeared in films such as Talk Radio and Nightwaves, where the host has a somewhat aggressive and unaccommodating way of treating listeners. Desdemona is primarily a thriller that draws on the tradition of Italian crime fiction where the unreal penetrates into our world like a hot knife cuts through butter. Desdemona is 13 episodes long, not including a few extras, and it has certainly been influenced by the Italian pulp literature of the ‘90s. It was born from my interest in crime fiction mixed with a passion for mystery, especially the esoteric sects that have always been very active in Florence. There is also a more personal side of Desdemona’s stories that arises from a thousand other influences that I cannot sum up: a song, a special moment, a phrase read in a book or overheard on the bus. The stories are harsh, often without a happy ending, and not at all reassuring. I like to communicate to the reader the idea of not having a way out: I like to write about people who commit crimes and the reasons that move them. In other words, Cain’s point of view. Because of these characteristics Desdemona may also be referred to as a noir, but it also has influences from political fantasy, historical crime, and maybe even romanticism. The series is multifaceted, just like the creatures that inhabit the night. M.P.- What kind of research is behind the stories? Are they based on anything real or realistic? G.D. - I often say that the Desdemona’s stories are “completely made up, true stories”. We have tried to make the stories of Desdemona as real as possible: she had to be a somewhat normal girl who lived in a real world. If you look at it from a different angle, however, its true face is shown: that of a figment of the imagination. The stories are about facts wrapped in mystery, such as the Voynich Manuscript, the Porta Alchemica (Magic Portal) of Rome or the secrets of Rennes-le-Château, but also historical events such as the Nazi-fascist massacres, the Armoire of Shame or crimes committed during the war in Afghanistan. Desdemona’s plot development is inspired by the four stages of alchemical transmutation: the Opera. It is the process by which the ancient alchemists turned lead into gold. The process also implied achieving a greater personal enlightenment and consequently, awareness of ourselves. Our life is a 15

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ADAM 2.0 #01 Black Swan Author: Giuseppe Di Bernardo Artists: Michela Da Sacco, Daniele Statella & Fabio Piacentini Cover art: G. Di Bernardo Colours: Claudia SG Hardcover - 112 pages ISBN: 978-0-9926443-3-8 Price: £20 Become a Fan on Facebook Follow us on Twitter @DieGoPublishing www.diegopublishing.co.uk

A graphic novel that seeks to discover the secret behind the very existence of mankind. Soul and Adam were divided by the collapse of the twin towers. Soul is dead, but Adam is not. Soul was swallowed by concrete and molten metal, while Adam has tried to survive in his self-destructive life. Adam’s love for Soul never stopped, until the day that Soul returned from hell, reappearing in the very same place as if one second of time has not passed. And so begins Adam Mack’s incredible journey as he searches for his girlfriend, down a road that will lead to Pandora’s Box, to the discovery of an ancient and secret government that segregates human life in a prison for the body and a hell for the soul.

Florentines have lived with a split-personality sort of dualism for years, and it is the same for Desdemona: apparently her life is that of a normal student who works as a DJ at night, but there are truths that have lain hidden for years. There are mysteries that concern her life, and they bequeathed her with an inexplicable insomnia. What would you do if one day all that surrounded you suddenly changed, and you are faced with your life’s dark and threatening side?

journey that takes us towards understanding and finding something that is within ourselves. Desdemona passes through four stages of her life that we, metaphorically, identify with the phases of alchemical transformation. The first, “Nigredo” is the Black Opera, the initial state, the chaos that is obtained by the separation of the elements. Separation is achieved by “Putrefactio” (putrefaction), or death, because we must die to be reborn. “Albedo” is the White Opera, or rebirth: the return of the soul to the dead body. The last state is “Rubedo”, the Red Opera, that can be reached by fire. Obviously these are only a metaphor: we have used the alchemical stages as a symbol of the comic series, and modern alchemy will often emerge in Desdemona’s stories. The reader here shouldn’t look at alchemy as the scientific precursor of chemistry: alchemy is a metaphor for life, the transcription of thought into symbols understood only by the initiated. Readers who have the patience to follow will feel as initiates who are able to understand the esoteric symbolism spread through the episodes of the series.

M.P.- Desdemona is a comic that has everything that can interest a wide range of readers: crime, noir, political intrigue, occultism and conspiracy theories. What kind of difficulties have you faced in creating such a complex structure? I imagine that keeping together all these topics has been a challenge. How did you manage to tie it all and to address eventual problems? G.D. - The continuity of the story is rather thin in the first few episodes; it’s in the second part that the events begin to overlap and the story picks up. The plot is very complex and requires a good dose of commitment by the reader to pick up the small nuances. An effort, I believe, that is well rewarded. Having a protagonist who solves the mystery is the typical pattern of classic crime fiction. Not all episodes will have this structure and, indeed, Desdemona is by no means infallible. She always repeats in her broadcasts: “if you want the hero without flaw or fear, if you like stories with happy endings, well, you have the wrong radio frequency.” I can only hope that the love we put into the making of this series may tran-

M.P.- Desdemona and Florence: what is the relationship between the two? Was the Tuscan capital a natural choice? G.D. - Italy offers an ideal setting for those who want to tell dark and scary stories. Our cities are apparently modern, but their roots lie in a soil that has drunk the blood of battles and riots of any kind, while the walls of our homes have seen an uninterrupted succession of violence, both public and domestic. Florence is a special case as it is affected by a particular dichotomy: on one hand it is the city of beauty with its fashion shops and places where you can admire magnificent and unique artworks, while on the other hand it’s the city of a ‘Monster’ that has bloodied the rolling hills that surround it. As told by Thomas Harrys in Hannibal and Dan Brown in Inferno, Florence has a hidden face of rusticated gray and narrow streets, and dreadful crimes committed among the olive trees. 17

spire from the pages of the comic and that English readers will enjoy it. Like when you open a new book and you can smell the press, well, I would like them to smell the scents of Florentine summer nights, beer, the consumed coffee, and smoked tobacco that accompanied me and Andrea when we started writing our fascinating and mysterious young deejay-detective.

Biography Born in Florence in 1971. He started his career when very young, illustrating the Role Play of Dylan Dog, an Italian horror comic. He then drew an episode of Mister No, another main feature of Bonelli Comics, the most important Italian comics publishing house. In 2002, after several prestigious publications for the French market, Di Bernardo started to draw Diabolik the King of Terror, one of the cult Italian comics. But Giuseppe is not just an illustrator, he is also a writer who has written numerous comic book series: the first was Desdemona, winner of the ComicUs. Next came Cornelius, that Di Bernardo wrote with Carlo Lucarelli - a famous Italian crime writer and TV presenter - and sold over 25,000 copies. Di Bernardo is also author for the science-fiction series The Secret (Adam 2.0 for the English edition), that repeated Desdemona’s success in winning the ComicUs Prize. In 2009 he received the prestigious “Scure d’Oro” award. He has published a novel and several short stories, worked extensively in advertising and now teaches at the International School of Comics and writing for Star Comics, another Italian publishing house. Desdemona and Adam 2.0, published by DieGo Comics Publishing, are his debut internationally as author.

Desdemona

Metus suffers from insomnia, spending her sleepless nights as a radio DJ in her hometown of Florence. It is a magical place, almost hidden beneath the darkness of the muffled Florentine night. A peaceful, cultured place, where it might seem impossible that any heinous crime could occur. But when her colleague is found to have killed themselves, Desdemona does not believe it is suicide and begins to investigate. What lies behind the number tattooed across her wrist? What binds it to the Nazi massacres carried out in September of 1943? A blood-red thread leads Desdemona through the darkness, revealing the secret hidden in the infamous “armoire of shame.” Captain Arceri, we’re almost there. In about an hour, weather permitting, we’ll be in Florence.

Yeah… we’ll get there before the dawn. I might even manage to rest for a couple of hours.

Careful!

DESDEMONA #01 Forgotten Crimes Writers: Giuseppe Di Bernardo & Francesco Matteuzzi Artists: Michela Da Sacco & Michele Benevento Cover art: G. Di Bernardo Colours: Claudia SG Hardcover - 112 pages ISBN: 978-0-9926443-6-9 Price: £20 Become a Fan on Facebook Follow us on Twitter @DieGoPublishing www.diegopublishing.co.uk

Adapting Desdemona

Nigel Borg

I first came across Desdemona in the form of the short episode ‘Obsession’, recently published in time for the 72nd World Science Fiction Convention. At the time I knew little about Desdemona ‘Desdy’ Metus, other than that she was a DJ who hosted a night-time radio programme called ‘L’Insonne’ (which directly translates from Italian to ‘The Sleepless’). A fitting name considering that she’s an insomniac. I remember the first set of scenes of Desdemona that I saw: Desdy enters a room looking for a woman, then bursts into a fit of hysterical laughter, before a man sneaks up on her and hits her on the head. Suffice to say, I was intrigued. It’s not a situation I’d have expected a DJ to be in, and I wanted to read on, both to find out how she got in that situation, and how she gets out of it. Desdemona is an interesting character: she is impulsive, intuitive, and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. You could say she’s an aggressive woman. Yet there is also a hidden side to her, a more vulnerable Desdy who hides behind a mask of strength. For the most part I’m familiar with the heroes of fantasy literature, who more often than not are the wielders of some sort of magic or ‘superpower’. Desdemona is different from these protagonists I was so used to: for the most part she is an ordinary human being, with her own flaws and weaknesses. Yet I think it is precisely that which makes it so interesting to read her stories: she is a normal human put in situations which test her, and in spite of being a ‘mere mortal’ she manages to survive. She does not do this on her own, however. There is a whole cast of colourful characters with their own quirks who, for one reason or another, support or oppose her throughout the comics. While they are not protagonists, they do have their own impact on Desdemona and her story, and they share a characteristic with her: they all feel like real people. Desdemona deals with a number of situations throughout the comics which have a supernatural flavour. Like the night, that dark realm illuminated by the pale light of the moon, I feel the series skirts the line between the real and imagined, fantasy and reality. In my opinion, it is one of the series’ strong points. Even with these themes, however, what her stories boil down to is simple: they are about people. People carrying the heavy baggage of their past, which hurts each and every one of us, and to a lesser or greater extent skews our worldview. People whose wills go against that of others and inevitably lead to conflict – conflict which in 20

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spite of the pain it causes, or perhaps because of it, enriches storytelling. The Desdemona comics I have read so far were a pleasure to read, and an honour to translate. Translating Desdemona was an interesting experience. I myself like to do translation in two major phases. The first step is what I like to call a rough translation where I focus on getting the gist of what is being said, and translate that to a rough English version. This, for me, is the more time consuming of the two since you have to make sure you truly understand what is being said: it’s not the words themselves that are important but the meaning behind them. At this point I translate it to English, however, stay as close to the Italian wording as possible. Once I’ve gone through the whole comic then I’ll have accomplished three things: I’ll have a rough translation of the whole, an understanding of the whole story, and I’ll have got to know the characters. In a way, the latter two are the most important of the three. Next comes the second phase, which is one of refinement. I think it’s important to go through the comic multiple times. Much like watching a film, or reading a book, the first time is focussed more on the experience, and about getting to know the story. The second time you go through it, you’re able to pick up the little hints along the way: the words or actions that might not have made complete sense when first going through the story but in the light of the whole foreshadow what is to come. In this second phase I would place the original Italian, and my English translation side by side, and go through them in parallel. At this point I have three aims: making sure the translation is accurate in the light of future events, improving the language quality, and very importantly making sure that the words the characters use are ones they’d actually say. Even though I am not creating the story myself, I believe characterisation, which comes out through the register of the words used by the character, is still very important. Characters, like people, will tend to have a particular speech pattern. Making them say things in a way they wouldn’t will make reading through the comic jarring, so it’s important that characters speak in a way that fits them, and is consistent. Translation, I have found, can present some interesting challenges as well. At times there were phrases which I could not immediately understand because they were either a form of dialect, or else they were expressions with which I was not familiar. In these cases liaising directly with Giuseppe Pennestri, and the original authors was invaluable. Other snippets which could be tricky were things that are more creative such as lyrics or poetry. While with expressions it’s a matter of finding the English equivalent, with things such as poems you have to stick more with the spirit of the words, or what they’re trying to express, rather than the words themselves. At the end of the second phase, I then sweep through the translation one final time and clean up any mistakes which I might have missed the first time. It is my hope, that I have managed to do the comics justice.

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Rourke is a dark anti-hero, troubled, unwilling and often-inebriated hero, Rourke suffers a great burden â&#x20AC;&#x201C; he has the ability to take curses bestowed upon others and laden himself with them, so that he might save the victims from their turmoil. It is good business, but he also has to look his young daughter Kylie. Or rather, she has to look after him. The dysfunctional pair blaze trails through Ireland and into dark worlds filled with demons and witches.

Rourke the Hexbuster Vol.1 Author: Federico Memola Artists: Cosimo Ferri & Val Romeo Cover art: Cosimo Ferri Paperback - 224 pages Price: ÂŁ10 Become a Fan on Facebook Follow us on Twitter @DieGoPublishing www.diegopublishing.co.uk

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Interview Marco Guadalupi

Interviewer Marcella Pennestri

Marco Guadalupi Author Always fond of the fantastic in all its forms, Marco has worked since 2006 with Fantasy Magazine, an Italian online magazine, of which Marco is currently active editor. Moreover Marco is responsible of the department for writing and communication of the Italian Lunatica, fantasy fair. He has published numerous articles, reviews, short stories, interviews and insights in magazines both online and printing ones. He is also interested in design, music, cinema and video games and has worked as a blogger and social media manager for Fanucci Editore. He is currently attending the Lupiae Comix, Cartoon and Comic school in Lecce. In October 2012 Marco published his first novel, ‘Dark Rock Chronicles,’ with the Italian publisher Plesio. DRC will be published by DieGo Comics Publishing for first time in English in November 2013.

MP. What is it about the fantasy genre that attracts you? MG. I believe that what attracts me is the opportunity to express or conceal any concept using elements of fantasy, that takes us away from our daily lives. I tend to write about ordinary things, which I then mix with fantastic elements. It’s great because it allows me to combine and manipulate normal and abstract concepts. I believe that, with fantasy, one can conceptualize both profound and shallow subjects, adhering to the necessary creative criteria without necessarily bestowing moral judgments. MP. When did you first encounter fantasy, and when was the first moment that you thought ‘yeah, this is where it’s at!’? MG. I think it was as a child, with my first readings of fantasy literature. It wasn’t a proper fantasy, at least not compared to that which I write today, but one of my first readings with elements of fantasy and science fiction was Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne. I was struck by the adventure of it all, and the sheer scope. Then I came to high fantasy with reading Lord of the Rings, which struck me similarly with the scale of its incredible adventure; the journey to Middle-earth, and the charm of discovery. But the saga that struck me most is undoubtedly the Harry Potter series, which is a rich saga full of life and death, and which describes very effectively the joys and fears of life.

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MP. So at what point did you decide you wanted to make writing a career? MG. Career is a big word, and for the moment I like to take one step at a time, looking ahead, confident, convinced, and with clear ideas - but holding my feet on the ground. I always liked to write, even as a child, both stories and poems. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a while and I am continuing to do so. I hope to go on like this, as I have several things to tell. MP. Who are your inspirations, from a fantasy perspective? Is there something special that immediately attracts your attention, or are you guided only by instinct and feelings of the moment? MG. Anything inspires me and, likewise, I am inspired by everything that surrounds me. If something attracts my attention, no matter how big or small, then that can be defined as a source of inspiration! I look around me, I speak, and of course I observe other peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s productions... Mainly my ideas are very instinctive, and it is possible for me to get carried away, but lately I try to make more considered choices. However, I ensure that this more cautious route does not detract from the feelings instilled by my work, which are the basis and evolution of any inspiration and perspective.

N.1 - MARCH 2015

MP. Who do you admire who is out there currently? MG. I really admire J. K. Rowling, and she is one of my favorite writers ever. She has created something unique, the success of which is most likely unrepeatable. But there is also another writer that I love, who is young and already very capable. I am referring to Scott Lynch, and his novels of The Gentleman Bastard saga. I look forward to reading the third chapter! Rowling attracts me due to her ability to portray naturalness and empathy towards the reader. She expresses complex concepts, such as death and diversity, through the eyes of a child and adolescent. Admittedly, it is not for everyone, but from a technical point of view I love Harry Potter because it maintains a fixed structure but, at the same time, is vastly different from book to book. Regarding Lynch... well, he is a master of characterization, and I was impressed by reading his books. It seems to me that he has several decades of experience behind him, and writes with incredible maturity. It is crazy how in one book (the first, named The Lies of Locke Lamora) he manages to create such a feeling between the reader and protagonist. MP. Favourite Fantasy/SF TV show? MG. The series that I follow with particular attention, funnily enough, are not fantasy or science fiction. I am not a fan of Games of Thrones because, yes - I cannot stand it! I think it is important to be interested in other genres too, and not limited to just one genre. I approach everything this way. Not just TV series, but also books and comics, and this way I enjoy a wealth of inspirations. MP. How would you best describe your book. What do you think may have affected your novel and why? MG. Passionate and funny, I would say. I am very fond of the DRC, for as well as being my first novel, the story combines several passions of mine. I have received many compliments from Italian readers, which has impressed me. I did not think I could manage to amuse readers, so that was a great satisfaction. From the comments of internet readers, and those I had the fortune of meeting in person, it was found that DRC is a book for everyone. My writing has satisfied people of all ages, from high school student to parents. One doesn’t need to share my passions and interests to appreciate the book. In DRC there is music, and there are quotations more or less veiled, but these are sub-narratives that do not affect the main storyline. MP. What do you think of the state of the fantasy genre within comics? MG. It’s still growing. Between experimental projects and old certainties, fantasy is a genre that will always arouse much attention, and one that is able to influence other genres or even create new ones. MP. Do you have other projects under development? MG. Yes, I’m struggling with a new project and am in the process of its first draft. As with the DRC, the protagonists are boys. I have outlined a storyline and now I will continue to write. Nothing fantasy or horror, though. Let’s just say that has something to do with superpowers.

MP. A detachment from the fantasy then, is the result of your own particular path or a momentary turn to test new fields? MG. I like to mix the ordinary and extraordinary items, and this is a concept that I have always started with or kept in mind while working. So I do not call it a breakthrough. I’m also trying to do something in the field of comics, but that is a lot of work. MP. What question would you have liked to have been asked? MG. I would say... ‘Which director would you see working on an eventual film adaptation of DRC?’ My answer would have been Joss Whedon, but under the supervision of Neil Gaiman. Now that would be crazy stuff! Dark Rock Chronicles introduces us to a mind-bending alternate reality in which dark magic and heavy metal constantly clash. DRC, the band around which the book is based, has grown tired of dealing with Antony, their evil nemesis. His oily face, as well as the oppression of the Prison for Out-of-Line Rockers, who run the country with an authoritarian rule, leads the band to desperate measures. Through many twists and turns, they find themselves in the supernatural madness of the Rock Warrior Tournament. Forced to enter by their reluctant deal with a powerful demon, protagonist Matt and his band members must use of their heavy rock abilities to defeat their enemies and escape unscathed. Guadalupi provides an enthralling mixture of musical satire and dark fantasy adventure, one that fans of fantasy and rock music alike will love. Visit Diego Comics Publishing at D406

Author Marco Guadalupi Translator: Juliet Haydock Cover: Denise Di Prima Paperback - 228 pages ISBN: 978-0-9926443-1-4 Price: £5

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