Alfredo Castelli

Alfredo Castelli (Milan, June 26, 1947 - Milan, February 7, 2024) filled numerous roles over a career spanning more than fifty years: television and radio author, creator of advertising spots for Carosello, screenwriter, journalist, essayist, and comics historian, in addition, of course, to that of comics writer.

In 1965 he created the first Italian comics fanzine, Comics Club 104, together with Paolo Sala. As early as the previous year, however, he had begun collaborating with the publishers of Kolosso and drawing the adventures of Scheletrino, which appeared as a supplement to Diabolik. In the following years he also wrote for various other publishers: Universo (Pedrito el Drito, Rocky Rider, Piccola Eva), Mondadori (Topolino), and Alpe (Tiramolla).

Between 1966 and 1969 he also worked on the television series Cappuccetto a Pois (together with Maria Perego) and wrote the texts of numerous television caroselli: Taca Banda, Antenati, and Tuttostanco. He also signed the screenplay for the science-fiction film Il Tunnel Sotto il Mondo, directed by Luigi Cozzi.

In 1968 he was the author of the satirical paper Tilt, and from the following year he directed the monthly Horror together with Pier Carpi, producing the Zio Boris strip and various self-contained stories. He later served as editor and author for various titles: the Corriere dei Ragazzi (creating L'Ombra, Gli Aristocratici, l'Omino Bufo, and Otto Kruntz), Il Giornalino, Supergulp!, Eureka, and Magic Boy.

He collaborated with Sergio Bonelli Editore from 1971, writing stories for Zagor and Mister No as well as two volumes of Un Uomo Un'avventura: L'Uomo delle Nevi and L'Uomo di Chicago. In 1982 he created Martin Mystère, which gave rise to L'Almanacco del Mistero in 1987 and Zona X in 1992. He would later have the Detective of the Impossible meet Dylan Dog and Nathan Never in several special issues greatly appreciated by readers.

In the 2000s he returned to his humorous writing vein, first scripting an adventure of Pedrito El Drito drawn by Antonio Terenghi for the series I grandi comici del fumetto and then taking part in the creation of the charming Bonelli Kids group.