Sergio Tarquinio Biography
Sergio Tarquinio (Cremona, 13 October 1925) is an Italian cartoonist, painter and engraver. Tarquinio is undoubtedly to be counted among the greatest exponents of Italian comics, especially the "Western" comics of the post-war period. His commitment as a designer dates back to the beginning of 1945, when he created the western "Luna d'argento" based on texts by Cesare Solini. Subsequently, he collaborates with the Dardo publishing house in the creation, together with Rinaldo D'Ami, of the adventures of Blek and Gionni. Then he moved to Argentina, between 1948 and 1952: there he joined comics "signatures" such as Hugo Pratt, Mario Faustinelli, Alberto Ongaro and Ivo Pavone (the legendary "Group of the Ace of Spades), and collaborated on " Misterix" and other publications, participating in what would become universally known as the "Italian school of South American comics". Upon returning to his homeland, Tarquinio began working again with Dardo, drawing Marussia, Ray Fox and Condor Gek, but also collaborating, in a occasionally, with "Vittorioso" and with the English publishers Fleetway and Amalgamated Press. A new turning point in his career came at the end of the fifties, when the collaboration with the Araldo publishing house germinated, from which the future Sergio Bonelli Editore was born: for the Araldo draws the adventures of Judge Bean (based on texts by Guido Nolitta, later author of Zagor) and Giubba Rossa (based on texts by Giovanni Luigi Bonelli). Among his works, there are also some Superman and Batman stories for Arnoldo Mondadori Editore e a pirate saga for the "Corriere dei Piccoli". In 1966 he got married to Giovanna, whom he met in an art gallery in Cremona where he worked as a manager, and in the same year Marco, his only son, was born. In the same period, Tarquinio joined the staff of artists of the History of the West, subsequently that of Ken Parker. Finally, in the 1980s, following Gino D'Antonio, he moved with pencil and luggage to the "Giornalino", giving life to some western series such as "Fra due flag" and "Nuove frontiere". The collaboration will last for the entire decade, until his retirement from the "active" scenes.
