Now Robert is a die-hard fan of the late Massimo Balardinelli -who drew Dan Dare when the character was brought back in the 1970s in 2000 AD. Well, he also drew the cult following Ace Trucking Co. and Meltdown Man -both have been reprinted in (Marvel) Essentials format books. Look, Belardinelli was just the best and most under used creator in comics.
I'm sure Robert or I could talk our socks off about "The Master".
However, last week something happened that has quite literally blown Robert's, mine and members of the group minds. Massimo's daughter, Vulvia, joined. And she has contributed...well, unseen/unused art -airbrush, 'rough' poster art, wood carving and much more including photography.
Not only was Massimo The Master of comics but just looking at the work in his daughter's possession shows that he could probably be rated as a major (but uncredited) modern artist -and surrealist. I am a big Dali fan but some of Massimo's work...well. I can't even begin to describe.
In all seriousness I truly believe that there should be a hefty book looking at The Art Of Massimo Belardinelli.
You can join the group and see "what might have been" had The Master been given free-reign of his imagination in comics. You'll also learn that the Belardinelli family never had food in the freezer just frozen insects!!
The group can be found here:https://www.facebook.com/groups/12998769813/?fref=nf
Artwork (c)2015 The Massimo Belardinelli Family
I remember laughing out loud on the bus on the way to college at the Chickenopolis State Police when they all took off in hot pursuit on fantastic machines in an Ace Garp episode . Meltdown Man was my first encounter with Belardinelli , and his strips were the first I would turn to in 2000AD . I was disappointed with the collected volumes however . Balardinelli's art is best at a size at which it is allowed to live , not squeezed down into a smaller format . Slaine , again , just incredible . As you say , Terry , this man was a genius and it's so sad that we 've lost him . Are you aware of other strips that he drew in his native country ? The brief biography in the collected Ace Garp says that he was a backgrounds man for animation , but nothing to inform us of anything else he did .
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking of up-dating the Massimo Belardinelli interview posted here in 2013 with more art. Robert Cox and I have searched a loooong time which is why the Appreciation Society FB pages was set up -NOW look!!
ReplyDeleteOnce I've had me lunch I shall have a look at the original . Now I have peace I can go back to things that I've missed over the years . People are saying to me , who have my best interests at heart , that I could spend the rest of my life drawing and doing things that interest me . My view is that my mind still thinks that I could be shot whilst trying to escape . Such ' freedom ' will take a great deal of getting used to .
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