"L'Inferno di Topolino".
This is a 1949 story written by Guido Martina and illustrated by Angelo Bioletto. We're talking about one of the first Disney stories fully realized by Italian artists and, at the same time, the first important one published in "Topolino" (Mickey Mouse) magazine. We're talking about the first "Grande Parodia" (many parodies related to literature and cinema followed).
We're talking about history.
This is a story every fan of Disney comics in Italy knows and loves.
Mickey Mouse is Dante Alighieri, Goofy is Virgilio. Martina used a lot of Disney characters in the story, including the ones from the movies and cartoons.
Now, which artist could best illustrate "L'Inferno di Topolino" today?
It's an easy and obvious choice.
Fabio Celoni.
Those familiar with his art know that he's a terrific artist who shines when working on stories that deal with horror and gothic atmospheres. In particular, I love his Disney stories that make you laugh and, at the same time, have that particular "dark side" that makes them so peculiar and special. If you have the chance, please read "Dracula di Bram Topker", a parody of Dracula with Disney characters brilliantly written by Bruno Enna and magnificently illustrated by Fabio.
This illustration, inspired by Martina & Bioletto's story, really speaks for itself. It's simply crazy what Fabio managed to achieve.
Crazy.
The perspective, the insane details, and everything else are just plain incredible.
It's the size of an A3, so it's pretty big. And it needs to be seen at its original size to understand what we're talking about.
And once you start looking at it, it's difficult to stop. Every single element in this picture seems to tell you a story (this particular skill kinda reminds me of Norman Rockwell). You're lost in all the details, the magnificence of the composition, the vitality of the characters that seem to be alive on this sheet of paper.
You can see some amazing close-ups to appreciate the incredible level of detail.
There's also a scan of the pencils just before the inking phase. I love Fabio's pencils, which are purposely not very tight because inking here is not merely tracing lines but reinterpreting and recreating. That's why the final inked art is so fresh and alive.
Published in Topolino magazine #3000 and then in the book "Disney d'autore - Fabio Celoni".
In 2021, the piece was also published in two (standard and deluxe) reprints of the "L'Inferno di Topolino" that restored the story exactly as it first appeared in 1949, plus new (outstanding) coloring. The deluxe printing is an oversized beauty that also presents this piece in a size similar to the original art.
I will never find enough words to express my gratitude to Fabio for creating this masterpiece!
As for my other "Inferno di Topolino" related pieces, please check:
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F. Celoni con sketch
- C. Mastantuono-
C. Mastantuono prelim-
C. Mastantuono with A. Zemolin inks-
P. Mottura con sketch-
A. Lavoradori-
G. Cavazzano-
D. Cesarello-
C. SciarronePaper size: 29.7 x 42.3 cm
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Note: Please be aware that three recreations of this piece, all realized by Fabio Celoni, do exist: one is a fully penciled piece, the second one is a pen & ink piece signed and dated 2017, and the third one is a fully painted piece signed and dated 2018
