Milwaukee-based Epicenter Comics are releasing a deluxe slipcased collection of the three L’Ispettore Coke (“Inspector Coke”) mysteries, written and drawn by fumetti maestro Dino Battaglia. Incredibly, this is the first ever publication of any of Battaglia’s highly influential works in the English language.
Offered as a set at a reduced advance price are “The Mummy”, “The Crimes of the Phoenix” and “The Monster of the Thames”.
The release is limited to 750 copies, and each set is numbered on the back of the slipcase. The books will not be sold separately, only as a beautifully put together set, more than worthy of the stunning work featured by an Italian great.
All three books feature bonus essays about the author’s life and his work.
Dino Battaglia (1925 – 1983) first entered the comic book profession in 1946, co-founding and producing work for the Italian magazine Asso di Picche, along with other Venetian artists such as Hugo Pratt and Alberto Ongaro, where he drew some pages of the “Junglemen” series. He was not attached to one character in particular and thus drew a lot of different stories in different styles.
The magazine Sgt. Kirk published an adaptation of Moby Dick, a work that marked Battaglia’s artistic maturity: his drawings achieved the unique, distinctive style that characterised all his later productions. From then on, Battaglia focused on adaptations rather than on original series: he was particularly interested in classic novelists like Poe, H. P. Lovecraft, Stevenson, Maupassant and Hoffmann. His way of writing and his drawing style became a reference for a lot of artists.
In 1982 he created his only original series, L’Ispettore Coke (Inspector Coke). Sadly, only two album publications were completed before the work was interrupted by Battaglia’s unexpected death in 1983.
• Check out Epicenter Cimics Dino Battaglia’s Inspector Coke Trilogy here on Kickstarter
• Epicenter Comics are online at epicentercomics.com
With thanks to Paul Gravett for the news tip
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The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
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