MAGNUS

 

Narcissus, extravagant, precious, and brilliant, was the artist Roberto Raviola, who unashamedly signed as Magnus. Born in 1939 in Bologna, Raviola studied fine arts and began working in advertising illustration from a very young age. In 1964, with the guidance of the writer Luciano Secchi (Max Bunker), he joined the Milan-based publishing house Corno to draw the series "Kriminal," a subproduct entirely consistent with the prevailing trend of those years, "fumetto nero" or black comic.

This genre, which was equivalent to B-movies, always featured anti-heroes with somewhat amoral traits (and coincidentally, their names always had a 'k' replacing the 'c'). It functioned as an outlet for the frustrations of the Italian working class, who enjoyed these characters breaking all the rules. While in North America, the prevailing comic book model featured colorful heroes upholding society's highest values, the "fumetti neri" rebelled against the Italy in which they were created, with their stories often taking place in an improbable England or the United States. Their protagonists engaged in all kinds of immoral activities. The format was quite small, with only two panels per page, but they were immensely popular. The Magnus/Bunker duo became immensely popular with "Kriminal," a masked killer whose uniform featured a painted skeleton. He initiated his adventures with calculated revenge, leading to all sorts of crimes that pushed the boundaries of taste. Later, the young creators introduced the ruthless "Satanik," a female counterpart to Dr. Jekyll. Marny Bannister, a scientist disfigured in childhood, created a potion that turned her into a beautiful and wicked thief. Both characters were adapted into films by Umberto Lenzi ("Kriminal," 1966) and Piero Vivarelli ("Satanik," 1968).

The "fumetti neri" were a constant source of controversy (which boosted sales). Several attempts were made to censor or ban them. Nudity was covered with black spots simulating shadows. Magnus recalled that in the French editions, they were so prudish that they even erased the gunshot sound effects. Editors and authors were accused of inciting prostitution, undermining the family structure, and attempting to shock readers. While this material was questionable from an artistic perspective, not because of its explicit content but due to the gratuitous combination of sex and violence, these industrially produced comics were perfect for Magnus to refine his artwork. He always paid great attention to the human figure, adding a slight touch of caricature, and over time, he polished his inking skills, approaching the work of artists like Alex Raymond and Burne Hogarth. Thematically, the taboos they broke may seem innocent and almost childish today, but at the time, Magnus was seen as a boundary-breaking creator.

After his killer characters, Magnus introduced space pirate Gesebel (a Barbarella imitation) and secret agent Dennis Cobb, a sort of James Bond with the sophistication that a low-budget magazine allowed. Finally, there was Alan Ford, considered Bunker's best work as a writer and Magnus's consecration in popular Italian comics. More humorous than his previous works, Ford was a satirical take on society. It featured a small group of advertising executives living through wild and absurd situations filled with humor and sex. In the late '70s, Magnus began writing his own scripts and created his last "fumetto nero," "Il Sconociuto" (The Unknown). This character was more complex and less parodic than his earlier creations.

Unknow (without the 'n' at the end) is a mercenary, a character with a dark past, a veteran of the Algerian War who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder due to the crimes he witnessed and was a part of. The Unknown experiences (mis)adventures in various parts of the world, encountering all sorts of people and living through situations where there are no winners. These include kidnappings in Haiti, patricides in Rome, bloody conflicts between Palestinians and Israelis, or even the assassination of Che Guevara in Bolivia. The Unknown, who tries to remain faithful to a personal ethical code, ultimately cannot have a good ending, as death marks him from the beginning. Emerging during a time when Europe was shaken by left-wing radical terrorism, and with Magnus's drawing reaching an astonishing level of quality, incorporating various narrative techniques from the best action movies of the '70s (Sam Peckinpah, John Boorman, Arthur Penn), "Il Sconociuto" marked a turning point in Magnus's career. 

In the '80s, Magnus created two futuristic heroines: the kitschy Frieda Bohner and her android sex slave Necrón, and the less kitschy and more aristocratic Milady. The latter embarked on a true space opera in a fully steampunk setting. Decades ago, Magnus's work had been persecuted as obscene, but new laws allowed almost anything to be published. While public opinion had changed, critics were not kind to this author of well-drawn but cheap comics. Even after he had parted ways artistically with Max Bunker, they remained friends. Concerning the critics, the writer once said:

"The official critics have been unwilling to acknowledge him simply because he succeeded and has always enjoyed great popular acceptance. Both things are viewed very negatively by critics, in part because they believe that work intended for the few always seems too intelligent for the dimwits in the masses. And partly because it is easier to deny the talent of others than to admit one's own lack of it. In the long run, if a work is truly valuable, it emerges above any intellectual framework. Thus, Magnus rightfully sits among the Masters of comic history."

But critical acclaim would eventually come. Another element would shape Magnus's work from that point on his reading of ancient Chinese literature. In the immense volume "The Plum in the Golden Vase" (over 2,800 pages and considered a masterpiece of literature dating back to 1610, attributed to Lanling Xiaoxiao Sheng), Magnus found inspiration for The 110 Pills, considered the greatest erotic comic story of all time. Like the book, it's based on, and despite the explicit nature of its images, the story is a moral fable about debauchery and its excesses, which always come at a price, according to the story.

The Pharmacist Hsi Men Ching receives 110 pills from a beggar monk that enhance sexual vigor. Using them, Men Ching will experience great pleasure with his six wives, women from a brothel, and cross dressers from another, and finally, he will find himself consumed and near death after indulging in all possible excesses. Magnus employs an interesting device, respecting the original story's names but whimsically creating entirely new settings and costumes for the characters. His characters, all with Chinese names, look completely Caucasian. The result is an eclectic work that sometimes resembles a theatrical representation. Magnus, a master of drawing, avoids creating a historically accurate setting, like Francois Bourgeon's or Andre Juillard's works, and instead revels in drawing naked bodies in various positions against opera-like backdrops. He also excels at using the Art Deco style for panel composition. This adaptation of the classic Chinese literature takes on a unique personality. While Magnus had flirted with obscenity and overt pornography, the circumstances of comics had changed by the time The 110 Pills was serialized in Totem magazine. The publication of works by Manara and Saudelli made eroticism in comics chic rather than a tasteless subject. Therefore, when the complete album was published (in a large format), it became an instant bestseller and was acclaimed by critics. The 110 Pills was translated and published on several continents, finally earning Magnus recognition as one of the comic world's greats.

Magnus's obsession with Chinese literature and increasingly refined comics didn't stop there. In 1987, he adapted another Chinese classic, this time "Los cuentos fantásticos de Liao Tzhai," turning it into The Enchanted Women. It featured a series of standalone stories that blended magic and sensuality to demonstrate the absolute power of femininity. The Enchanted Women may not have been as successful as The 110 Pills, but it is considered Magnus's masterpiece and perhaps one of the most beautiful comics ever drawn. The eclecticism of The 110 Pills is taken even further here, both in the setting and the characters' costumes. Each story is set in a different era of European history, one seems to occur during World War II, another in the 1800s, and another in the Middle Ages, and all retain the Chinese names of the book's characters. Ghosts, werewolves, and vampires are the protagonists of some stories, except the last one, which features midwife Yun-Ho, a non-supernatural character and perhaps the most human character Magnus ever created. The adaptation of the text is exceptionally well done, and the combination with the artwork achieves an unusual lyrical quality in comics. The original sheets were drawn at a large size (30 by 40 cm), and the level of detail is comparable to 19th-century engravings.

After this, Magnus's last work would be a tribute to the most popular Italian comic character, Ranger Tex Willer. Working for editor Sergio Bonelli, Magnus spent the last seven years of his life drawing a 200-page album that portrayed the most baroque version of Tex ever drawn. Unlike his Chinese stories, Magnus paid careful attention to historical accuracy in this Tex story, both in costumes and architecture. Apart from that, he achieved a truly cinematic rhythm for the story, making it an epic tale worthy of a Sergio Leone film. The author passed away from cancer in 1996 at the age of 57, shortly after completing this book.

In between populism and sophistication, obscenity and the sublime, vulgarity and genius, it may not be absurd to say that Magnus represents Italian culture in every sense.