Pier Carpi

Writer, artist, and filmmaker Pier Carpi was born on January 16, 1940 in Scandiano, Emilia-Romagna. He was a prolific artist and writer of comics, writing scripts for the Italian versions of "Mickey Mouse", "Superman", and "Batman"; and the Italian comics staples "Diabolik" and "Martin Mystère". He co-created the monthly anthology "Horror" with Alfredo Castelli, which published 22 issues between 1969 and 1971, and wrote for the French publisher Éditions Lug. With a lifelong interest in occult and esoteric topics, he wrote several books on the subject, some of which he later adapted into feature films. A personal confidante of Propaganda Due leader Licio Gelli, he later published a biography of the notorious figure. He also wrote and directed for the theatre, winning accolades at the Festival dei Due Mondi. He died on June 26, 2000 in Viadana, Lombardy.