Pier Carpi
Italian essayist, novelist, film director and screenwriter
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Arnaldo Piero "Pier" Carpi (16 January 1940 – 26 June 2000) was an Italian essayist, novelist, film director, screenwriter and comics writer.[1]
16 January 1940
- Film director
- writer
- novelist
Pier Carpi | |
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| Born | Arnaldo Piero Carpi 16 January 1940 Arceto di Scandiano, Italy |
| Died | 26 June 2000 (aged 60) Italy |
| Occupations |
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Life and career
Born in Scandiano, Carpi spent his childhood in a boarding school, never meeting his parents.[2] He went on to study at art school and later collaborated with Gazzetta di Parma, before moving to Milan, where he worked in advertising as a ghost copywriter, and collaborated with the humorous magazine Bertoldo.[2]
Carpi became first known as a comic book writer, penning about 60 Diabolik stories.[2] In 1963, he began collaborating with Topolino, and starting from 1965 he created a number of series, notably the fumetti neri series Zakimort, I Naufraghi, Lancillotto, Nic Cometa and Teddy Bob, and also scripted Italian-produced stories of Superman and Batman.[2] He later became editor of the comics magazine Il Mago, and in 1969, he co-founded with Alfredo Castelli the comics magazine Horror.[2]
In 1964, Carpi made his literary debut with the novel La morte facile, and his variegated field of interests included historical monographies and essays, especially about esotericism.[2] He was an admirer of Alessandro Cagliostro, whom according his 1972 biographical book Cagliostro il taumaturgo was "the last victim of the Inquisition".[2] In 1975, he made his directorial debut with the successful Cagliostro, and then went on direct Povero Cristo and Satan's Wife.[2]
Carpi was also known for his self-promotional activities, which often brought him significant newspaper coverage and included frequent high-profile accusations of plagiarism, notably against Franco Zeffirelli for Brother Sun, Sister Moon, and against Castellano & Pipolo for Loggerheads.[2]
Later years and death
A freemanson, in 1981, Carpi was involved in the Propaganda Due scandal, emerging as an affiliate of the secret lodge as well as a Licio Gelli's close friend and collaborator.[2] Shortly later, he founded an association named "International Committee of Solidarity", which released material in defense of Gelli and was accused of being a cover for an attempt to re-establish the lodge, getting him incriminated for aiding and abetting.[2] His career was subsequently seriously affected by legal issues, and many of his announced projects were never realized.[2]
In 1993, Carpi collaborated with the screenplay of Memè Perlini's film Il ventre di Maria, and in the mid-1990s, he briefly returned to comics, collaborating in a few issues of Martin Mystère and its spin-off series Zona X.[2] During the same period, he joined the Lega Nord party and founded an association in support of Irene Pivetti.[2] He died of heath attack on 26 June 2000, at the age of 60.[2]
