Massimo Belardinelli

Massimo Belardinelli (5 June 1938 – March 2007) was an Italian comics artist best known for his work in the British science fiction comic 2000 AD.

Biography

Belardinelli had previously worked on a number of IPC titles and when 2000AD was being developed in 1978 he landed the plum job of drawing Dan Dare, which was to have been the feature strip of the new comic. However, Bellardinelli's vivid style and exaggeration of an established character displeased many readers, and after a year he was moved to the future sport strip Inferno (an installment of the popular Harlem Heroes series).

Series he worked on for the comic include Dan Dare, Flesh, Meltdown Man, and Sláine: he will be most affectionately remembered for Ace Trucking Co., which he co-created after requesting that writers John Wagner and Alan Grant come up with a strip featuring many different types of alien.

Represented in the UK by Studio Giolitti, he ceased UK work when that agency folded.

His work was notable for its delicate brushwork and imaginative depictions of the fantastic. Bellardinelli also hid numerous self-portraits in his strips. Many characters (and even some inanimate objects) bore a striking resemblance to their artist.

Massimo Belardinelli died in March 2007.^[1]

Bibliography

Comics work includes:

• Dan Dare (in 2000 AD #1-23, 1977)
• MACH One (in 2000 AD #3 & 23-24, 1977)
• Judge Dredd (in 2000 AD #8, 1977)

• Harlem Heroes:
  • Harlem Heroes (in 2000 AD #25-27, 1977)
  • Inferno (in 2000 AD #36-75, 1977–78)

• Flesh (in 2000 AD #86-97, 1978–79)
• The Angry Planet (in Tornado #1-22, 1979)
• Blackhawk (with Alan Grant/Kelvin Gosnell as "Alvin Gaunt", in 2000 AD #127-161, 1979)
• Meltdown Man (in 2000 AD #178-227, 1980–81)

• Ace Trucking Co. (with co-authors John Wagner/Alan Grant):
  • The Complete Ace Trucking Co. Volume 1 (320 pages ISBN 1-905437-77-3) collects:
    • "The Kleggs" (in 2000 AD #232-236, 1981)
    • "Lugjack" (in 2000 AD #244-250, 1982)
    • "The Great Mush Rush" (in 2000 AD #251-258, 1982)
    • "The Ughbug Bloos" (in 2000 AD #259, 1982)
    • "Last Lug To Abbo Dabbo" (in 2000 AD #260-267, 1982)
    • "Joobaloo" (in 2000 AD #268-272, 1982)
    • "Too Many Bams" (in 2000 AD #273-278, 1982)
    • "The Kloistar Run" (in 2000 AD #279-285, 1982)
    • "Stoop Coop Soup" (in 2000 AD #288-293, 1982)
  • The Complete Ace Trucking Co. Volume 2 (336 pages ISBN 1-905437-98-6) collects:
    • "Bamfeezled" (2000AD Sci-Fi Special 1982)
    • "On The Dangle" (in 2000 AD #378-386, 1984)
    • "Strike!" (in 2000 AD #387-390 and 392-400, 1984–1985)
    • "The Croakside Trip" (in 2000 AD #428-433, 1985)
    • "Stowaway Lugjacker" (in 2000 AD Annual 1986, 1985)
    • "Whatever Happened to Ace Garp?" (in 2000 AD #451, 1986)
    • "The Doppelgarp" (in 2000 AD #452-472, 1986)
    • "The Garpetbaggers" (in 2000 AD #475-483 and 485-498, 1986)
    • "The Homecoming" (in 2000 AD Annual 1989, 1988)

• Tharg's Time Twisters (in 2000 AD #297 & 306-307, 1983)
• Tharg the Mighty (in 2000 AD #308-312, 1983)

• Sláine (with Pat Mills):
  • Warrior's Dawn (2005, ISBN 1-904265-33-2) collects:
    • "The Beast in the Broch" (in 2000 AD #331-334, 1983)
    • "The Bride of Crom" (in 2000 AD #337-342, 1983)
    • "The Creeping Death" (in 2000 AD #343, 1983)
    • "The Bull Dance" (in 2000 AD #344, 1983)
  • "Dragonheist" (in 2000 AD #361-367, 1984, collected in Time Killer (2007, ISBN 1-905437-21-8)

• Tharg's Time Twisters (in 2000 AD # 360,
• Tharg's Time Twisters (in 2000 AD #370 & 374, 1984)
• Mean Team Series One (in 2000 AD #437-447, 1985)
• The Dead (with Peter Milligan, in 2000 AD #510-519, 1987)
• Mean Team Series Two (in 2000 AD #525-531, 533-535 & 537-541, 1987)
• Tharg's Future Shocks: "I'm a Believer " (with Neil Gaiman, in 2000 AD #536, 1987)
• Moon Runners (in 2000 AD #591-604, 607, 641-644 and three specials, 1988–89)
• Medivac 318 (in 2000 AD Winter Special #2, 1989)

Notes

References

External links

• New (2005) art from Belardinelli
• Announcement by David Brunt of Bellardinelli's continued existence
• Announcement by Robby Cox of Massimo's correspondence with him and news of his failing health
• Tribute from Pat Mills