Monday, February 22, 2016

European Western Comic Books – Magico Vento



Magico Vento (Magic Wind) is the hero of an Italian western comic book with the same name.
Magic Wind is actually, Ned Ellis and he is the only soldier who survived a massacre. Because of a metal splinter stuck in his head he has lost his memory but has acquired the gift of vision, becoming a "Strange Man" for the Sioux who have captured the wounded. His adventures take place in Dakota (one of the less known and celebrated states in the western tradition) around 1870: the Civil War ended a few years before and the U.S is starting the so-called Indian Wars.


Magic Wind is joined in his adventures by journalist Chicago Willy Richards, called Poe for his strong resemblance to the famous poet. Small in stature but very brave in the search for truth (he is not afraid of sticking his neck out), Poe is essential in the reconstruction of the massacre due to which Ned has lost his memory. Of note also the sorcerer Sioux Cavallo Zoppo, who after treating Ned has become the "master."

The main enemy of Magic Wind is the shady businessman Howard Hogan, who has become rich by erecting several towns along the railway and causing the massacre in which Ned was wounded. Also, he was formerly the lover of Ned's mother and killer of his father.


The series was created in July 1997 by writer Gianfranco Manfredi, former scriptwriter of many episodes of Dylan Dog and Nick Raider, as well as creator of Gordon Link. The comic series was issued monthly by Sergio Vonelli Editore. Horror and supernatural themes, often related to Indian legends and mythology, are also present. Artists who worked on the series include José Ortiz, Ivo Milazzo, Eugenio Sicomoro, Corrado Roi, Darko Perović and Corrado Mastantuono.
The regular series is still published by Sergio Bonelli Editore and back issues are easily available from the publisher or on line.


Gianfranco Manfredi was born in Senigallia, Ancona, Italy and lives in Milan, where he graduated in History of Philosophy. He published an essay on "Love and Loves in JJ Rousseau" (Mazzotta, 1978) and made his debut in fiction with "Red Magic" (Feltrinelli, 1983 / the new 2007 edition, Gargoyle Books), which was followed, always Feltrinelli, the "Cromantica" novels (1985), "Last Vampire" (1987) and "Trainspotter" (1989); for Mondadori: "The Worst is Yet to Come" (1991); for Anabasis: "The Dead Horse Escape" (1993); Marco Tropea Editore: "A Vintage Fortune" (2000), "The Little Black Devil" (2001), "In the Darkness Appeared to me Jesus" (2005); Gargoyle Books for: "I'm Cold" (2008) and "Resurrection Techniques" (2010); for Mondadori: "Green Arrow" (2013).

Multimedia character par excellence, Gianfranco Manfredi is also the author of more than three hundred songs, several film and television scripts and essays on music. His debut in comics was the creation, of the Dart in "Gordon Link", an easy-going ghost hunter (1991). Since 1994, Manfredi has worked with Sergio Bonelli Editore, writing several scripts for Dylan Dog and Nick Raider. In 1997, he wrote the western series Magico Vento, which combines elements of horror and magic. In 2005 he made his debut as a screenwriter for Tex, writing the script for the story "The Trail of Ambushes", published on Maxi Tex that year. In 2007 he turned to a new project: Hidden Face, a gripping graphic novel in fourteen books. 2010 it was the sequel to Hidden Face, Shanghai Devil, a new mini-series in eighteen issues. In October of 2014 arrived on newsstands the first issue of his new character: Adam Wild.


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