BLEK LE ROC

Franco Bignotti was born in 1930 in the province of Brescia. Later on, he moved to Milan, where he started out as an advertising illustrator. Afterwards, he worked as an illustrator of fairytale books, as well as schoolbooks. His first comics work was 'Il Piccolo Centauro', a series published from 1951 by Gioventù. The series was written by Dalmasso, with whom Bignotti also created stories for El Bravo in 1953. Bignotti started a cooperation with Bonelli in 1956, working on such series as 'Hondo', 'Un Regazzo nel Far West and 'Furio Almirante'. For Dardo publishers, he illustrated some episodes of 'Capitan Miki' and for Lug publishers series like 'Blek', 'Duncan Rescuer' and 'Paso Kid'. For the British Amalgamated Press, he illustrated western stories for the Cowboy Comics Library. From 1970 he alternated with Francesco Gamba on 'O Pequeno Ranger'. For Bonelli, he continued doing work on 'Zagor', 'Martin Mystère' and 'Mister No'. Franco Bignotti was also a renowned painter. Text (c) Lambiek