2023-05-10 20:30:33
150 years have passed since the disappearance of Alessandro Manzoniwho with his novel ‘The Betrothed’ it has accompanied at least part of the schooling of every Italian. To celebrate this anniversary, the publishing house Arrived publishes the comic book from 17 May ‘PaperManzoni’the new volume Disney inspired by the great writer, who arrives in the wake of the successes of ‘TopoPrincipe’ and ‘PaperDante’.
‘PaperManzoni’, as stated in the editorial notes, “aims to be a gentle and refined homage to the Milanese author, through the unpublished illustrated story written by Augusto Macchetto, with drawings by Giada Perissinotto and Lorenzo Pastrovicchio, a couple of artists also in life and recent promised spouses, with the splendid colors of Andrea Cagol. Conceived and developed entirely in Italy, it is enriched by an interesting editorial section that introduces the reader not only to Manzoni, but also to the Manzoni-inspired universe that emerges from the story. This part is completed by the rich backstage, which highlights the process that led to the creation of the illustrations”.
The ideal complement to the illustrated story is ‘The Promised Ducks’which closes the volume: a now iconic comic strip story, one of the most famous Disney literary parodies, published in the weekly ‘Topolino’ in 1976 and written by Edoardo Segantini with drawings by Giulio Chierichini.
“In this story, for fun and with affection, we have brought a young Alessandro Manzoni back to the meadows of his childhood and we have surrounded him by the magic experienced by every boy and girl in front of the world – he explains Veronica DiLisio, Director of the Disney Division and editorial for Giunti Editore – A world seen with eyes ready to marvel at what is extraordinary it has to offer. If we had ended up there, perhaps we would have seen a disheveled child with red cheeks after running with friends. When he grew up, did Alessandro regret those days? Will they have been an inspiration to him, in writing his works? The magic of being children who look at the world with curiosity and innocence and the genuineness of friendship, capable of overcoming even the most difficult obstacles, are among the ingredients that will make reading PaperManzoni sweet and moving”.
“When the proposal for a story about Alessandro Manzoni arrived, I immediately wanted to mess it up a bit – he says Augusto Macchetto, author of the story – You know, in portraits he is always distinct, dapper, very well-mannered. But could such a accomplished child have been as well? Or, like everyone else, will he have done his pranks, will he have stained his suit, will he have come home disheveled? Because, between the lines of the Promessi Sposi, there is also a great desire to rebel, to do exactly what they don’t want you to do. Then I imagined a slightly tousled, cheerful, restless child: he was a little Donald Duck. And here’s his hair became feathers, and PaperManzoni immediately started running. Someone will stop him with “nothing to do”, I said to myself, but I certainly don’t…”.
(Of Enzo Bonaiuto)
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