ALBERTO BECATTINI
was born in Florence on 9/27/1955.
He got his degree in Foreign Languages in 1981. He was a high school teacher of English from 1983-2021.
Comics have always been one of his main interests, first as a collector, then as a researcher. He has specialized in Disney characters and American comics in general, but he also writes about American animation, illustration and pin-up art, as well as about the relationship between comics, cinema and literature.
His first official contribution to a comic work dates back to 1974, when he helped with the chronology included in the book Introduzione a Paperino (Florence, G. C. Sansoni).
In 1978, in Florence, he founded, together with other enthusiasts, the fanzine Funnies, devoted to Carl Barks and American comics.
Since 1978, he has been writing articles and essays for various Italian publications about comics, including Image, Diva, Exploit Comics, Il Fumetto, Il Nerbiniano, Glamour, All-American Comics, Horror, Fumetti d'Italia, If, Fumo di China.
Since 1986, he has been a Senior Editor of Jerry Bails’ Who’s Who of American Comic Books. (www.bailsprojects.com)
In 1988-90, he translated a few Italian Disney stories for Gladstone Publishing’s comic books. He also wrote several articles for the same publisher.
In 1989, he took part in the Lascia o Raddoppia TV quiz (broadcast on Italy's RAI 1 channel), answering questions on “Walt Disney comics”. He quit as a winner after six weeks.
From 1990-2002, he contributed to publications issued by Comic Art in Rome. He wrote articles for such newsstand magazines as All American Comics, Comic Art, Horror, edited several books in the Disney Masterpieces collection, and translated stories for the Carl Barks chronological book series.
From 1990-2004, he was a member of Immagine, which organized the Italian conventions in Lucca (Lucca Comics) and Rome (Expocartoon), both devoted to comics and animated cartoons.
Since 1992, he has been a free-lance essayist and consultant for The Walt Disney Company – Italy and Panini-Disney. He has contributed articles and chronologies to such newsstand series as Le Grandi Parodie Disney (also bookshop hardback version), Zio Paperone, I Maestri Disney, Tesori Disney, Disney Anni d’Oro, Uack!, as well as for several special issues.
He has contributed articles to such US magazines as Comic Book Artist, Alter Ego, and Comic Book Marketplace.
As an indexer, he has also contributed to the Grand Comics Database (www.comics.org) and to the I.N.D.U.C.K.S. project (www.coa.inducks.org).
In 2009 he contributed to the DVD edition of the first Italian animated feature, La Rosa di Bagdad.
Alberto has written or co-authored the following books and periodicals:
Disney Index (3 books, 1984 - syndicated strips; 1992 - Dell comic books, part 1; and 1994 - Dell comic books, part 2)
Romano Scarpa (1988 - chronology)
I Disney Italiani (1990 - authors’ index and bibliography)
American Good Girl Art (2 books, 1991 and 1992 - also distributed in the U.S.)
Paralleli - Walt Disney (1992)
La Bella e la Bestia: Storia di un capolavoro (1993 - translation and essays)
Topolino - 60 anni insieme (1993)
Calendar Girls (1994 - also distributed in the U.S.)
The Golden Age of Pin-Up Art (2 books, 1994 - also distributed in the U.S.)
Giovan Battista Carpi (1995)
Disney Comics - La storia, i personaggi: 1930-1995 (1995 - the “bible book” of Disney comics)
Don Rosa e il rinascimento disneyano (1996)
Alex Toth (1997 - also distributed in the U.S.)
Crimes 'n' Gals.... (1998)
Floyd & Mickey (1998)
Settant'anni di Fiabe Animate: Silly Symphony (1999)
Romano Scarpa: Sognando la Calidornia (2001)
Carl Barks l’Uomo dei Paperi (2001)
The Good Girl Art of Bob Lubbers (2001)
Fantastico Walt (2001)
Paul Murry: Mice, Ducks and Cheesecake (2001)
Jefferson Machamer: Gags and Gals (2001)
Storie di Natale (2001)
Milton Caniff: American Stars and Strips (2002)
Barks’ Friends (2002)
Alex Raymond: The Power and the Grace (2003)
Topolino Story (2005)
Storia e Gloria della Dinastia dei Paperi (2005)
Vita e Dollari di Paperon De’ Paperoni (2007)
Walt’s People Vols. 5-18 (2007-2016)
La Grande Dinastia dei Paperi (2008)
Gli Anni d’Oro di Topolino (2010)
The Floyd Gottfredson Library Vols. 1-5 (Fantagraphics, 2011-2013)
The Carl Barks Library (Fantagraphics, 2011-2023)
Disney in Italia: I Libri Illustrati – 1932-1975 (2012)
Matt Baker – Art of Glamour (TwoMorrows, 2012)
I Disney Italiani (2012)
Le Grandi Storie Disney - L'opera omnia di Romano Scarpa (2014)
Uack! / Paperopoli / Vita da Paperi (2014-2018)
Disney Comics: The Whole Story (2016)
Dan Barry: Sensualità della perfezione (2017)
L'era di Nembo Kid & C - Volume Primo 1939-1970 (2017)
Tom & Jerry Silvestro e il fumetto Comico Cenisio (2018)
Don Rosa Library (2018-2019)
American Funny Animal Comics in the 20th Century - Volume One (2019)
Disney a Fumetti - Storie, Autori e Personaggi: 1930-2018 (2019)
American Funny Animal Comics in the 20th Century - Volume Two (2019)
Dagli Antenati ai Pronipoti: I Fumetti di Hanna & Barbera (2019)
L'era di Nembo Kid & C - Volume Two 1971-1986 (2019)
L'amore e il buio [novel] (2020)
Picchi, panda e coniglietti: I personaggi di Walter Lantz tra animazione e fumetto (2020)
Mickey Mouse Weekly: L'arte di Harold Whitaker 1950-1953 (2020)
Felix il favoloso gatto (2021)
Storia di Nerbini Avventuroso Editore Vol. 1 (2021)
Storia di Nerbini Avventuroso Editore Vol. 2 (2021)
Marinai, pupe e spinaci: Storia di Popeye alias Braccio di Ferro (2021)
Morte in chiaroscuro [novel] (2022)
Profumo d'inchiostro - Storia delle Edizioni Fratelli Spada (2022)
Italians for the USA! (2022)
I Maestri del Fumetto Animato USA - Tony Strobl (2022)
Strip! I Grandi Classici del Fumetto Americano - Flash Gordon (2023)
I Maestri del Fumetto Animato USA - Al Hubbard (2023)
Phantom e Mandrake - Avventura e Magia nei personaggi di Lee Falk (2023)
MAD & Co. - Un secolo di parodie nei fumetti USA (2023)