Romano Scarpa

[Ole Reichstein Nielsen]

Again an old master of the smile has left us with a tear in our eyes.

What to say? Perhaps that one master rose from anonymity to household word
in his late years, and another - still among us - has become a celebrity
everywhere but in his own country. Scarpa however was loved by Disney
readers in his own country for decades, but only in recent years gained
recognition by fandom outside Italy.

Oddly enough it would take a relatively small exposure in American comics
towards the end of the Gladstone I era, before European readers would
re-discover the treasures they had overlooked in their pocket publications,
stepchildren of Disney comics to the mostly American-oriented fans.

In our sadness, saying goodbye to the Venetian maestro, we should also
remember to smile that we still have so many of his fine stories to read,
perhaps for the first time, as Gemstone digs into a treasure trove of
stories to make new readers amused, amazed, and appreciative of the fine art
of comic story telling.

Thank you, signor Scarpa. See you in the funny papers.

-- Ole