Alberico Motta

Alberico Motta was an Italian cartoonist and illustrator born on 6 October 1937, who went on to build one of the more quietly prolific careers in Italian comics before his death on 23 May 2019. His working life in the medium stretched from 1954 to 2012 — nearly six decades — during which he accumulated credits as artist, inker, letterer, and writer across some 235 issues.

Motta worked extensively on beloved children's and humor titles, with his heaviest concentration of work appearing in publications such as Braccio di Ferro, the Italian-language home of the Popeye character, as well as Cap'tain Présente Popeye, Cri Cri, Almanacco Topolino, Kiko, and an adaptation of Pinocchio. The range of those titles speaks to his versatility — he was equally comfortable handling licensed humor strips, classic literary adaptations, and general children's fare.

His career places him firmly within the tradition of Italian artists who kept popular comics magazines running through steady, skilled craftsmanship rather than through a single landmark creation. Working across multiple roles — drawing, inking, lettering, and scripting — he exemplified the complete cartoonist as understood by the Italian publishing industry of his era. Though not widely celebrated outside specialist circles, Motta's sustained output across more than half a century represents a substantial contribution to Italian popular illustration.