Gino D'Antonio

Born in Milan on 16 March 1927, Gino D'Antonio spent six decades as one of Italy's most versatile and quietly influential comics creators, working across war, western, and adventure genres with equal fluency.

He entered the industry in 1947 with the comic book series Jesse James, published by Edizioni Della Casa, and by 1951 had begun contributing to the respected Italian magazine Il Vittorioso. A pivotal shift came in 1956 when he started a productive relationship with Britain's Fleetway Publications, producing war comics for titles including Eagle, Junior Express, Junior Mirror, and Tell Me Why — work that brought his draftsmanship to a substantial international readership and shaped his reputation as a reliable storyteller in military settings.

D'Antonio's crowning achievement arrived in 1967 when he co-created Storia del West alongside Renzo Calegari. The western series ran until 1980 and remains the work most closely associated with his name. Around the same period he forged another long association, this time with Il Giornalino, for which he wrote and drew multiple series including Susanna, Il soldato Cascella, and Uomini senza gloria. His commitment to that publication deepened over time, and by 1987 he had been appointed head of its comics section — a role that reflected both his creative output and his standing within Italian comics journalism.

D'Antonio died of a stroke at his Milan home on 24 December 2006.