Franco Paludetti (1925-2008)

afNEWS, the Italian fumetti news website, has reported the death of Franco Paludetti on 8 March 2008. Paludetti, born in Milan in 1925, studied at at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Brera and began drawing comic strips in 1946. In the 1950s his work included 'Sciuscia', 'Fiamme sul Messico' and 'Jerry Jess'; it was during this period in the late 1950s/early 1960s that he contributed to British comics, mostly to Fleetway's Thriller, Air Ace, Battle and War picture libraries.

In 1964, Paludetti was one of the co-founders of the Gli Amici group as well as working for Lug and various other publishers, including episodes of Gino D'Antonio's West. From 1972 until his retirement in 2004, he was one of the inkers on the hugely popular 'Diabolik' strip.