Beltrame

This is a double post inspired by the current celebrations of the 100th anniversary of events from the Great War. A couple of years ago I edited a book about the war, the text written by Mike Butterworth with illustrations by Frank Bellamy, originally for the pages of Look and Learn.

What surprised me was that the series debuted with a cover that had no connection with Bellamy. Instead, Look and Learn used an image painted by an Italian artist named Achille Beltrame, whose artwork graced the covers—both front and rear—of La Domenica del Corrierre for 46 years. Beltrame charted four and a half decades of the 20th century and is still celebrated in his native country.

You can find out more in the short bio. you'll discover if you scroll down the page a little.

The reason for this introduction is because there's a second artist—possibly—called Beltrame who contributed to British comics. However, there's a chance that this artwork is also a reprint and I'm hoping that one of my Italian readers might recognise it from the pages of the famous Italian Sunday paper.

This issue of Commando dates from 1976. Could this be a reprint by Achile Beltrame, or a different artist—perhaps even related. Beltrame was, after all, one of eight siblings. But you'll learn more about him below.