Descrizione
L’ OLIMPO DEI FUMETTI
COLLANA DI CLASSICI DEI COMICS
volume 25
DRAGO
di Burne Hogarth
PRESTIGIOSA ED INTRAMONTABILE COLLANA DI LIBRI A FUMETTI USCITA NEI PRIMI ANNI SETTANTA, CURATA DA PIER CARPI E RINALDO TRAINI
30 PICCOLI VOLUMI DAI GRANDI CONTENUTI CIASCUNO DEI QUALI MONOGRAFICO ED INTERAMENTE DEDICATO AD UNO DEI PIU’ GRANDI E CELEBRI CLASSICI DEL COMICS AMERICANO, A COSTITUIRE UNA BIBLIOTECA MASSICCIA, MASSIFICATA E MASSONICA CON TUTTI O QUASI I PIU’ POPOLARI E SIGNIFICATIVI PERSONAGGI DELL’ ETA’ D’ORO
SUL FINIRE DEL 1945 L’ ESIMIO PROFESSOR HOGARTH STANCO DEL FASCINO SELVATICO E STALLATICO DI TARZAN DECIDE DI CAMBIARE GENERE E CREA QUESTO DRAGO, UNA SOAP-OPERA AVVENTUROSO-SENTIMENTALE A FUMETTI AMBIENTATA NELLE VASTITA’ SCONFINATE DELLA PAMPA ARGENTINA ED INEBRIATA DALL’ AROMA DEL MATE, DAL PROFUMO DELLA CARNE ALLA BRACE, DAL SAPORE DEL CHIMICHURRI E DALLE MELODIE DEL TANGO
IL PROTAGONISTA NON E’ SOLTANTO UN AITANTE GAUCHO ZORREGGIANTE CHE CAVALCA LE ROMANTICHE E DESOLATE IMMENSITA’ DEI PROPRI LATIFONDI RIPARANDO TORTI E SBEFFEGGIANDO CATTIVI E PREPOTENTI (COME QUEL FURFANTE DI SUO PADRE E I CRIMINALI NAZISTI SFUGGITI ALLA FORCA E AI PROCESSI SOMMARI DI NORIMBERGA), MA ANCHE UNO SCAPOLONE AMBITISSIMO SEMPRE CIRCONDATO DA DONNE BELLISSIME, RAFFINATE E SENSUALI, CHE IN SEGUITO AVREBBERO SICURAMENTE ISPIRATO LE FEMMINE SIA FATALI CHE INCANTATE DI UNO DEI PIU’ GRANDI ARTISTI DEL COMIC ITALIANO OSSIA ROBERTO RAVIOLA IN ARTE MAGNUS
QUESTO VOLUMETTO TASCABILE CONTIENE L’ INTERO CICLO DEL PERSONAGGIO, CON LE TAVOLE DOMENICALI / SUNDAY PAGES CHE VANNO DA QUELLA DI ESORDIO DEL 4 NOVEMBRE 1945 FINO ALL’ ULTIMA DEL 10 NOVEMBRE 1946 : UN’ OPERA OMNIA SEMPRE STUPENDA ED ENTUSIASMANTE NONOSTANTE SIA QUI SVALUTATA E MORTIFICATA DA UNA INADEGUATA ED AVVILENTE EDIZIONE IN BIANCO E NERO E A VIGNETTE RIMONTATE
A CURA DI RINALDO TRAINI
SUGARCO EDIZIONI , 1974, VOLUME CARTONATO TASCABILE, 160 PAGINE + COPERTINA, FORMATO cm.13×21, BIANCO E NERO
Cartoonist Burne Hogarth did several comic strips, such as Miracle Jones and Pieces of Eight, but is famous for only one — Tarzan, the newspaper comics adaptation of the famous jungle hero of Edgar Rice Burroughs, distributed by United Feature Syndicate (Peanuts, Twin Earths). But between two stints on Tarzan, he was responsible for another notable (tho short-lived) adventure Sunday page, Drago.
Drago debuted November 4, 1945, i.e., just after the close of World War II. It was set in contemporary Argentina, where a lot of ex-Nazis were said to have gone to hide when Germany became inhospitable to their ilk. Naturally, they formed a base of villainy for an adventure series with that setting to draw on, but there was more to it than that. Since Hogarth was a master of human anatomy (his books on the subject are still used by illustrators of all types), Drago ran into his share of beautiful women — and considering the proclivities of comics heroes such as Johnny Hazard, Casey Ruggles, The Spirit etc., “his share” meant he was constantly tripping over them.
Drago has been described as both an Argentine nobleman and a gaucho, or cowboy, which seems an unusual occupation for one of noble birth but has no relation. But it’s not completely unheard-of, especially considering Argentina doesn’t officially have dukes, princes and the like, and it does make for colorful characterization in an adventure hero. The contrast does seem to have contributed to reader interest.
Unfortunately, not enough readers seem to have been interested. This may be at least partly because the distributor, The New York Post Syndicate, doesn’t seem to have had much of a track record for promoting comics into great popularity. Typical among its offerings were The Goldbergs, by Irwin Hasen (Dondi), Silly Milly, by Stan MacGovern (who also did some editorial cartoons for the Post), and a few other minor ’40s offerings. Its most notable success was Mark Trail, which was taken over by other syndicates, finally winding up at King Features.
Whatever the cause, Drago lasted only slightly more than a year, ending November 10, 1946. Hogarth went back to Tarzan, where he stayed a few more years before moving on to other projects. He returned to the Ape Man in the 1970s, and painted a couple of books about the character. Drago has had only a minor afterlife, in the form of a reprint volume from The Pacific Comics Club (Prince Valiant, Dick Tracy). That 1985 book is now a collector’s item among knowledgeable comics fans, but not many others remember Drago.
— DDM
