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Valentina
Valentina, Volume 2: Magic Lantern
Photographer Valentina Rosseli is happy with her partner of one year but she can't help feeling the passion in their relationship has waned. When she is offered an assignment photographing those engaged in the darker side of desire, she gets drawn into a shadowy world that reveals a part of her sexuality she hasn't explored.
100 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1978
About the author
Guido Crepax
418 books86 followersGuido Crepax (born Crepas, 1933-2003) was an Italian illustrator and comics author, considered one of the most influential cartoonists of the second half of the 20th century. He is notably remembered for his sophisticated black and white art, as well as his dreamlike storylines, often involving a significative dose of erotism.
Crepax was born and raised in Milan, the son of famed cellist Gilberto Crepas. He graduated in Architecture in 1958, then started a successful career in illustration, mostly for advertisement and record covers.
Crepax began making comics in the middle of the 60's, particularly for the Italian magazine 'Linus'. He is best known for the Valentina series of stories. Originally introduced as a side character in the sci-fi story The Curve of Lesmo (1965), Valentina is a fictional photographer from Milan. She is a cultured strong woman, with sophisticated art and fashion tastes, left-wing political ideals and a marked sexual curiosity. Valentina quickly became a staple of European counterculture of the late 60s and early 70s. The series run for thirty years, until 1995, with the titular character aging in real time.
Over the decades Crepax created other female characters, such as Belinda, Anita, Bianca, Giulietta, usually used as protagonists of erotic comics. His other works include a number of comic book adaptations of erotic novels, like Emmanuelle, Justine, Venus in Furs, Story of O, as well as horror classics Dracula, Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Crepax was born and raised in Milan, the son of famed cellist Gilberto Crepas. He graduated in Architecture in 1958, then started a successful career in illustration, mostly for advertisement and record covers.
Crepax began making comics in the middle of the 60's, particularly for the Italian magazine 'Linus'. He is best known for the Valentina series of stories. Originally introduced as a side character in the sci-fi story The Curve of Lesmo (1965), Valentina is a fictional photographer from Milan. She is a cultured strong woman, with sophisticated art and fashion tastes, left-wing political ideals and a marked sexual curiosity. Valentina quickly became a staple of European counterculture of the late 60s and early 70s. The series run for thirty years, until 1995, with the titular character aging in real time.
Over the decades Crepax created other female characters, such as Belinda, Anita, Bianca, Giulietta, usually used as protagonists of erotic comics. His other works include a number of comic book adaptations of erotic novels, like Emmanuelle, Justine, Venus in Furs, Story of O, as well as horror classics Dracula, Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 24, 2021
2012 = £14.99
How hard it is to give Guido only three stars!
The art is his typical quality but there is no story. It's one of those "interpret it how you like" situations where the character goes from scene to dizzying and vague scene with nothing binding them other than loose parallels. A situation that makes the wordlessness infuriating.
There are two distinct advantages though. His crown from being the greatest panel maverick got to really shine and he got to insert any type of character he wanted whenever it suited his whims. Both allowed for tremendous entertainment but neither carry a plot. His funniest play was putting a cock and balls on Valentina- surely to illustrate penis envy as a writer poses after it all ends.
There are three people who comment on the work and/or describe Crepax as a person and artist. Totally optional but there are interesting nuggets like revealing that his name was "Crepas" before he artistic liscensed the switch to "x"! That name edits even passed to his son.
How hard it is to give Guido only three stars!
The art is his typical quality but there is no story. It's one of those "interpret it how you like" situations where the character goes from scene to dizzying and vague scene with nothing binding them other than loose parallels. A situation that makes the wordlessness infuriating.
There are two distinct advantages though. His crown from being the greatest panel maverick got to really shine and he got to insert any type of character he wanted whenever it suited his whims. Both allowed for tremendous entertainment but neither carry a plot. His funniest play was putting a cock and balls on Valentina- surely to illustrate penis envy as a writer poses after it all ends.
There are three people who comment on the work and/or describe Crepax as a person and artist. Totally optional but there are interesting nuggets like revealing that his name was "Crepas" before he artistic liscensed the switch to "x"! That name edits even passed to his son.
January 23, 2020
Outo meininki.. 😄
January 22, 2014
The art is gorgeous and reminds me of Aubrey Beardsley and Nakamura Asumiko. Which is why I picked it up. This is the first time I've even heard of Valentina and I had no idea what to expect.
I don't think I expected no dialogue boxes, confusing paneling, and actually more confusing depiction of people in action.
Don't get me wrong. The whole thing is beautiful and I don't regret buying a copy for myself (I needed an art fix), but I think I'm too middle-class to actually understand what's going on, if not for the helpful notes by Gillo Dorfles at the end of the book. (How am I even supposed to know a bunch of women in bondage gear were supposed to be feminists? Uhm. I'm not sure I want to know.)
I don't think I expected no dialogue boxes, confusing paneling, and actually more confusing depiction of people in action.
Don't get me wrong. The whole thing is beautiful and I don't regret buying a copy for myself (I needed an art fix), but I think I'm too middle-class to actually understand what's going on, if not for the helpful notes by Gillo Dorfles at the end of the book. (How am I even supposed to know a bunch of women in bondage gear were supposed to be feminists? Uhm. I'm not sure I want to know.)
June 5, 2015
a couple of brilliant art, but overall, meh.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews