IL LIBRO
EXPLORE THE GRAPHIC NOVEL
A cartoonist on the run, a journey into the heart of the purest and most romantic Australia, a graphic novel that will lead you to discover the deepest soul of the protagonist of this story, Dante Deboni: a character who speaks to each of us, who has the courage to dig inside to look for those answers that often paralyze us, who will have to figure out how to tame that gigantic scorpion that lives inside him.
INTRODUCTION
A runaway cartoonist, a giant scorpion and a trip to the other side of the world: this (and much more) is Tamed Scorpio, an original graphic novel that will take you to the heart of wild and romantic Australia.
Tamed Scorpio will show you the wildest side of Australia and the deepest depths of the soul of this story’s main character, the cartoonist Dante Deboni (alias the alter ego of author Luca Baino). In this book, wonderfully illustrated by Zeno Colangelo, the author found the courage to look himself in the eye and find the answers to the many frustrations he was facing in his life, finding himself face to face with… a giant scorpion.
Let’s face it, it could be better. It was no easy game, interior demons are difficult creatures. But the story of this battle is a thrilling adventure made of sharp jokes, real life moments, troubled loves and the flavor of something that we have all been missing very much during these endless pandemic times: travelling.
STORY
How far can you go when looking for your way home? That’s what Dante Deboni is trying to figure out. Dante is an Italian cartoonist on the rise who’s overwhelmed by debts and by his own struggling. He’s published a bestseller book that gave him fame and allowed him to live a lascivious life: women, partying, booze and comics. What else?
But the same world that was able to give him so much suddenly turns back on him, so our hero is left all alone. Not even his only real friend, the bartender Bacco – the only one Dante can get booze from for free without getting beaten up – is able to help him now.
Dante is a very confident guy who always has a joke up his sleeve, but now that everyone has left him, even the woman he was supposed to marry, and living alone in a garage, his incurable optimism doesn’t seem to help him. The scorpion is watching him and its claws grind his dreams.
When your life breaks into pieces, what is the only possible solution? Facin… I mean, running away from it! Possibly with a one-way ticket to Australia.
Dante’s idea is that of trying to work as a graphic designer in a video game development studio, and to do so in the middle of breathtaking cliffs, extremely useful Scottish lessons, credit cards hidden in refrigerators, comics travel journals, poisonous spiders, nightmarish monsters and… a breathtaking redhead.
But, in spite of all this, Dante will have to realize that escaping thousands of miles away from home is not enough to feel better. The scorpion has been following him and his poison knows no distance.
Luca Baino, author of this graphic novel, knows it well – this is a terribly autobiographical story, even if a bit romanticized.
The Tamed Scorpio is a real travel journal made in comics. While reading it, many people will laugh at what’s happening to Dante, but they might as well feel moved by it and see themselves in someone that is trying to figure out how to face his fears and… his dreams. Life is a journey, and this is the only lesson that we keep learning throughout our lives.
We said that this is a true story. Ok, maybe in real life there are no giant scorpions to be seen, but… we are sure that everybody has to face their personal demons. Sometimes all you need is being able to draw them.
Luca himself might like to tell us something about it, and share with you a few stories that you will find inside the book!
Luca, though, didn’t take this trip on his own. He fought the scorpion together with Mariano Rose, who worked on the editing phase of the book and helped with the writing, and Zeno Colangelo, one of the new emerging talents of international comics. Through his art you will be drawn into a great adventure in exotic places… both real and imaginary. What else could you desire, especially now that traveling is so difficult?
THE BOOK
The book that you will hold in your hands will be an elegant hardcover edition of more than 160 pages, 17 x 24cm, printed on top quality paper. The book will be printed both in English and in Italian. You can choose the book’s language before the shipping.
Giving value to a story can also mean providing the right packaging.
THE AUTHORS
Three people were able to tame the Scorpio: Luca Baino, Mariano Rose and Zeno Colangelo.
Luca Baino
Luca has been a professional comics scriptwriter for over 10 years. His stories have been published by the most important comics publishers in Italy (Sergio Bonelli Editore, Tunué, Beccogiallo, ManFont, Pavesio Comics, La Corte Comics). This is the first time that he approaches the international market as an author.
He currently collaborates with Shockdom as an editor and coordinator. Moreover, his 48-hours days are also dedicated to working as an editorial consultant.
He loves to teach – he teaches scriptwriting at the International School of Comics in Torino and Genova – and he spends his days trying to face the Scorpio inside him. Luckily, a breathtaking redhead is helping him.
Zodiac sign: Scorpio
Mariano Rose
Mariano is a scriptwriter too and has helped Luca in writing this graphic novel and editing the text.
Born in 1992, he too published his stories with several Italian publishers, such as Sergio Bonelli Editore, ManFont, Doubleshot, Edizioni NPE and Tunué. But there’s more than comics to his world, and he is currently working on an animation series co-produced by RAI and MAD Entertainment to be released in 2022.
He loves to travel alone and he’s a limitless source of stories and anecdotes.
Zodiac sign: Cancer
Zeno Colangelo
Very young, very talented. He’s always looking for new features to perfect his unique and personal style. Before approaching comics he dedicated his talents to painting and live performances. His first stories were published in the anthologies Grimorio Vol.2 and Synth/Org. In 2020 he worked on two books for the Italian publisher BeccoGiallo, while his work for Tamed Scorpio, supported by Tunué, aims at being a turning point in his career.
Zodiac sign: Gemini
