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The series received the title of "Albi Grandi Avventure" ("Albums Great Adventures"). | The series received the title of "Albi Grandi Avventure" ("Albums Great Adventures"). | ||
== | == Issue overview == | ||
== Original series (1936-1941) == | |||
The original series was released in an oblong size of 31.5 x 22.6 cm, a kind of presentation known as the "Italian format. Logically, the inside stories were the first daily strips created by [[Lee Falk]] and [[Phil Davis]] but, with the breakdown of the relations between the Italian and the American regimes, some of the final part of the series, published in 1941, was Italian creation and the series stopped at the entering of the United States in the war | The original series was released in an oblong size of 31.5 x 22.6 cm, a kind of presentation known as the "Italian format. Logically, the inside stories were the first daily strips created by [[Lee Falk]] and [[Phil Davis]] but, with the breakdown of the relations between the Italian and the American regimes, some of the final part of the series, published in 1941, was Italian creation and the series stopped at the entering of the United States in the war. | ||
<gallery> | |||
<gallery | Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-01-a.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (1)|''Mandrake'' #1]] | ||
Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-01.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (1)|''Mandrake'' #1]] | Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-02-r-01.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (2)|''Mandrake'' #2]] | ||
Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-02.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (2)|''Mandrake'' #2]] | Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-03-r-01.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (3)|''Supplemento all' "Avventuroso"'' #3]] | ||
Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-03.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (3)|''Supplemento all' "Avventuroso"'' #3]] | Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-04-o.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (4)|''Supplemento a "L'Avventuroso"'' #4]] | ||
Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-04.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (4)|''Supplemento a "L'Avventuroso"'' #4]] | Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-05-c.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (5)|''Supplemento a "L'Avventuroso"'' #5]] | ||
Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-05.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (5)|''Supplemento a "L'Avventuroso"'' #5]] | Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-06-o.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (6)|''Supplemento a "L'Avventuroso"'' #6]] | ||
Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-06.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (6)|''Supplemento a "L'Avventuroso"'' #6]] | Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-07-o.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (7)|''Supplemento a "L'Avventuroso"'' #7]] | ||
Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-07.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (7)|''Supplemento a "L'Avventuroso"'' #7]] | Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-08-o.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (8)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #8]] | ||
Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-08.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (8)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #8]] | Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-09-r-c.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (9)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #9]] | ||
Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-09.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (9)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #9]] | Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-10-o.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (10)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #10]] | ||
Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-10.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (10)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #10]] | Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-11-o.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (11)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #11]] | ||
Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-11.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (11)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #11]] | |||
Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-12.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (12)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #12]] | Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-12.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (12)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #12]] | ||
Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-13.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (13)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #13]] | Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-13-o.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (13)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #13]] | ||
Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-14.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (14)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #14]] | Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-14-o.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (14)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #14]] | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
During the years 1939-1941 "Nerbini" made random reprints of the various issues from their series, often without even modfiy the cover date. For the Mandrake issues there are no significant variations between subsequent prints of the original titles, with the exception of the first number. | |||
=== Post-War series (1946-1948) | ==== Reprint series ==== | ||
At the end of the war, Nerbini was able to renew his editing activities and the "Albi grandi Avventure" were back again in the newsstands, still in an oblong format but with a little bit smaller size of 27,5 x 19,5 cm. In 1945, an initial series of 4 unnumbered issues was published, followed from 1946 to 1948 by another series of 31 numbered issues. Even if other comics heroes were also represented in this latter series, 31 issues | In 1975-1976, the whole 14 issues was reprinted under an identical repeating format. In addition to the 14 issues four other albums were released in the reprint series with stories taken from the "[[L'Avventuroso]]" series. | ||
<gallery> | |||
Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-x1-b.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (15)|''Falco il cavallo da corsa'']] | |||
Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-x2.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (16)|''L'uomo dal viso di pantera'']] | |||
Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-x3.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (17)|''Nel covo delle spie'' 1a parte]] | |||
Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-x4.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (18)|''Nel covo delle spie'' 2a parte]] | |||
</gallery> | |||
===== Note ===== | |||
*Narda is named '''Daran''' pre 1941. | |||
*Mandrake is named '''Mandrache''' on the post 1940 covers. | |||
== Post-War series (1946-1948) == | |||
At the end of the war, Nerbini was able to renew his editing activities and the "Albi grandi Avventure" were back again in the newsstands, still in an oblong format but with a little bit smaller size of 27,5 x 19,5 cm. In 1945, an initial series of 4 unnumbered issues was published, followed from 1946 to 1948 by another series of 31 numbered issues. Even if other comics heroes were also represented in this latter series, 31 issues were exclusively consacred to [[Mandrake]], an achievement that clearly demonstrated the continuing popularity of the [[Lee Falk]]'s character in the readers' favours. | |||
The "Albi Grandi Avventure" (before as well as after the World War II) have always been very researched by collectors as they were adorned with attractive colored covers, even if the inside strips | The "Albi Grandi Avventure" (before as well as after the World War II) have always been very researched by collectors as they were adorned with attractive colored covers, even if the inside strips were printed in black and white. | ||
== | ==== First series ==== | ||
== | <gallery> | ||
<gallery | |||
Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-01-b.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (1) (1945)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #(1)]] | Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-01-b.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (1) (1945)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #(1)]] | ||
Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-02-b.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (2) (1945)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #(2)]] | Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-02-b.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (2) (1945)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #(2)]] | ||
Line 41: | Line 51: | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
==Second series== | ==== Second series ==== | ||
<gallery | <gallery> | ||
Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-06-b.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (second serie) | Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-06-b.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 6 (second serie)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #6]] | ||
Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-09-b.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (second serie) | Image:Collana_Albi_grandi_avventure-09-b.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 9 (second serie)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #9]] | ||
Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 19.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (second serie) | Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 19.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 19 (second serie)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #19]] | ||
Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 20.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (second serie) | Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 20.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 20 (second serie)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #20]] | ||
Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 21.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (second serie) | Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 21.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 21 (second serie)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #21]] | ||
Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure | Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 31.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 31 (second serie)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #31]] | ||
Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure | Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 32.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 32 (second serie)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #32]] | ||
Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure | Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 33.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 33 (second serie)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #33]] | ||
Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure | Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 34.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 34 (second serie)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #34]] | ||
Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure | Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 35.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 35 (second serie)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #35]] | ||
Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure | Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 54.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 54 (second serie)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #54]] | ||
Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure | Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 55.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 55 (second serie)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #55]] | ||
Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure | Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 56.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 56 (second serie)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #56]] | ||
Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure | Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 59.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 59 (second serie)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #59]] | ||
Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure | Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 62.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 62 (second serie)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #62]] | ||
Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure | Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 63.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 63 (second serie)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #63]] | ||
Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure | Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 64.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 64 (second serie)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #64]] | ||
Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure | Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 65.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 65 (second serie)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #65]] | ||
Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure | Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 66.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 66 (second serie)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #66]] | ||
Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure | Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 74.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 74 (second serie)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #74]] | ||
Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure | Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 77.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 77 (second serie)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #77]] | ||
Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 81.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (second serie) | Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 81.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 81 (second serie)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #81]] | ||
Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 82.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (second serie) | Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 82.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 82 (second serie)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #82]] | ||
Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 85.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (second serie) | Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 85.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 85 (second serie)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #85]] | ||
Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 86.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (second serie) | Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 86.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 86 (second serie)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #86]] | ||
Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 91.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (second serie) | Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 91.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 91 (second serie)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #91]] | ||
Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 92.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (second serie) | Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 92.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 92 (second serie)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #92]] | ||
Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 93.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (second serie) | Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 93.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 93 (second serie)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #93]] | ||
Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 94.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (second serie) | Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 94.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 94 (second serie)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #94]] | ||
Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 95.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure (second serie) | Image:Collana Albi grandi avventure 95.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 95 (second serie)|''Collana Albi grandi avventure'' #95]] | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
The | == Collana Albi grandi avventure - Ristampe di grande successo (1949-1950) == | ||
The "Collana Albi grandi avventure - Ristampe di grande successo" series from 1949-1950 reprinted 39 issues of the Post-War series, with 21 Mandrake issues and 18 [[The Phantom]] issues. The series had a dual numbering with "Collana Albi grandi avventure" numbering on the back cover and "Ristampe di grande successo" on the front cover. The first three issues printed parts of the first "The Phantom" daily ''(The Singh Brotherhood)'' and the fourth issue was part of the first Mandrake daily ''(The Cobra)''. The series was published weekly (July 10, 17, 24 and 31) but then there was a break of 5 weeks before the next issue was published on 4th of September. There are also some breaks later in the weekly schedule. | |||
===== Regular series ===== | |||
<gallery> | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-01-UM.jpg|issue 1<br><small>L'uomo mascherato</small> | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-02-UM.jpg|issue 2<br><small>L'uomo mascherato</small> | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-03-UM.jpg|issue 3<br><small>L'uomo mascherato</small> | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-01.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 4 - Ristampe di grande successo 4|issue 4<br>Mandrake]] | |||
</gallery> | |||
===== Mandrake and L'uomo mascherato series ===== | |||
The series ''restarted'' splitting the series into numbering the Mandrake and the Phantom issues separately. The second Mandrake issue then became ''"Ristampe di grande successo" #2 - Mandrake'', while the fourth Phantom issue became ''"Ristampe di grande successo" #4 - L'uomo mascherato'' | |||
<gallery> | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-02.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 5 - Ristampe di grande successo 2|issue 5<br>''Mandrake'' #2]] | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-03.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 6 - Ristampe di grande successo 3|issue 6<br>''Mandrake'' #3]] | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-04.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 7 - Ristampe di grande successo 4|issue 7<br>''Mandrake'' #4]] | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-05.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 8 - Ristampe di grande successo 5|issue 8<br>''Mandrake'' #5]] | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-06.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 9 - Ristampe di grande successo 6|issue 9<br>''Mandrake'' #6]] | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-04-UM.jpg|issue 10<br><small>L'uomo mascherato #4</small> | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-05-UM.jpg|issue 11<br><small>L'uomo mascherato #5</small> | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-06-UM.jpg|issue 12<br><small>L'uomo mascherato #6</small> | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-07-UM.jpg|issue 13<br><small>L'uomo mascherato #7</small> | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-08-UM.jpg|issue 14<br><small>L'uomo mascherato #8</small> | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-09-UM.jpg|issue 15<br><small>L'uomo mascherato #9</small> | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-10-UM.jpg|issue 16<br><small>L'uomo mascherato #10</small> | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-07.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 17 - Ristampe di grande successo 7|issue 17<br>''Mandrake'' #7]] | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-08.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 18 - Ristampe di grande successo 8|issue 18<br>''Mandrake'' #8]] | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-09.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 19 - Ristampe di grande successo 9|issue 19<br>''Mandrake'' #9]] | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-10.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 20 - Ristampe di grande successo 10|issue 20<br>''Mandrake'' #10]] | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-11-UM.jpg|issue 21<br><small>L'uomo mascherato #11</small> | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-12-UM.jpg|issue 22<br><small>L'uomo mascherato #12</small> | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-13-UM.jpg|issue 23<br><small>L'uomo mascherato #13</small> | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-14-UM.jpg|issue 24<br><small>L'uomo mascherato #14</small> | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-15-UM.jpg|issue 25<br><small>L'uomo mascherato #15</small> | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-11.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 26 - Ristampe di grande successo 11|issue 26<br>''Mandrake'' #11]] | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-12.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 26 - Ristampe di grande successo 11|issue 28<br>''Mandrake'' #12]] | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-13.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 26 - Ristampe di grande successo 11|issue 29<br>''Mandrake'' #13]] | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-16-UM.jpg|issue 30<br><small>L'uomo mascherato #16</small> | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-14.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 26 - Ristampe di grande successo 11|issue 30<br>''Mandrake'' #14]] | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-15.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 26 - Ristampe di grande successo 11|issue 31<br>''Mandrake'' #15]] | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-16.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 26 - Ristampe di grande successo 11|issue 32<br>''Mandrake'' #16]] | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-17.jpg|[[Ristampe di grande successo (33) - Mandrake 17|issue 33<br>''Mandrake'' #17]] | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-17-UM.jpg|issue 34<br><small>L'uomo mascherato #17</small> | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-18-UM.jpg|issue 35<br><small>L'uomo mascherato #18</small> | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-18.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 36 - Ristampe di grande successo 18|issue 36<br>''Mandrake'' #18]] | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-19.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 37 - Ristampe di grande successo 19|issue 37<br>''Mandrake'' #19]] | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-20.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 38 - Ristampe di grande successo 20|issue 38<br>''Mandrake'' #20]] | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-21.jpg|[[Collana Albi grandi avventure 39 - Ristampe di grande successo 21|issue 39<br>''Mandrake'' #21]] | |||
</gallery> | |||
A bit confusing is that with the fifth issue the "Ristampe di grande successo" numbering started to follow the Mandrake and The Phantom issues. So there are three different issues with ''N. 4 Ristampe di grande successo'' printed on top of the cover: | |||
<gallery> | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-01.jpg|''"Gli uomini senza volto"'' | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-04-UM.jpg|''"Tra i pigmei della giungla"'' | |||
Image:Ristampa_di_grande_successo-04.jpg|''"Il gorilla dal cervello umano"'' | |||
</gallery> | |||
{{Italy}} | |||
[[Category: Publications]] | [[Category: Publications]] | ||
[[Category: Albi grandi avventure issues| ]] | [[Category: Albi grandi avventure issues| ]] |
Latest revision as of 08:34, 27 March 2023
From 1936 to 1941, following the success of the weekly magazine "L'Avventuroso", Mario Nerbini published a series of separate comics-books, entirely devoted to Mandrake, which were presented as "Albi supplemento a L'Avventuroso" ("Extra issues Albums of L'Avventuroso"). The series received the title of "Albi Grandi Avventure" ("Albums Great Adventures").
Issue overview
Original series (1936-1941)
The original series was released in an oblong size of 31.5 x 22.6 cm, a kind of presentation known as the "Italian format. Logically, the inside stories were the first daily strips created by Lee Falk and Phil Davis but, with the breakdown of the relations between the Italian and the American regimes, some of the final part of the series, published in 1941, was Italian creation and the series stopped at the entering of the United States in the war.
During the years 1939-1941 "Nerbini" made random reprints of the various issues from their series, often without even modfiy the cover date. For the Mandrake issues there are no significant variations between subsequent prints of the original titles, with the exception of the first number.
Reprint series
In 1975-1976, the whole 14 issues was reprinted under an identical repeating format. In addition to the 14 issues four other albums were released in the reprint series with stories taken from the "L'Avventuroso" series.
Note
- Narda is named Daran pre 1941.
- Mandrake is named Mandrache on the post 1940 covers.
Post-War series (1946-1948)
At the end of the war, Nerbini was able to renew his editing activities and the "Albi grandi Avventure" were back again in the newsstands, still in an oblong format but with a little bit smaller size of 27,5 x 19,5 cm. In 1945, an initial series of 4 unnumbered issues was published, followed from 1946 to 1948 by another series of 31 numbered issues. Even if other comics heroes were also represented in this latter series, 31 issues were exclusively consacred to Mandrake, an achievement that clearly demonstrated the continuing popularity of the Lee Falk's character in the readers' favours.
The "Albi Grandi Avventure" (before as well as after the World War II) have always been very researched by collectors as they were adorned with attractive colored covers, even if the inside strips were printed in black and white.
First series
Second series
Collana Albi grandi avventure - Ristampe di grande successo (1949-1950)
The "Collana Albi grandi avventure - Ristampe di grande successo" series from 1949-1950 reprinted 39 issues of the Post-War series, with 21 Mandrake issues and 18 The Phantom issues. The series had a dual numbering with "Collana Albi grandi avventure" numbering on the back cover and "Ristampe di grande successo" on the front cover. The first three issues printed parts of the first "The Phantom" daily (The Singh Brotherhood) and the fourth issue was part of the first Mandrake daily (The Cobra). The series was published weekly (July 10, 17, 24 and 31) but then there was a break of 5 weeks before the next issue was published on 4th of September. There are also some breaks later in the weekly schedule.
Regular series
Mandrake and L'uomo mascherato series
The series restarted splitting the series into numbering the Mandrake and the Phantom issues separately. The second Mandrake issue then became "Ristampe di grande successo" #2 - Mandrake, while the fourth Phantom issue became "Ristampe di grande successo" #4 - L'uomo mascherato
- Ristampa di grande successo-11-UM.jpg
issue 21
L'uomo mascherato #11 - Ristampa di grande successo-12-UM.jpg
issue 22
L'uomo mascherato #12 - Ristampa di grande successo-15-UM.jpg
issue 25
L'uomo mascherato #15 - Ristampa di grande successo-17-UM.jpg
issue 34
L'uomo mascherato #17 - Ristampa di grande successo-18-UM.jpg
issue 35
L'uomo mascherato #18
A bit confusing is that with the fifth issue the "Ristampe di grande successo" numbering started to follow the Mandrake and The Phantom issues. So there are three different issues with N. 4 Ristampe di grande successo printed on top of the cover: