Albi d'Oro

Albi d'Oro was a comics magazine published by Mondadori in Italy.

History

After an initial series published monthly by Walt Disney-Mondadori before the war, a regular series re-started weekly to republish various stories and strips of "Topolino" (Mickey Mouse) by Floyd Gottfredson. The series also printed other Disney series as: "Paperino" (Donald); "Zio Paperone" (Uncle Scrooge); "Fratel Coniglietto" (Br'er Rabbit); "Penna Bianca" (Little Hiawatha) and "Silly Simphony" (Silly Symphonies).

Inside these "Albi d'Oro" Disney issues there are often single pages made by Manuel Gonzales, Bill Wright and Al Taliaferro, while the front and back covers often printed art made by Walt Kelly for "Walt Disney's Comics and Stories".

The magazine published a Italian made Disney story by Luciano Bottaro and republished stories made by Federico Pedrocchi, Pinochi and Nino Pagot. The magazine also printed Disney stories of British origin by William Ward of Argentine orign by Luis Destuet.

In addition to the stories dedicated to Disney characters, "Albi d'Oro" reprints some stories already published in prewar periodicals: "Topolino Giornale"; "Paperino" and "Gli Albi dei tre porcellini".

Among them stories of: "Audax" (King of the Royal Mounted) by Zane Grey and Allen M. Dean; "Guido Ventura" (Brick Bradford) by William Ritt and Clarence Gray; "L'Ispetiore Wade" (Inspector Wade) by Sheldon Stark and Lyman Anderson; "Principe Valentino" (Prince Valiant) by Hal Foster; "Il Cavaliere Solitario" (Lone Ranger) by Charles Flanders; "Buck Rogers" by Dick Calkins; "Tim and Tom" (Tim Tyler 's Luck) by Lyman Young; Braccio di Ferro" (Popeye) by Segar; "Lassi" (Lassie); "Ted Feller"; "Mandrake" by Lee Falk and Phil Davis; "Tommy del Circo" (Tommy of the Big Top) by John Lehti; "Osvaldo Leprotto" (Oswald the Rabbit) by Lloyd White; "Meo e Maramao" (Tom & Jerry) by Harvey Eisenberg; "Zio Virgilio" (Uncle Wiggily); "Lollo Rompicollo" (Bugs Bunny) by Fred Abranz and others

Among the stories of Italian production published in "Albi d'Oro" one find: "Il dottor Faust" by Federico Pedrocchi, Rino Albertarelli and Franco Chiletto; "Virus il mago della foresta" by Federico Pedrocchi and Walter Molino; "Capitan L'Audace e Kit Carson" by Federico Pedrocchi and Walter Molino; "Will Sparrow" by Kurt Caesar and Aurelio Galleppini; "Saturno contro la Terra" by Cesare Zavattini, Federico Pedrocchi and Giovanni Scolari; "Nino Farandola" by Pier Lorenzo De Vita; "I conquistatori del tempo" by Giovanni Scolari; "Pecos Bill" with text by Guido Martina and art by Pier Lorenzo De Vita, Raffaele Paparella, Gino D'Antonio, Antonio Canale, Piero Gamba, Roy D'Amy and others; "Oklahoma" with text by Martina and art by De Vita, Gamba, Paparella and De Gaspari.

Some of the Italian stories credits: Giorgio Scolari, Maffi, Franco Caprioli, Enrico Bagnoli, Nadir Quinto and Guido Zamperoni.

The cover art changes with #11. Since #324 the text "Albi d'Oro serie della Prateria" appears on the cover, which accompanies all the numbers with "Pecos Bill" and "Oklahoma". While the text "Albi d'Oro serie Comica" marks the numbers that have Disney stories or comedy series as "Osvaldo Leprotio", "Meo e Marameo" and "Lollo Rompicollo".

Issue overview

Initial series

Issue 1 (January 15, 1937) to issue 41 (August 15, 1940) Monthly magazine with 36 pages, measuring 21,5 x 26,5 cm (issues 1 to 37) to 18, 5 x 25, 5 cm (issues 38 to 41).

Regular series

Issue 1 (May 6, 1946) to - #372 (December 31, 1952). Weekly magazine with 32 to 34 pages, measuring 18,2 x 25,5 cm to 17,4 x 24,7 cm.

Special issues

22 issues of the regular series are special issues with 32 to 64 pages. Issues: 84, 113, 131, 137, 139. 145, 151, 168, 185, 189, 217, 239, 241 , 255, 268, 283, 290, 293, 296, 320, 324 and 369.

Albums

The Raccolte are collected stories reprinted into "albums" with new covers.

• (Raccolte #1) 3 storie complete di Giorgio Ventur - June 1951 - 96 pgs - 16,7 x 24,6 cm. Collects stories from issues 135, 140 and 143.
• (Raccolte #2) 3 storie complete di Will Sparrow e Giungla degli agguati - June 1951 - 128 pgs - 16,7 x 24,6 cm. Collects stories from issues 132,141,144 and 133.
• (Raccolte #3) 4 storie complete - June 1951 - 16,7 x 24,6 cm - Collects stories from issues 115, 117, 118 and 160.
• (Raccolte #4) 4 storie complete - June 1951 - 16,7 x 24,6 cm - Collects stories from issues 93, 96, 30 and 79.
• (Raccolte #5) 4 storie complete - June 1951 - 16,7 x 24,6 cm - Collects stories of "Tommy Circus" from issues 146, 94, 149 and 147.

Reprint

In the fifties and sixties several of the Disney issues were reprinted. The reprint issues have the same covers, numbering and dates as the first print but the text "Prima Ristampa" or "Seconda Ristampa" (first or second reprint) was added on the cover.

Special albums

There are at least two special books (64 pgs) stamped with the text Prima Ristampa.

• "Topolino e il mostro bianco" (reprint issues 35 and 36)
• "Topolino e la Lampada di Aladino" (reprint issues 23, 25 and 27)

Reprints

• The non Disney issues were reprinted by Edizioni Camillo Conti in the years 1978 to 1985.
• Some Disney issues were reprinted by Anonimo in 2001.

Special editions

• Facsimiles of the first issues for subscribers. The issues are without any number or price on the covers: "Topolino nel paese dei califfi"; "Topolino e i topi d'albergo" and "Topolino e lo struzzo Oscar".
• "l'isola Felice" by Anton Gino Domeneghini and Guidio Zamperoni. Published as a supplemet #8 in august 1966, 32 pgs and 18,7 x 25,5 cm.

Mandrake in Albi d'Oro

Title	US Title	Issues	Note
"Mandrake il magnetizzatore"	"Land of the Fakirs"	Albi d'Oro #57
"I segreti del circo"	"The Circus People"	Albi d'Oro #84	Albo almanacco Topolino 1948
"Mandrake e il ratto di Derina"	"Land of the Little People"	Albi d'Oro#163, #164, #165, #166, #167, #170, #172, #173, #175 and #176
"Gli uomini di cristallo"	"Chamber into the X Dimension"	Albi d'Oro #169