Domesticating American serial characters in European children’s comics magazines : the case of Corriere dei Piccoli in the 1910s
- Author
- Eva Van de Wiele (UGent)
- Organization
- Project
-
- COMICS (Children in Comics: An intercultural history from 1865 to today)
- Abstract
- This article explores the profound impact of American newspaper comics on the development of Italian comics by examining their transformative influence on the Italian children’s magazine, Corriere dei Piccoli. Focusing on the creative endeavours of Italian artists Attilio Mussino and Antonio Rubino, who drew inspiration from iconic American comic characters, this article illuminates their artistic adaptations. In 1911, Mussino crafted Gigi & Gigetta, copying Johnny Gruelle’s Mr. Twee Deedle (1910–1918), while Rubino conceived the series Cirillo, imitating George McManus’s The Newlyweds series. This exploration not only scrutinises the localised iterations of The Newlyweds and Mr. Twee Deedle within Corriere dei Piccoli but also delves into the distinctive Italian avatars created by these artists. Employing Casey Brienza’s concept of domestication as a nuanced, multidirectional process, I contend that the Italian artists actively contributed as cultural producers, transcending a simple one-way importation of creative material. The repurposing and recreation of these American influences underscore the intricate nature of cultural exchange, emphasising the agency and significance of Italian artists in shaping a new media format for children: the children’s comics magazine.
- Keywords
- Transnational circulation, comics studies, corriere dei Piccoli, appropriation, domestication
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Citation
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication: http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-01JG1CXB1S5DYJQ3NYPRH40YJC
- MLA
- Van de Wiele, Eva. “Domesticating American Serial Characters in European Children’s Comics Magazines : The Case of Corriere Dei Piccoli in the 1910s.” JOURNAL OF GRAPHIC NOVELS AND COMICS, edited by Maaheen Ahmed and Giorgio Busi Rizzi, vol. 16, no. 4, 2025, pp. 666–95, doi:10.1080/21504857.2024.2441999.
- APA
- Van de Wiele, E. (2025). Domesticating American serial characters in European children’s comics magazines : the case of Corriere dei Piccoli in the 1910s. JOURNAL OF GRAPHIC NOVELS AND COMICS, 16(4), 666–695. https://doi.org/10.1080/21504857.2024.2441999
- Chicago author-date
- Van de Wiele, Eva. 2025. “Domesticating American Serial Characters in European Children’s Comics Magazines : The Case of Corriere Dei Piccoli in the 1910s.” Edited by Maaheen Ahmed and Giorgio Busi Rizzi. JOURNAL OF GRAPHIC NOVELS AND COMICS 16 (4): 666–95. https://doi.org/10.1080/21504857.2024.2441999.
- Chicago author-date (all authors)
- Van de Wiele, Eva. 2025. “Domesticating American Serial Characters in European Children’s Comics Magazines : The Case of Corriere Dei Piccoli in the 1910s.” Ed by. Maaheen Ahmed and Giorgio Busi Rizzi. JOURNAL OF GRAPHIC NOVELS AND COMICS 16 (4): 666–695. doi:10.1080/21504857.2024.2441999.
- Vancouver
- 1.Van de Wiele E. Domesticating American serial characters in European children’s comics magazines : the case of Corriere dei Piccoli in the 1910s. Ahmed M, Busi Rizzi G, editors. JOURNAL OF GRAPHIC NOVELS AND COMICS. 2025;16(4):666–95.
- IEEE
- [1]E. Van de Wiele, “Domesticating American serial characters in European children’s comics magazines : the case of Corriere dei Piccoli in the 1910s,” JOURNAL OF GRAPHIC NOVELS AND COMICS, vol. 16, no. 4, pp. 666–695, 2025.
@article{01JG1CXB1S5DYJQ3NYPRH40YJC,
abstract = {{This article explores the profound impact of American newspaper comics on the development of Italian comics by examining their transformative influence on the Italian children’s magazine, Corriere dei Piccoli. Focusing on the creative endeavours of Italian artists Attilio Mussino and Antonio Rubino, who drew inspiration from iconic American comic characters, this article illuminates their artistic adaptations. In 1911, Mussino crafted Gigi & Gigetta, copying Johnny Gruelle’s Mr. Twee Deedle (1910–1918), while Rubino conceived the series Cirillo, imitating George McManus’s The Newlyweds series. This exploration not only scrutinises the localised iterations of The Newlyweds and Mr. Twee Deedle within Corriere dei Piccoli but also delves into the distinctive Italian avatars created by these artists. Employing Casey Brienza’s concept of domestication as a nuanced, multidirectional process, I contend that the Italian artists actively contributed as cultural producers, transcending a simple one-way importation of creative material. The repurposing and recreation of these American influences underscore the intricate nature of cultural exchange, emphasising the agency and significance of Italian artists in shaping a new media format for children: the children’s comics magazine.}},
author = {{Van de Wiele, Eva}},
editor = {{Ahmed, Maaheen and Busi Rizzi, Giorgio}},
issn = {{2150-4857}},
journal = {{JOURNAL OF GRAPHIC NOVELS AND COMICS}},
keywords = {{Transnational circulation,comics studies,corriere dei Piccoli,appropriation,domestication}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{4}},
pages = {{666--695}},
title = {{Domesticating American serial characters in European children’s comics magazines : the case of Corriere dei Piccoli in the 1910s}},
url = {{http://doi.org/10.1080/21504857.2024.2441999}},
volume = {{16}},
year = {{2025}},
}
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