''Comandante Mark'' is an Italian comic book originally published in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

by Daimi Press (future

Sergio Bonelli Editore Sergio Bonelli Editore (formerly CEPIM and other names) is a publishing house of Italian comics founded in 1940 by Giulio Chio (2015–present). It takes its name from its former president, comic book writer Sergio Bonelli (1932–2011), son of G ...

). The original series was published in Italy monthly between September 1966 and January 1990, reached 281 numbers (mostly episodes on 64 black and white pages). Between 1990 and 2000, there were published 11 numbers of ''Mark Special'', of 128 or 160 pages each. Comandante Mark was created, written and illustrated by the trio

EsseGesse EsseGesse was an Italian team of cartoonists, most famous for their Western (genre), Western comics, which were popular in the 1950s. The comics were translated to French language, French, Serbo-Croatian language, Serbo-Croatian, Turkish language, ...

. It chronicled the adventurous exploits of the eponymous Commander Mark (an orphan raised by

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

natives after a shipwreck) fighting against English ' redcoats' between 1773 and 1781. Aiding him in his struggle are several colorful companions like the native Sad Owl, Mister Bluff (a former corsair and avuncular figure for Mark) and Bluff's faithful dog, Flok, 'El Gancho', and Betty (Mark's fiancée) .

Plot

Against the background of the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, Comandante Mark is presented to the readers as a handsome, brave, sturdy and invincible young man, who nonetheless does not convey any trace of the aloofness that is often generated by a protagonist's sense of superiority over the surrounding world. Mark has just the right degree of self-confidence as a hero and he radiates a warm feeling of confidence; he has accumulated excellent experience in his field (pitched battles and uncompromising warfare against the soldiers of

George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and ...

) and he uses his vast knowledge on every occasion and always succeeds. He moves together with the Ontario Wolves, a group of indomitable guerrilla fighters, composed of men and women from many different places, of all ages and from all social classes, people with different histories and past lives who have joined together.

References

External links

Official site of Sergio Bonelli Editore
(English and Italian) 1966 comics debuts 1990 comics endings 2000 comics endings Italian comics titles Comics set during the American Revolutionary War Comics set in Ontario {{Italy-comics-stub