Lupo Alberto

Lupo Alberto ("Alberto the Wolf") is an Italian comic book series created by Guido Silvestri (Silver) in 1974. It details the adventures of Lupo Alberto, a blue wolf. Lupo Alberto takes the shape of the common man who has a goal in life and a certain amount of bad luck. Alberto, a resident of the McKenzie farm, always tries to steal a hen named Martha (who is his girlfriend), but Moses, a sheepdog, is the obstacle to his plans and does everything to stop him. The conflicts between Alberto and Moses were the subject of the first strips of the series. Lupo Alberto made its first appearance in February 1974, with some strips published by Silvestri in Corriere dei Ragazzi, a 1970s magazine owned by Corriere della Sera. After a year, Dardo published the first series dedicated to this character. Since 1985 a series of monthly books has been released, following a short-lived series (composed of 8 issues) launched between 1983 and 1984. In 2009 an exhibition for the character's 35th anniversary was held. The Lupo Alberto strips are especially popular among teenagers, and have spawned a rich merchandising franchise including school diaries and greeting cards. As a consequence of its appeal on the youth, the Lupo Alberto character was used in the 1990s for a massive anti-AIDS campaign promoted by the Italian Ministry of Public Health, emphasizing safe sex and the use of condoms.