Giovanni Luigi Bonelli made his professional debut in 1926, when his first poems and articles were published in several Italian magazines. During the 1930s, he shifted his focus to comics, and became one of the editors at the publishing house Editrice Vecchi S.A. In 1945 he collaborated with publisher Giovanni De Leo on 'Il Cow Boy', and with Antonio Canale on 'Yorga'. In 1946 and 1947, he edited 'La Perla Nera' for Franco Caprioli. After many more collaborations, in 1948 he created the famous 'Tex Willer', originally drawn by Aurelio Galleppini.
Original script of 'Tex Willer'
Gianluigi Bonelli produced, over the years, an enormous amount of comic scenarios, but his main activity was publication. Publishing house Bonelli, which has been taken over by his son Sergio, produced many comic series, including the legendary 'Dylan Dog' and 'Martin Mystère' (written by Alfredo Castelli, drawn by Giancarlo Alessandrini, among others), and is one of the most important comic publishers in Italy. Gianluigi Bonelli's influence on the development of Italian comics cannot be overestimated.
