Guido Crepax was born in Milan in 1933. He studied at the School of Architecture at the University of Milan. After graduating, he made his debut in comics in 1959 when he contributed his work to Tempo Medico. He joined the new magazine Linus in 1965 with a fantasy comic, 'Neutron'. This superhero comic featured a minor character, a reporter called Valentina, and she grew out to be Crepax' big creation.
After 'Valentina', other titles followed, such as 'L'Astronave Pirata' (1968), 'La Casa Matta' (1969), 'La Calata di Mac Similiano' (1969), 'Belinda' and 'Bianca'. Recurring themes were those of victimized girls, sadomasochism and violence. It is not surprising that Guido Crepax illustrated classic erotic stories like De Sade's 'Justine', Pauline Réage's 'Histoire d'O' and Sacher-Masoch's 'Venus in Furs'.
Guido Crepax drew delicate girls, many of them inspired by actress Louise Brooks, whom Crepax adored. His subtle, esthetic graphics have earned him fame all over the world. He died on 31 July, 2003, at the age of 70.
