Albert Giolitti self-portrait.
Alberto Giolitti (1923-1993) was a comic book artist. He illustrated Star Trek: The Original Series comics for Gold Key Comics and was the longest running of its three artists. He drew 33 issues, three of which were reprinted during the series’ run.
Biography
Giolitti was born in Rome, Italy. After World War II, Giolitti went on the road, living in numerous cities around the world, including Buenos Aires, New York City, and Lake George, Florida. Giolitti mastered the English language in his travels, after a period of culture shock when he visited New York's "Little Italy" neighborhood and was unable to understand the Americanized Italian language spoken there.
His creative process involved taking photographic references for each pose needed in a story, sometimes as many as 100 photos, using friends, acquaintances and often himself. He also kept shelves full of reference material and a prop room containing items like guns, shields, and spears. (The Enterprise Logs, Volume 1)
He brought in artist Angelo Todaro to help with drawing the USS Enterprise. (Autobiography of Angelo Todaro) Other assistants included José Delbo, Giovanni Ticci and Sal Trapani.
Biographies of the artist were printed in the omnibus publications The Enterprise Logs, Volume 1 and Gold Key Archives, Volume 3.
Star Trek Bibliography
Gold Key Comics
- Gold Key Comics:
- #3: ”Invasion of the City Builders” (December 1968)
- #4: "The Peril of Planet Quick Change” (June 1969, March 1975)
- #5: "The Ghost Planet" (September 1969, May 1976)
- #6: "When Planets Collide" (December 1969)
- #7: "The Voodoo Planet” (March 1970, 1977)
- #8: "The Youth Trap" (September 1970)
- #9: "The Legacy of Lazarus” (February 1971)
- #10: "Sceptre of the Sun" (May 1971)
- #11: "The Brain Shockers" (August 1971)
- #12: "The Flight of the Buccaneer" (November 1971)
- #13: "Dark Traveler” (February 1972)
- #14: "The Enterprise Mutiny" (May 1972)
- #15: "Museum at the End of Time" (August 1972)
- #16: "Day of the Inquisitors" (November 1972)
- #17: "The Cosmic Cavemen” (February 1973)
- #18: "The Hijacked Planet" (May 1973)
- #19: "The Haunted Asteroid" (July 1973)
- #20: "A World Gone Mad" (September 1973)
- #21: "The Mummies of Heitius VII" (November 1973)
- #22: "Siege in Superspace" (January 1974)
- #23: "Child's Play" (March 1974)
- #24: "The Trial of Captain Kirk" (May 1974)
- #25: "Dwarf Planet" (July 1974)
- #26: "The Perfect Dream" (September 1974)
- #27: "Ice Journey" (November 1974)
- #28: ”The Mimicking Menace” (January 1975)
- #30: "Death of a Star" (May 1975)
- #31: "The Final Truth" (July 1975)
- #32: "The Animal People" (August 1975)
- #33: "The Choice" (September 1975)
- #34: "The PsychoCrystals" (October 1975)
- #36: "A Bomb in Time" (March 1976)
- #39: “Prophet of Peace” (August 1976)
Background
- In 1970, Giolitti drew Gold Key’s 30-page adaptation of the second Planet of the Apes movie Beneath the Planet of the Apes, a movie which was familiar to Roberta Lincoln. The alternate Statue of Liberty seen in his adaptation was also seen by a landing party from the USS Enterprise, which crossed over into the parallel universe in TOS comic: "The Primate Directive" just before the point in time that Giolitti’s adaptation begins, with George Taylor and Nova on horseback near the statue.
- In 1956 he illustrated a 34-page comic featuring Zorro, another character known to Roberta Lincoln.
- For Dell Comics, Giolitti drew comics featuring two of the characters which appeared in TOS comic: "The Legacy of Lazarus". In 1956 he drew a 36-page comic about Alexander the Great, and in 1958 he drew a biography of Abraham Lincoln.
- In 1956 he also adapted Gulliver's Travels in an award-winning comic, depicting Lemuel Gulliver’s visit to Lilliput being tied down by Lilliputians in a scene similar to that which happened to James T. Kirk in TOS comic: "Dwarf Planet". The inside cover page contained an illustration reminiscent of the cover to TNG novel: Gulliver's Fugitives. A page from the original novel describing that scene was a prized possession of Amoret.
- Giolitti’s biography did not cite his having drawn TOS comic: "Prophet of Peace", which was drawn in his style.
External Links
- Alberto Giolitti article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- Alberto Giolitti article at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
- Biography and interview at the Alberto Giolitti website.
- Alberto Giolitti article at the Labiek Comiclopedia website.