Sergio Tofano is known as one of the most talented comic book authors in Italy.
Born in Rome on August 20 in 1886, he died on October 28, 1973 after a varied career which also involved acting, producing and writing books for children.
Tofano’s nonsensical humour was ahead of its time, though he is most noted for his famous character, Signor Bonaventura.
Bonaventura was a bizarre man who was always getting into trouble, and never with any money at the beginning of the comic strip, it usually concluded with him becoming rich, waving a cheque of “one million”.
There is an official Sergio Tofano site, while in the video above you can see a “Carosello”, or Italian cinematic advertising, from 1959 for Lanerossi.
(The Italian woolen mill Lanerossi was subsequently bought in 1987 by Marzotto and the facilities were progressively unassembled).