by Cranston MacMillan

If any justice existed in the world, WALLESTEIN THE MONSTER would be remembered as one of the great groundbreaking comics of the 1970's. Sadly that is not the case. The great critical and cultural snobbery that is endemic in the UK, along with good old fashioned prudery, put paid to any hopes of a lasting Wallesteinian legacy.
Whoa there. I may just be jumping ahead a little here. In 1970's comic, Walles-what-Monster? Don't you mean Frankenstein? If you've never encountered him before, don't worry, you are in the majority through no fault of your own.
Angela and Luciana Giussani's 1962 creation of the anti heroic master thief DIABOLIK kick started a new wave in Italian comic heroes. Sexier than ever with bold storylines, DIABOLIK was the direct inspiration behind other famous Italian comics such as MAX BUNKER and Magnus's KRIMINAL and SATANIK creations, and more loosely paved the way for the likes of Faustinelli's KOLOSSO; before the end of the decade he would even be spoofed with the ongoing adventures of his feline version called CATTIVIK. The sixties were certainly a boom time for comics in Italy, breaking new ground in the presentation of violence and sex and increasingly adult subjects.
Wallestein il Monstro was one of a new wave of anti heroes born in the early 1970's. Although many of the sixties titles successfully continued, fans were hungry for more explicit violence, gore and sex, leading to the inspired creation of LUCIFERA ('71) BIANCANEVE ('72) and the great WALLESTEIN THE MONSTER. The original run in Italy lasted from 1974 until '82, France also picked up the series and the successful Elvifrance editions ran from 1977. Wallestein also enjoyed translations into Dutch, German and, for a short period, English.
Over the years the ongoing saga of millionaire playboy Jimmy Wallestein would be richly illustrated by Romanini, Cubbino, and also by Magnus. The dark tale of the hideously disfigured son of Count Wallestein's fight against evil has captured the imagination and curiosity of many; so it is rather sad that he now exists in a sort of comic no man's land. It is easy to see influences in many films and comics. After Count Wallestein is murdered by his wicked sister, young Jimmy is left to fend for himself. He is, however, helped to adulthood by a friendly scientist who designs him a series of lifelike masks to hide his repulsive features. His main mask though, is that of a young version of his father. This enables him to claim his inheritance and take deadly revenge against his aunt and the conspirators responsible for the Count's death. After this, Jimmy becomes the ultimate crime fighter.  To the world he is a debonair and hedonistic playboy, but when the mask comes off he dispenses lethal justice on an assortment of gangsters, white slavers, drug peddlers and all forms of scum who cross his path. Wallestein justice is pulverisation, and the fact that he can soak up bullets and knife wounds makes him all the more frightening to the lowlifes he tackles.
Wallestein enjoyed a short English language run in 1974 courtesy of Soho based Top Sellers. They also produced English editions of CANDIDA, BIANCANEVE (Snow White) and WICKED FAIRY TALES. From the outset, it was obvious that this was aimed at the adult magazine reading market as a comic novelty. Many shops did not take the digest sized comics, simply because they did not know how to classify them. Distribution was patchy and it is highly unlikely that there was any form of release schedule. Wallestein could usually be found in kiosks or newsstands nestled between CINEMA X and H&E. Kids couldn't buy them because of the lurid covers and adults didn't want them, within a year they were gone, but the memory was kept alive by a few fans.
A few years back, I had two issues ready to reprint. New translations had been done, and all was ready to go. However, too long was spent trying to track down copyright holders, and a few more problems came to the fore. The project went cold, but it is still in the back of my mind, and who knows, one day soon, Wallestein the Monster may very well rise again.

click to see the accompanying artwork by colin barr