Fumetti: The Collection of Finest Examples of Sleazy Lowbrow Art the World Has Ever Known

Italian comics also known as fumetto, plural form fumetti. The most popular Italian comics have been translated into many languages. The term fumetto (literally little puff of smoke) refers to the distinctive word balloons that contain the dialog in comics (also called nuvoletta, “little cloud”, in Italian).

Sure, these grindhouse movie posters could get racy and over-the-top, but nothing compares to the fumetti in terms of jaw-dropping sleaze performed with artistic skill.

The adult fumetti from the 1970s-1980s are the true heirs to the classic American horror pulp covers of the 1930s-40s. Peruse a cover gallery of early pulps and you’ll find that same characteristic over-the-top, ultra-lurid, and uncomfortably misogynistic vibe. As we entered mid-century, things got tamer and censorship was enforced… but not in Europe where the adult fumetti kept the lowbrow horror illustration alive and well. The content is mildly disturbing (and often hilariously bizarre), but the artwork, for the most part, is pretty damn good. Enjoy!

h/t: retrospace