Book investigates mystery of Diabolik's first artist Angelo Zarcone

A new book by Gianni Bono and Raffaele Mangano, "Non sono stato io" (If Edizioni), investigates the mysterious story of Angelo Zarcone, the first artist to draw Diabolik, Italy's iconic comic character created by the Giussani sisters in 1962. Zarcone, nicknamed "il Tedesco" for his Nordic appearance, designed the character's face for the first volume but disappeared after completing it, never claiming credit. The book, structured as a detective novel, explores Zarcone's possible motives, including a moral crisis and shame over creating a criminal protagonist. It connects his story to the Opus Dei, a painting of founder Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer hidden in a Roman basilica, and a 1971 oil painting found by Sicilian artist Pippo Madè. Zarcone lived in obscurity in Palermo, near Piazza Florio, and died without recognition. The authors reconstruct his life through vivid dialogues and meticulous research, offering a compelling narrative about an artist who abandoned his creation.