The following
is excerpted from the TOP SECRET files appearing in the SADISTIK
dossier serving as an introduction to SADISTIK 1: MONSTER WITH A 1000 MASKS!
BEWARE:SADISTIK
Up
front it must be admitted that the graphic adventures of SADISTIK are
without any redeeming social value at all. They feature an amoral,
skeleton-clad, serial killer-terrorist whose exploits involve the
torture and murder of a non-stop array of beautiful victims. The tales
were deemed so outrageous that even the French had to ban their edition
of the series after a year and a half. That said, these stories are
relatively tame compared to today’s standard movie fare. Actors machine
gun down dozens of people at a time, horror films have close-up
vivisection and hard-core nudity is available at the flick of a
switch... Still, even after forty years the actions of SADISTIK are
still brutal and disturbing.
Experiencing SADISTIK is like finding a lost Italian
film from the 1960s and the stories are informed by the multitude of
crime, horror and spy releases of the era. SADISTIK reflects the go-go
James Bond 007Playboy jet-set mid-1960s world in escapades loaded with
wry quips and a bevy of sexy and amenable femme fatales. While
‘violence against women’ is a purple pulp noir staple of the series,
the torment is mostly perpetrated on conniving, villainous men and
women who are thwarting the designs of SADISTIK (and would do the same
to him given the chance).
Though there has been no shortage of visual fiction
and comic books in America, photo novels have not really made their
mark. Only the smallest minority of the public has been exposed to the
genre. The closest thing was the Spanish language Mexican masked wrestler El Santo and Satanik did make it to French Canada. American comic books are known for their colorfully costumed,
crime-fighting superheroes. The older countries of Europe have comic
books, too, but their indigenous editions are populated with dark,
lawbreaking super-criminals.
France introduced the ruthless master thief Fantomas
at a time when American pulps presented the happenings of heroic
cowboys and detectives. In a succession of publications, serials, films
and TV shows, Fantomas and other criminal adventurers like Raffles, Fu
Manchu and Dr. Mabuse surfaced throughout the century and cast their
shadow over the world.
(From
L to R:) The cover of the first FANTOMAS pulp released in 1911 followed
by a 1947 movie poster. The first issue of the digest-sized Italian
comic sensation DIABOLIK. Advertisement for the DANGER: DIABOLIK
film designed to resemble a comic book cover. Below are clips from the
fantastic super-kriminal films THE TESTAMENT OF DR. MABUSE, directed by
Fritz Lang, and FANTOMAS RETURNS, showing off his master of disguise skills!
In 1962, two Italian sisters, Angela and Luciana
Giussani, created the comic book character Diabolik. He is a skilled
burglar, master of disguise, expert with knives and had no compunction
against slaying anyone who got in his way. Clad head to toe in black,
only his piercing eyes exposed, Diabolik is accompanied by the
beautiful Eva Kant in his crime career. He became the template for many
of the anti-heroes to follow. An incredible film, Danger:
Diabolik, was made in 1967 by director Mario Bava and the comic digest is still being
published in Europe today. Diabolik also started a K craze with
characters springing up like Kriminal, Demoniak, Satanik (two of them),
Killing, Sadik and Fatalik.
The trailer to Mario Bava's 1967 film DANGER: DIABOLIK (narrated by Telly Savalas)
Jumping on the killer comics bandwagon, creator Max
Bunker (pen name for Luciano Secchi) came up with Kriminal. He was an
assassin, this time sporting a yellow (sometimes red) skeleton motif
jumpsuit topped off with a skull mask. A pair of Kriminal movies were
shot starting in 1967 and the comic recently had a revival. Like
Diabolik, Kriminal toned down his indiscriminant slayings over the
years and started killing only those who really, truly deserved it.
Some early covers from Max Bunker’s KRIMINAL and the first KRIMINAL movie poster.
In 1966, a new character was introduced who had no
such reservations and embarked on a series of imaginative torture and
slaughter. This time the stories were depicted with photos instead of
illustrations. The new super-serial killer photo novel was called
KILLING in Italy and published simultaneously in France as SATANIK.
Kriminal perhaps influenced editor Pietro Granelli when devising
KILLING, as the new character wore a black and white outfit adorned
with a skeleton design and topped with a skull mask. The series
followed the pattern set by the established Italian costumed criminals
as his comely companion Dana assisted KILLING in outlandish
intercontinental crime campaigns that resulted in soaring body counts.
A
still from the KRIMINAL movie is sandwiched between two French posters.
Y'gotta admit that the outfit of SADISTIK is much more impressive than
filmdom's KRIMINAL! Below is a still from the first KRIMINAL film.
Apparently irked by the homage, Secchi came up with
his own character named Satanik for the Italian market. This new
Satanik was a disfigured woman who became beautiful and murderous
through a potion. Pietro Vivarelli directed an entertaining 1968 film
based on this comic, a mild horror film including an odd
Diabolik-inspired striptease. Because Secchi’s Kriminal and Satanik are
confused with the KILLING and SATANIK photo comics, the English version has
the character redubbed as SADISTIK to avoid future misunderstandings.
The
cover of Bunker's first issue for the Italian SATANIK, followed by a
Mexican poster for the SATANIK film. Other posters promote the
Diabolik-connection.
Clips from the SATANIK film with Magda Konopka doing a striptease in a Diabolik-inspired outfit!
The stories are grisly indeed and the content proved
too much for the French authorities after 19 issues, though the Italian
edition ran for 43 more issues. KILLING appeared in Italian, German,
Turkish and South American versions. SATANIK was distributed in Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Morocco, Tunisia and Canada but never in America
or in English until now.
HORROR COMICS ON TRIAL!
In the mid-60s, many Italians were outraged by the spread of the dark
comics. A leading magazine printed a debate with testimony from top
psychologists, writers actors and politicians. Pictured on the cover
were KILLING, SATANIK, SADIK, DEMONIAK and KRIMINAL.
Vintage
covers of the original adventures of SADISTIK from the mid-1960s. Such
covers, along with full color vintage pin-ups from the magazines (and
pictures of the Diabolikal Super-Kiminal menacing victims, are on
display in the new 2007
SADISTIK Calendar!
Many actors active in the contemporary
European film scene appear in SADISITIK photo novels. Each saga was
directed by Rosario Borelli, an actor and singer who became a photo
novel star. He moved on to direct the dramas and was rumored to
actually be the man behind the mask. As with any continuing production,
Borelli had a repertory cast of actors who star in an episode sometimes
or appear as a supporting character. SADISTIK’s paramour Dana was
portrayed by Luciana Paoli. She appeared in a bunch of Italian films
from 1959 to 1968 working with the likes of Marcello Mastroianni and
Mario Bava. She is the subject of a pictorial and filmography in SADISTIK 1: MONSTER WITH A 1000 MASKS!. Each SADISTIK release will include special extras related to the
actors.
Future volumes will cover other SADISTIK
related material such as the many KILLING bootleg films re-leased in
1960s-70s Turkey.
Scenes from the incredibly wild 1967 Turkish film KILINK SOY VE OLDUR (KILINK STRIP AND KILL) adapted from the story printed in the SADISTIK Limited Edition: HELL WAITS! More KILINK photos and the DVDs are available here! Some of the characters and movies mentioned in the article are available at the bottom of this page.
Ultra-Lurid New KILLING, SATANIK, KILINK T-Shirts for 2007
Incredible new INTERNATIONAL Diabolikal Super-Kriminal T-Shirts!
As most know, the King of Crime is known by many names all
over the world. We're proud to present, for the first time EVER,
authorized T-Shirts and other products featuring featuring vintage
covers of the Crime Genius from all over the world!
To see ALL the Diabolikal Super-Kriminal stuff, click HERE! To tour the world, use these following links:
You will not believe your eyes when you see KILINK ISTANBUL'DA (Killing in Istanbul)!SADISTIK
is known by many names in many countries: SATANIK in
France, KILLING in Italy, even KILING in Argentina! A Turkish film
company lifted the character (along with Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel and James Bond music) and dubbed him KILINK!
This 1967 film was the first of 11 KILINK films and considered lost!
To see more wild photos and order this tripped-out kult klassic, click here!
SWAG OF SADISTIK!
Below are links to some cool DVDs, videos and other products related to the SADISTIK genre to be aware of!
