TOP SECRET: SADISTIK on the loose... Spotted in San Francisco and San Diego!

The Diabolikal Super-Kriminal known as SADISTIK has begun his American crime campaign in earnest! SADISTIK 1: MONSTER with a 1000 MASKS finds the King of Crime in San Francisco hatching his plan to steal millions in antique gold coins from a corrupt prince's exploding safe! Aided by his incomparable beauty, Dana, The Imperceptible One must face competing criminals, the local police (led by the implacable Inspector Grant) and deadly Communist Agents!

This is a reprint of the original first issue of Killing / Satanik, released in 1966 and in English for the first time. There's an article on the history of European super villains from Fantomas to Diabolik and a "You Solve It" comic also from the first issue. Plus an article about Luciana Paoli (aka Dana, Sadistik's one true love) crammed with pin-ups. These pin ups are different than the ones seen in the SADISTIK Limited Edition: HELL WAITS! (which is still available until the end of August).

Besides Luciana Paoli as Dana, this issue marks the first appearance of many actors who would become regular members of the cast, like Rico Boido as a KGB killer, Gabriella Giorgelli, Renato Baldini and Erno Crisa... all under the capable directorial hands of Rosario Borelli. The cover features actress/model Mary Arden.

SADISTIK 1 made its premiere at the 2006 San Diego Comic Convention where advance copies were given to the press and industry professionals for promotion. Comicfix, the publisher of SADISTIK, plans a big presence at the next San Diego Con with the premiere of The Diabolikal Super-Kriminal documentary (now in production) and an appearance by the King of Crime himself! Other Comicfix-related news at the Convention included a new Rat Fink documentary and a potential publisher for the Bob Marley bio-graphic novel.

SADISTIK 1 got a great reception by everyone who saw it at the con. As a treat to readers of The Mask of Death, a 14 page PDF preview of SADISTIK 1 is available free by scrolling to the bottom of this page link. The book will be available for the special price of $7.99 during August at the goSADISTIK.com website.

Coming Soon: Previews of the Beware: Sadistik comic book, the Killing Time fanzine and news on the SADISTIK TV show!

¡VIVA KILING y NAMUR!

All hail Argentina's real revolutionary: KILING! While a certain Argentinean born revolutionary (now as ubiquitous as Mickey Mouse on t-shirts) was responsible for thousands of very real, horrible deaths in the labor camps he created, our favorite fictional murderer was a revolutionary in his own right considering the cultural climate of the time.

During Juan Peron’s regime, Argentina had strict censorship in place, yet somehow the Diabolikal Super Kriminal slipped through! When the King of Crime appeared in 1970s Argentina as Kiling some of the more lascivious scenes (but not violent ones) were trimmed. The reprints of the European editions were so popular that when they ran out of stories to publish, they created new dramas featuring the The Imperceptible One and Dana!

And hoping to repeat the success, they created the Sexy Super Spy, Namur and Yorga, The Lizard Man (in a Carlo Rambaldi mask). And in the best tradition of costumed comic characters, they all had crossovers.

To American comics fans, this is like a weird alternate reality of 1970s comic books… with photos instead of drawings and in another language! And the average fan can’t get much exposure to these rare foreign comics. Until now.

Comicfix, the publishers of America’s first photo novel series SADISTIK, will be releasing a new periodical, KILLING TIME, about the genre around the world.

KILLING TIME will be the first magazine about international photo novels and will focus on the weird side of it. The first issue will have an article on the Spanish version of SADISTIK in South America by Roberto Barreiro and coverage on how The Diabolikal One was censored in Argentina by Diego Baccino.

Plus Roberto returns with an introduction to Namur, Danger Supreme! With lots of photos of the 70s sexy super spy, the history of the character, info on the actress and a checklist of the first ten issues! You have to see her to believe her!

Now if all this wasn’t novel enough for a magazine about strange characters, it will also be multi-lingual! The first issue, focusing on South America as it does, will be in Spanish and English. In future issues there will be articles from international contributors printed in their native language as well as English. The King of Crime has cast a long shadow around the world and this magazine will put a spotlight on many of his long-kept secrets… Who was really behind the mask? When did the government censors really stop the French edition? And, maybe, whatever happened to Luciana Paoli?

Still more! The magazine will be available FREE on-line in a PDF download or to purchase as a full color magazine. KILLING TIME, reflecting on the past, will have a lot of famous firsts!


KILLING TIME #1: Available in September 2006 for download or purchase! Stay tuned to goSADISTIK.com!

More SADISTIK Actor Pages Added!

Some of the most viewed pages on the goSADISTIK website are in the Actors' Gallery... and not just because of the saucy vintage pin-ups! Most of the actors in the SADISTIK photo novels were veterans of the European film world, working with internationally famous directors and stars and acting in many classics and cult favorites.

The three new actors just added to the site are ones who had very interesting careers and though you may not have heard of them, you have most likely seen many of the films they appeared in.

Erno Crisa may not be a familiar name, but you're aware of (or even seen) many films he has been in and if he hadn't had an untimely death at a young age, he probably would've become a bigger international star. Despite his short life, he was in over 50 films and in many issues of SADISTIK. He worked with such directors as Vittorio De Sica and René Clément and co-starred with Gina Lollobrigida, Marcello Mastroianni and Michèle Mercier. He was in the well-regarded Purple Noon (later remade as The Talented Mr. Ripley with Matt Damon) and portrayed the title character in the very first adaptation of the controversial Lady Chatterly's Lover.

Mary Arden was a model and actress who was threatened by the The King of Crime in many issues and covers to boot. Though she had a short film career, she made an impression in the seminal Blood and Black Lace from director Mario Bava. She was also in a film based on another comic book anti-hero, Kriminal, by director Umberto Lenzi. Mary can still be frequently seen on TV and magazines in her long-time capacity as a corporate image consultant.

The third personality added to the Actors Gallery had about as many names as films he appeared in, Giovanni Di Benedetto. He had so many aliases even imdb.com can't keep up with his credits. This gentleman has been in film and TV for over 50 years and is still at it! Some of the talent he has been associated with includes Kirk Douglas (in Ulysses), Mario Bava, Roger Vadim, Anthony Quinn, Jack Palance, Marisa Tomei, Robert Downey, Jr. and even our own lovely Luciana Paoli! Perhaps most wild is that he was in the trilogy of classic terror films by Dario Argento starting with The Bird with the Crystal Plumage. He is also scheduled to appear in the SADISTIK documentary The Diabolikal Super-Kriminal to talk about his photo novel roles.

If you a film buff, you must check out the SADISTIK Actors Gallery. Besides photos, pin-ups and rare international movie posters, the articles will give you a flavor of the world film scene over the last half century along with filmographies and exclusive information culled from The Imperceptible One's files. After you get a thirst for these films, sate it with our links to purchase them on DVD and video. And soon, we will be posting current interviews with the actors reflecting on their days in the throes of the King of Crime. Plus, in answer to the many fans who have been demanding MORE Luciana Paoli pix, your wish will be fulfilled in the near future with more pin-ups from her film Casanova '70 with Marcello Mastroianni and revealing shots from her forays in non-SADISTIK photo novels.