Killing is an Italianphotocomic series about a vicious criminal, the title character. It has been published intermittently since the 1960s under various titles. The series was entitledSatanik in the French edition, Kiling in Argentina as well as being published in Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Germany and Venezuela. Sold as "Photostories for Adults", it ran for 62 issues starting in 1966, and was published by Ponzoni and editor Pietro Granelli with each episode directed by actor and singer Rosario Borelli. The character was also known as KiLiNK, the star of several unauthorized films shot in Turkey during the late 1960s and early 70s. The Argentinean series ran out of the Italian stories and began shooting new adventures that lasted until the 1980s. The series is currently being revived by American editor and comics creatorMort Todd, under the new title, Sadistik: The Diabolikal Super-Kriminal. The documentary about the character The Diabolikal Super-Kriminal directed by SS-Sunda had its US premiere at the San Diego Comic-Con on July 25, 2009 where it received Special Mention by the judges.
Synopsis
Killing is a vicious criminal, totally without mercy and portrayed throughout the series without credit by Aldo Agliata. Wearing a black and white costume styled on a human skeleton, he slaughters other criminals unrepentantly, often stealing their once-stolen loot. He crafts masks from a flesh-like substance to imitate his victims. Killing's methods are brutal and sadistic, and the lurid covers and stories often feature him attacking, torturing, and murdering scantily clad women. Supporting characters include Killing's lover Dana, the only person who has seen him unmasked, and Inspector Mercier, a determinedpolice officer who always just misses catching and detaining Killing for his crimes. The series also featured a rotating troupe of actors who also appeared in many European spaghetti westerns, spy films, sword and sandal, giallo and exploitation films of the era. The character of Killing was inspired by several previous characters from French and Italian pulp fiction, including Fantômas, Diabolik, and especially Kriminal. Killing's books, however, were far more violent and sexually explicit than those of his predecessors.
