Which comic book characters with cinematic themes appeared in Italian comics of the 1930s and 1940s? How did cinema intersect with adventure and humorous comics? Was cinema merely a side dish or a true protagonist? This book attempts to answer these questions by analyzing the long and original history of the relationship between cinema and Italian comics. Indeed, between the 1930s and 1940s, a veritable publishing boom developed, with many comic book characters pursuing film careers. This book explores the reasons behind this remarkable cultural phenomenon.