Giorgio Bellavitis (1926 - 21 May 2009; Venice, Italy)
Giorgio Bellavitis was an Italian comic artist, born in Venice. He began his career at an early age, drawing illustrations for published by Montuoro and vignettes for the weekly Sior Tonin Bonagrazia. When Italy surrendered to the allies in 1943, Bellavitis and his family travelled to Pordenone to join the partisans. He provided illustrations to the Venetian partisan weekly Vento di Montagna, and was also imprisoned several weeks with Mario Faustinelli and Alberto Ongaro.

Shortly after World War II, Bellavitis, Faustinelli and Ongaro began the so-called "Group of Venice", together with Hugo Pratt, Paolo Campari and Dino Battaglia. The group launched the magazine Albo Uragano, which was later renamed to Asso di Picche. Bellavitis first comic was 'Robin Hood e gli Allegri Compagni della Foresta', that he published under the pseudonym George Summer in Asso Uragano. Bellavitis also worked with Pratt and Faustinelli on the title comic, 'Asso di Picche'. When the largest part of the Venetian group headed for Argentina, Bellavitis and Battaglia began an association with the publisher Ave in Rome. He created 'La Strada senza Fine' in Lo Scolaro and for Il Vittorioso, he made 'I Cavalieri del Corvo' (1951) 'Acqua Cattiva' (1952), 'Il Palio di Siena' (1953) and 'Amburgo 1947' (1954).

Bellavitis was one of the first Italian artists to draw for the British market, which he did after becoming art director of the agency Cosmopolitan Artists. He also introduced Rinaldo Dami, whose agency later provided most of the Italian artwork for British comics. Bellavitis himself drew 'Paul English' for Swift, shortly after moving to England. He drew 'Mark the Youngest Disciple' and 'Storm Nelson - Sea Adventurer' in Eagle, 'Rodney Flood' in Express Weekly, 'The Ghost World' in Boy's World and 'The New Adventures of Charlie Chan'. In Italy, Bellavitis's 'Stormer Nelson' stories were later reprinted under the title 'Kid Tempesta' in Giono dei Ragazzi.

Giorgio Bellavitis returned to Italy in 1958 to pursue a career in architecture, and was involved in many conservation and restoration projects in Venice. He taught art history at the University of Virginia in 1973, and in 1979 was Thomas Jefferson Foundation Visiting Professor at the university's school of architecture. He died on 21 May 2009.