Dylan Dog's First Face? It Was a Disaster

Everyone knows Dylan Dog, the fascinating nightmare investigator created by Tiziano Sclavi. But how many know that his initial appearance was completely different from the one we love today? Before becoming the "Rupert Everett" of comics, Dylan had a look very far from the elegant English detective we know. Let's discover together the curious story behind his graphic creation and how a mistake shaped one of the most iconic characters of Italian comics.

The Conceptual Father and the Graphic Father
While Tiziano Sclavi, the "conceptual father" of Dylan Dog, forged his personality and complex psychology, the task of giving a face to the character was entrusted to the artist Claudio Villa. Villa was the first cover artist of the series, signing the covers of issues 1 to 40. However, when he received the task of giving a face to the Nightmare Investigator, he was unaware of a crucial detail: the Bonelli management had decided that Dylan would be English.

The First Dylan Dog: A Memorable Mistake
Unaware of this, Villa drew a character very different from the one we know today. The first Dylan Dog had a big nose and large sideburns that made him look more like a singer from Vibrazioni than an elegant London detective. The result was not liked at all. It is easy to imagine the dismay of Sclavi and the Bonelli management when they saw the first sketch!

Sclavi's Solution: "Let's Make Him Look Like Rupert Everett"
At this point, Sclavi decided to solve the problem in a brilliant way and said: "Let's cut to the chase and make him look like Rupert Everett." The British actor, famous for the film Another Country (1984), represented exactly the sophisticated and mysterious image that Sclavi had in mind for Dylan Dog.

Villa and Cinema: The Birth of the Iconic Face
Determined to capture the essence of Rupert Everett, Claudio Villa sneaked into a movie theater during the screening of Another Country . Armed with paper and pencil, he began sketching the actor during the film. That was how the face we all associate with Dylan Dog was born: elegant, mysterious and fascinating. From that moment on, all the artists who followed tried to remain faithful to Villa's creation, making the image of the Nightmare Investigator immortal.

From Error to Icon
The story behind the first Dylan Dog is one of those stories that demonstrate how sometimes initial mistakes can lead to extraordinary results. If Villa's first design had not been discarded, today perhaps we would not have the Dylan Dog that we all know and love. Thanks to the brilliant intuition of Tiziano Sclavi and the talent of Claudio Villa, Dylan's face has become an unforgettable symbol of Italian comics.

Did you know that Rupert Everett has never officially commented on the fact that he was the inspiration for Dylan Dog? I wonder what he would think if he found out that he had unknowingly become an icon in the world of comics!