"Love is...": history of creation of cute comics about love

Many years have passed and we still remember the aroma and taste of a soft chewable cube. But the liner was even more important than chewing gum, because in it the author shared with us his thoughts on what true love is. Few people know that all the touching words were addressed to the husband of the artist. Tender and tragic story of love, loyalty and loss.

Comics "Love is..." created by new Zealand artist-cartoonist Kim Casali. When Kim was 19 years old, she went to travel the world, and six years later settled in California, where he met with the Italian Roberto Casali.

She drew him on a napkin short scenes with the participation of chubby naked girl and boy. "I did small sketches to Express what I feel... It was like a diary of emotions which describes how to develop my feelings. First, I drew a little, which was a girl, it had to be me. She had those fantastic feelings. Then I drew another drop — the boy who was causing these feelings."

Kim and Roberto were married in the same Church in New Zealand, where married parents Kim. The girl was a crown of daisies and veil — the same then she drew her pot-bellied heroine.

Roberto decided to produce the output of comics, and so "Love is..." was released on 5 January 1970. In the comics 1974 the boy calls the girl, Kim, and before that, in the comics, 1971, the girl draws in the sand the letter R is the first letter of the name Roberto.

Kim never considered myself a real artist. In an interview in 1981 she said: "If I had a choice, I would be an author of romantic songs. Love songs are deeply touching me... But I don't know how to write beautifully, so I had to choose another way to Express your feelings."

Comics quickly became popular: they were now published not only in the magazine. They appeared on t-shirts, calendars, posters, mugs and much more.

Characters of the Saga "Love is..." are the different stages of relationships — from Dating to married couples and death of one of the characters.

The heroes of comics, like these Roberto and Kim, were the children. However, drawn by the children were a boy and a girl, but in life in 1971, Kim gave birth to sons Stefano and Dario, when the family moved to England. The popularity of the picture "Love is..." continued to grow, and Roberto became the business Manager Kim. This Corporation was formed Minikim.

Animals in the comics too! Sometimes the pictures gets a dog named Samson, and at other times we see the grave with the name Fido on it — apparently, it's deceased dog pair. In the comics 2005 the couple has two cats, and in 2009, girl crying over a dead cat.

Unfortunately, the happiness did not last long. In 1975 Roberto was diagnosed with an incurable stage of testicular cancer, very aggressive. Kim stopped working on the comics to spend more time with your loved ones. But just to throw comics Kim did not plan: it asked for an English animator bill Esprit to draw comics for her, signing her nickname. It was from the brush of bill began to leave the first coloured comics with dressed characters "Love is...", which was adopted by the artists of Russia, Turkey and Ukraine.

"The next year I spent in search of drugs, trying to keep her husband away from bad news," recalls Kim.

Roberto was operated in 1975. "We talked about gifts for Christmas, and I told Roberto that I didn't want a diamond ring, I want another baby". Then the couple decided to keep the sperm Roberto on the case, Kim will not be able to get pregnant before he died.

Roberto Casali died at the age of 31 years, in 1976, and in the comics was only a little girl Kim and a tombstone.

Wonderful child

16 months after the death of Roberto Kim had a baby by him using the frozen sperm of the spouse. Although the widow received many letters of support in the religious press emphasized that it went against "religious morality".

British Newspapers called the child a "wonderful baby." On the card Love is... girl pushing a stroller, and the signature reads: "we are Pleased to present the Sweet Roberto. Parents: Kim and Roberto (posthumously through artificial insemination)".

Unfortunately, Kim was also allotted a bit of time. She died at the age of 55 years old from bone cancer and liver at his home in Surrey, England. Her eldest son Stephen continued the family business. And now bill Esprit draws the history of the "Love is..." under the signature Kim (under the contract), despite the fact that Kim is no longer alive.