- César Civita
-
César Civita 
Born September 4, 1905
New YorkDied April 9, 2005 (aged 99)
Buenos AiresNationality Italian and Argentine César Civita (September 4, 1905 — April 9, 2005) was an Italian Argentine publisher.
Life and times
Cesare Civita was born in New York to Vittoria Carpi, an opera chanteuse, and Carlo Civita, an Italian Jewish businessman.[1] Raised in Milan, he developed an early interest in commerce, and in 1936, was named general manager of the prestigious publishing house, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore. He and Cesare Zavattini redesigned Pitigrilli's literary magazine, Grandi Firme, incorporating cover art by Gino Boccasile and giving the magazine its highest circulation.[2] Civita also obtained an exclusive license to publish Walt Disney's comic books in Italy[1] and ventured into cinema, producing a documentary that earned an award at the Venice Film Festival.[2]
The enactment of the 1938 Race Laws by the Fascist regime forced Civita to emigrate, and he arrived in New York with his wife, Mina, and their three children. He became a talent agent for illustrators and among other, represented Saul Steinberg, for whom Civita sold portfolios to Harper's Bazaar and Life Magazine by way of securing the Jewish artist a United States visa.[3] Civita relocated to Buenos Aires in 1941, and became Disney's representative in Argentina, by which he established the Editorial Abril publishing house.[4] Disney traveled to Argentina while preparing his upcoming animated film, Bambi, and modeled its forest backdrop after Los Arrayanes National Park.[5]
Civita diversified Editorial Abril after 1945, hiring a number of talented illustrators and cartoonists from both Argentina and Italy, among them Hugo Pratt, Mario Faustinelli, Alberto Ongaro, Ivo Pavone, Héctor Oesterheld, Alberto Breccia, Dino Battaglia, and Paul Campani.[2] His younger brother, Victor Civita, established a counterpart in São Paolo, Editora Abril, in 1949, which became one of the largest publishing houses (Grupo Abril) in Brazil.[1]
Though smaller than its Brazilian counterpart, Editorial Abril published nine magazines by the 1960s, including Parabrisas (for auto enthusiasts), Corsa (auto sports), Claudia (a women's magazine), Adán (for men), Panorama (general interest), and Siete Dias Ilustrados (news), as well as the French comic series, Asterix, and others. Some of the most celebrated figures in Argentine journalism worked for Abril at the time, including illustrator Hugo Pratt, photographer Grete Stern, sociologist Gino Germani, writers Rodolfo Walsh, Francisco Urondo and Juan Gelman, and poet Miguel Ángel Bustos.[6] Civita was joined in the enterprise by numerous family members, including his wife, Mina (who edited Claudia), and their daughter Adriana, who became the company's chief correspondent during the Vietnam War.[2] Civita and his wife were separated, however, and he married Paulina, his secretary.[4]
Civita purchased stock in the newly-established public-private newsprint manufacturer, Papel Prensa, in 1972, and he and Editorial Abril became its principal private stockholders.[7] Regulations restricting imported machinery imposed by the new Economy Minister, José Ber Gelbard, forced Civita to sell his stake to financier David Graiver in December 1973, however.[6] Civita, who never enjoyed good relations with Peronism (which had been returned to power following elections in 1973),[1] came under pressure partly because of the numerous left-wing writers he employed. Pressed on the subeject, he asserted that the Abril publishing house is not against anyone, except Nazis and Fascists. [6]
This outlook cost Civita the enmity of the Argentine Anticommunist Alliance, however, and he was the target of numerous death threats, a kidnapping attempt,[8] and in 1975, a commando attack whereby his 18th story Belgrano apartment was riddled with machine gun fire from a helicopter.[6] he and his family joined his brother Victor in São Paolo.[4]
Though the publishing house's best-selling tile, Panorama, closed in December 1975, Editorial Abril remained in operation, and was sold in 1982 to a partnership between Celulosa Argentina and Rizzoli Editores.[9] Civita lived in Brazil and Mexico for a number of years, and ultimately returned. He died in Buenos Aires in 2005, at age 99.[4]
References
- ^ a b c d Grupo Abril: Victor Civita (Portuguese)
- ^ a b c d Fondazione Franco Fossati: César Civita, 2005 (Italian)
- ^ Smith, Joel. Saul Steinberg: Illuminations. Yale University Press, 2006.
- ^ a b c d La Nación: Murió César Civita, el gran creador de la editorial Abril (Spanish)
- ^ Aeberhard, Danny, Benson, Andrew, and Phillips. Lucy. The Rough Guide to Argentina: Parque Nacional Los Arrayanes. Rough Guides Ltd, 2000.
- ^ a b c d Clarín: Lo de siempre (Spanish)
- ^ Presidencia de la Nación. Papel Presa: La Verdad (Spanish)
- ^ Pellet Lastra, Arturo. Mi aventura en el siglo XX. Editorial Dunken, 2004.
- ^ Lanata, Jorge. Argentinos: Tomo II. Ediciones B Argentina, 2003. (Spanish)
Categories:- 1905 births
- 2005 deaths
- Argentine people of Italian descent
- People from New York
- Italian Jews
- Argentine Jews
- Italian publishers (people)
- Argentine publishers (people)
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