Posted in: Comics | Tagged: hexagon, steve bissette, wampus

The Return Of The Wampus by Jean-Marc Lofficier & Luciano Bernasconi

The Return Of The Wampus by Jean-Marc Lofficier and Luciano Bernasconi in Hexagon Comics' February 2026 Listings

The 85-year-old Italian comic book artist Luciano Bernasconi is best known for working in Carlo Cedroni's Studio Barbato, Éditions Lug in France, and Edizioni Europer in Rome. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Bernasconi became one of Lug's major artists, co-creating a number of major characters such as Wampus, Kabur and Phenix and also Ami Barry, L'Autre, Billy Boyd, Bob Lance, Comte de Saint-Germain, Frères Thunderbolt, Gladiateur de Bronze, Jean Girodet, Jeff Sullivan, Kit Kappa, Sibilla, Starlock and Waki. In 2000, he returned to Kabur, Phenix and Wampus for Semic Comics, the successor of Editions Lug and in 2004, he teamed up with Jean-Marc Lofficier and other writers and artists to reclaim the rights to his characters under the banner of Hexagon Comics.

Hexagon Comics USA continues to republish European comics, written primarily by Jean-Marc Lofficier, translated into English, and distributed exclusively through his website, Amazon page, or at conventions. Selling enough copies to make it more than worthwhile, as well as making certain comics available to a wider English-speaking audience, and repackaging work by familiar names in American comics before they made it big. Retailers can purchase Hexagon Comics at a 40% discount from distributor Ingram or from the publisher. By going via Amazon entirely, he managed to avoid the Diamond bankruptcy completely. And for February 2026, that means Wampus #4: The Return by Jean-Marc Lofficier and Luciano Bernasconi, with pin-ups from Steve Bissette.

WAMPUS #4: THE RETURN
cover by Luciano Bernasconi
– THE POG OF MONTSEGUR story by Jean-Marc Lofficier; art by Luciano Bernasconi
– DEATH IN VENICE story by Jean-Marc Lofficier; art by Luciano Bernasconi
– HUNTER ! story by Jean-Marc Lofficier; art by Luciano Bernasconi
– ON CE UPON A TIME ON ARENA story by Jean-Marc Lainé; art by Luciano Bernasconi
With this special issue, we commemorate the 57th anniversary of Wampus, first published in France in March 1969.
Our first story, The Pog of Montsegur, begins exactly where Strangers #13 ends, and continues with a "new" Wampus on the prowl in the South of France. This storyline continues in Death in Venice, which guest-stars the wondrous Sibilla. Hunter ! is a flashback to the events recounted in episode #3 of the original Wampus series and an origin to the heretofore mysterious character of Hunter, introduced in Strangers #2. Once Upon a time on Arena takes place a long time ago on the home planet of the Bronze Gladiator, now under attack by Wampus.
This issue also includes a series of Wampus pin-ups by Steve Bissette (Swamp Thing, Taboo, Tyrant), Wampus' co-creator, the legendary Luciano Bernasconi, and Mexican artists, Manuel Martin Peniche (Kabur, Strangers) and Ladrönn. 7×10 squarebound comic, 96 pages b&w $14.95

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