Editing Leonardo Ortolani (section)

== Career ==
=== First works and the creation of Rat-Man ===
In 1989 joined [[publishing house]]'' [[Comic Art]]'' to work on two stories: the tragic and the other comic. Publisher Rinaldo Traini published the comic story on the second'' [[Spot (Marvel Comics)|Spot]]'' (supplement of'' [[Eternauta]]'' dedicated to beginners), marking the Birth of Rat-Man.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rat-man.com/site/IT/IT/mondo_ratman.ashx?IdCont=37|title= Fatelo tacere! I - Incaute interviste a un autore logorroico|access-date=December 28, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.guidafumettoitaliano.com/guida/testate/testata/5833|title=RAT-MAN|access-date=December 28, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rat-man.org/la-prima-apparizione-di-rat-man/|title=La prima apparizione di Rat-Man|date=13 July 2011 |access-date=December 28, 2018}}</ref>

'' The shocking origins of Rat-Man'' earned Ortolani an award for best newcomer by [[Lucca Comics & Games|Lucca Comics]] of 1990. With this visibility, Leo began to collaborate with [[magazine]]s and independent [[fanzine]]s.

For the fanzine''Made in USA'' he created two more stories starring Rat-Man ('' Topin! The Wonder Mouse!'' And'' From the Future'') and several parodies of [[superhero]]es (including [[X-Men]], [[Fantastic Four]] and [[Superman]]).

The most important works of this cycle are his four parodies of the Fantastic Four. Kirby stopped drawing'' Fantastic Four'' at issue #102. Ortolani wrote numbers 103-106, completely upsetting the group.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rat-man.org/i-fantastici-quattro/|title=L'altro Ortolani |date=30 April 2011 |access-date=December 28, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rat-man.org/2001/06/13/leo-ortolani-presenta-i-fantastici-quattro/|title=Leo Ortolani presenta: i Fantastici Quattro |date=13 June 2001 |access-date=December 28, 2018}}</ref>
 
Called to military service in the [[Italian Air Force|Air Force]], Ortolani drew inspiration from life in the barracks, gathering his experiences in a detailed diary that became the starting point for'' The last rookie'', a strip on military life (the same as the protagonist Ortolani) which were published as an appendix to'' [[Sturmtruppen|Storm Trooper]]''.

During this period, Ortolani also collaborated on the ''Starcomìx'' humor magazine directed by Luca Boschi and published by [[Star Comics]] in ''Totem Comic'' and ''Totem Extra'', where he made'' The impervious'', ''Clan'', ''The wonder of nature'' and ''The wonders of technology''. In this period he also stripped the series ''Those of Parma'', published in the ''Gazzetta di Parma'', speaking of the city of Parma and its inhabitants, a selection of which was collected in the volume ''Editions Bands Dessinée''. The short stories of the series of ''Wonderland'' were taken years later, collected in three volumes by [[Panini Comics]].

=== Popularity and the contract with Marvel Italia ===
In 1995 Leo Ortolani published ''[[Venerdì 12]]'' as a series of the comic magazine [[L'isola che non c'è]]. That same year, Ortolani chose to [[self-publishing|self-publish]] the [[comic book]] series ''[[Rat-Man (comics)|Rat-Man]]'' alongside his primary job as a [[geologist]]; however, in 1997 Leo signed a contract with [[Marvel Italia]], today a brand owned by [[Panini Comics]] (and, at the time, a branch of [[Marvel Comics]] itself<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://comics.panini.it/chi-siamo/curiosita/|title=Panini Italia: Curiosity|access-date=October 28, 2018}}</ref>), to publish the comic under the Marvel brand, which allowed Leonardo to become a full-time comics author. The contract also allowed him to use popular Marvel characters like [[Spider-Man]], [[Captain America]], [[Wolverine (character)|Wolverine]], [[Doctor Doom]] and [[Elektra (comics)|Elektra]] in Rat-Man stories; however, [[copyright]] problems have since prohibited such use of characters in the Rat-Man world.

=== Successful parodies ===
Ortolani created several popular parodies of famous works of fiction and [[Blockbuster (entertainment)|blockbusters]] in his Rat-Man stories. In 1999 Leo Ortolani created ''Star Rats'', a parody of ''[[Star Wars]]''. In 2004 he created ''Il Signore dei Ratti'', a parody of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' trilogy. In 2005 Ortolani published ''Star Rats - Episodio I'', a parody of ''[[Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace]]'', which was the best selling [[Panini Comics]] book in the release month.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.paninicomics.it/web/guest/news?id=7682 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304194317/http://www.paninicomics.it/web/guest/news?id=7682 |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 4, 2016 | title=Le top 10 di maggio |access-date=December 28, 2018}}</ref> In 2007 Ortolani created ''299+1'', a parody of ''[[300 (comic)|300]]'' and one of his best works.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2007/dicembre/01/Rat_Man_eroe_comico_del_co_7_071201067.shtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151229020553/http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2007/dicembre/01/Rat_Man_eroe_comico_del_co_7_071201067.shtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 29, 2015|title="Rat-Man", l'eroe comico del genio Leo Ortolani|access-date=December 28, 2018}}</ref> In 2009 he created ''Ratto'', a parody of [[Rambo (film series)|''Rambo'' films]].<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.rat-man.com/site/IT/IT/mondo_ratman.ashx?IdCont=242 |title = È UNA LUNGA STRADA… |access-date=October 28, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rat-man.org/2016/07/16/uscito-ratto/|title=Uscito Ratto|date=16 July 2016 |access-date=October 28, 2018}}</ref> In 2010 he published ''Avarat'', a parody of ''[[Avatar (2009 film)|Avatar]]''. In 2011 Leo Ortolani created ''La Quadrilogia dei Sacrificabili'', a parody of [[The Expendables (film series)|''The Expendables'' series]],<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.mediacritica.it/2012/08/27/il-mondo-di-rat-man/|title = Il mondo di Rat-Man |access-date=October 28, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.ubcfumetti.com/italia/?23969|title = La Passione di Rat-Man - la quadrilogia dei "Sacrificabili" |access-date=October 28, 2018}}</ref> that won the award "Fede a strisce 2011" at RiminiComix.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rat-man.org/2011/07/25/premio-fede-a-strisce-2011-per-rat-man/|title=Premio Fede a Strisce 2011 per Rat-Man|date=25 July 2011 |access-date=October 28, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.famigliacristiana.it/articolo/il-gesu-di-ortolani_110811184446.aspx|title=Leo Ortolani, la fede a strisce|access-date=October 28, 2018}}</ref> In 2012 he created ''Il Grande Magazzi'', a parody of ''[[Harry Potter]]'' and ''[[Twilight (novel series)|Twilight]]'' series. That same year he published also ''Allen'', a parody of ''[[Alien (film)|Alien]]''. In 2014 Leo Ortolani published ''Star Rats - Episodio II'', a parody of ''[[Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones]]'', and then soon after in 2015 he published also ''Star Rats - Episodio III'', a parody of ''[[Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith]]''.

=== The end of the series ''Rat-Man'' ===
In 2016 Ortolani stated his intention to close the series ''Rat-Man'' with issue #122, which was published around September 2017.