The crew

He was only a young sea dog when a pair of budding buccaneers fished him out of the surf at the foot of a cliff.

With unspeakable effort — and a fair amount of rum — they converted him to the pirate code and weaned him off his wild ways.

From an early age, he showed a devilish talent for drawing and cartography, producing treasure maps which, according to most accounts, led absolutely nowhere. Today we can raise a glass without fear of contradiction: he is the only corsair in the world who draws maps and portraits by nose — or by chance, when the storm picks up.

After sailing imaginary seas, facing nonexistent storms and repeatedly losing a course he had never had, he now lives in a conveniently Wi-Fi-equipped cave in the Lower Pontine region, where he keeps drawing, scheming and planning to finally find those damned TREASURES!!!

A film-set designer known for restoring the capitals in Gladiator 2, legend says he also designed the film’s shields. Rumours from the south place him on the set of The White Lotus 2, hands curled into tubes. What the taverns do tell us is that he painted the Kraken you will find in the game in oils.

Rekik Ferri is the Brand Designer who gave life and shape to our logo. A fearless pirate, she tackles every voyage with good cheer and is always ready to party with the crew. For The Pirate King, she illustrated the Castaway’s Coin: a little treasure to hold tight when the sea gets rough. If the loot reaches port safely, you can count on her to start the celebrations.

Illustrator under duress: Mastro Soppalco kidnapped my hamster and forced me to illustrate some cards for him. The hamster is fine, they say.

In the harbour taverns they call her Babby53, though the Navy’s records still say Gabriella Granieri. An apprentice of needle and ink, she leaves her mark on sailors’ skin and gives faces to the rogues haunting The Pirate King’s seas.

Aboard ship, she grows plants of questionable origin, meditates during mutinies and insists every vessel has a spirit. The captain suspects hers hides in the galley and regularly finishes the rum.

If you see her staring motionless at the horizon, do not disturb her: she may be communing with the universe, or she may just have found her next tattoo design.

An illustrator and game designer, Lo Tiranno never sails without a prototype in the hold. Every turn of life inspires a new game, and he is always ready to let you try it.

But have you tried his latest game?

Mosky, known ashore as Ilaria Altili, is a visionary pirate illustrator. For The Pirate King, she brought Francis Snake and Dog G. Fuffy aboard, summoned Water Mama from the depths and left an Urchin-at-Arms where the crew used to walk barefoot. With her aboard, even a quiet day at sea can turn into a Sea Ambush. The captain asked her for something reassuring. Mosky handed him the Map to Toulon: “If you’re scared, at least you know which way to run.”

Poison, also known as Riccardo Alfonsi, is a comic artist with an acidic style: every card he draws is as sharp as his lines. He puts a crew on paper that no sane captain would want on deck. Between Morgan the Bonebreaker, Silver Pawkins and Monsieur Swann, one look at his drawings shows that even dinner aboard can end in a sword fight.

If something huge and unfriendly rises from the sea, check the signature: his brush may have been there.

Semola, also known as Antonio De Paola, is a visionary architect, an artist at heart and a pirate by nature, always seeking new forms of art. Inside him lives a tiger that seems to snooze peacefully… until someone uncorks the rum. When it is time to drink and celebrate, the beast wakes up, roars a toast and demands another round.

Nightingale, also known as Francesca Sgrò, is a painter and illustrator who can fit entire worlds into a card. Known among crews for her Magic art alters, she boards decks from every port and redraws their boundaries with her brush. In her hands, even the most ordinary card can become a treasure to keep in the hold. The hard part is persuading the captain to put it back into play.

Totò Montebello is a master of colour who set sail from Delia, in the heart of Sicily. You will not find him on social media: to discover his work, head for the seafront in Syracuse. If you meet the maestro, be ready to hear him describe, with passion, love and dedication, what lies behind every brushstroke.

For The Pirate King he unleashed Onaéco, a monster with enough tentacles to embrace an entire crew… or hold them until they have heard its whole story. And if you wonder why it has quite so many tentacles, ask Totò: some creatures deserve an explanation from the heart.

Sassoraviolo is a dreamlike illustrator whose course crossed the crew’s at a RAVE! Card Game table. After winning the tournament, she was challenged to an ultimate final by Mastro Soppalco. That match sparked the collaboration behind Calico Jackal, The Pirate King’s most beautiful and irreverent card.

Susetto Er Duro brings the turbo-borgata to the high seas. He writes, draws and makes music: when he comes aboard, the crew never knows whether to expect a story, a concert or a mutiny. For The Pirate King, he works on both illustrations and game development. The captain asked him to follow the pirate code; he started rewriting it on the walls of the hold.

Badadisegnetti, also known as Marco Denni, sails between illustration and comics, with a stop at Crack! Fumetti Dirompenti and a pencil always ready for the next mutiny. He calls them “little drawings”, but aboard The Pirate King they have taken command: eccentric captains, unsettling clowns and swans best not contradicted. He draws in his free time and his busy time, leaving the rest of the world to work out the difference.

Denti Aguzzi, also known as Cristina Scanzano, is a reptilian pirate always ready to party with the crew. Across street art, sculpture and illustration, she brings creatures to life that you would be wise to watch from shore. For The Pirate King she unleashed Zorqual, Namazu and Crokuza: if you hear something scraping beneath the hull, one of her works has probably decided to join the party.

Wallie, also known as Walter Petrone, sails with his pencil through dreams, bruised hearts and inner storms. An illustrator and comic artist, he knows that even the most feared pirate can be shipwrecked in their own thoughts. For The Pirate King he shaped the Abyssal Turtle: a creature carrying its shelter on its back, but one no captain would want to meet beneath the keel.

Mel is an artist of dubious talent and dreadful habits who has spent years roaming the seas, reeking of salt, cheap rum and forgotten underpants. He has crossed oceans in boats that stay afloat by a miracle, slept in rat-infested holds and drawn mermaids with wonky tits and rotten teeth. He claims to have befriended a drug-addicted squid and lost a testicle in a brawl with a crab. The sea loves him, the fish avoid him, and the Coast Guard now has his portrait hanging in every office.

Salvatore Lamarca draws with one eye on the page and the other on the abyss, in case Great Cthulhu decides to answer. Among fantastic creatures and unsettling presences, he brought William Fly aboard The Pirate King. The captain granted him a bunk, provided anything he summons at night pays its share of the rum.

Gioten, also known as Sebastian Preda, brought Garfang the Mastiff aboard The Pirate King. The captain had asked for someone to guard the treasure; he solved the problem with his pencil. Now the chest is safe, but no one in the crew dares approach to collect their share.

Maaz, also known as Massimiliano Azzuppardi, sails between cinema, photography and painting, always looking for the right frame to capture chaos. For The Pirate King he brought aboard Captain Barnaccio and the Captain’s Hook. During boarding actions the crew tells him to take cover; he asks to reshoot the scene, because the light was perfect but the cannon went off too soon.

Azelky, also known as Alessandro Chiummo, was spotted on the set of Head of State as a radio P.A. Since then he has changed roles more often than a pirate changes aliases: actor, occasional host and enthusiastic playtest explainer, able to guide even the most bewildered crew through the rules. He became an illustrator through a bet with Denti Aguzzi: he picked up a pencil and brought Black Bark aboard. Ever since, everyone on the ship has been very careful what they bet on.

Giovanni, born in ’95, comes from the warm lands of Calabria, but was clearly never destined to put down roots.

After sailing the seas for study and work, he landed at the Academy in Catania to study Design. Degree secured, a questionable number of arancini eaten and enough experience gathered, he weighed anchor and headed for Rome.

There he began a Master’s in UX Design which, within a year, sent him north again: a new course, a new crew, a new adventure in Milan. But the capital’s call was too strong, and after a while our pirate finally returned to Rome.

Always passionate about music, art and pop culture in all its forms, today he sails between design, creativity and new adventures.

Among the crew, he answers to Candy, the Bald Pirate. 🏴‍☠️