Cocco Bill – The Cowboy Who Turned the Wild West into a Comedy of Absurdity

For decades, the legendary Italian comic strip character Cocco Bill has offered a unique and humorous perspective on the Wild West, transforming the genre into a comedy of absurdity.

Created by artist Benito Jacovitti, Cocco Bill first appeared in March 1957 and quickly became one of Italy's most recognizable and witty comic heroes. His adventures, which have also been adapted for television, are filled with parodies of classic Western motifs. Jacovitti playfully reimagines rough sheriffs, saloon brawls, stagecoach attacks, and encounters with Native American tribes, whose invented languages often mimic Italian dialects, turning them into fast-paced, surreal comedies.

Cocco Bill's appeal lies in his distinctive blend of Western parody, absurd humor, and a penchant for chamomile tea over whiskey. His horse, Trottalemme, whose name translates to "walk slowly," is no ordinary steed. Trottalemme smokes, drinks tequila, and dreams, adding to the grotesque and peculiar world of Cocco Bill's adventures. In some stories, he is depicted eating spaghetti with tomato sauce, a detail that became his favorite dish in the animated series.

Jacovitti, born in 1923, filled his comic pages with a chaotic and playful world brimming with peculiar details: salamis with legs, worms with hats, fish bones (often appearing near his signature), two-legged horses ridden by four-legged people, and numerous other whimsical oddities. When asked about the density of his panels, Jacovitti would slyly reply, "Because I don't like to throw anything away. Not even paper." This philosophy of filling every space contributed to the development of all his famous characters, with Cocco Bill achieving widespread popularity after his debut in the comic supplement of the newspaper Il Giorno.

“

Because I don't like to throw anything away. Not even paper.