Photo: Niccolò Caranti / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Zerocalcare, the pen name of Michele Rech, took his alias from a TV jingle for a descaler, and that self-deprecating origin tells you everything about his charm. What truly impresses me is his range: he moves from intimate autobiography in The Armadillo Prophecy to hard-edged reportage in Kobane Calling without ever losing his voice. Selling over a million copies could have polished him into something slick, yet he keeps his grounded, anxious, deeply human tone intact. I consider him proof that comics can hold both personal vulnerability and serious political witness at once, and he does it with rare integrity.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Zerocalcare
- Name (Japanese)
- ゼロカルカーレ
- Reading
- ぜろかるかーれ
- Born
- December 12, 1983 (age 42)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Boar
- Origin
- Cortona, Province of Arezzo, Italy
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- cartoonist / comics artist / film director / writer / illustrator
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- 2017 Libr'à Nour award for comics
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | The Armadillo Prophecy | — | |
| Notable work | Forget My Name | — | |
| Notable work | Tentacles At My Throat | — | |
| Notable work | Kobane Calling: Greetings From Northern Syria | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Zerocalcare born?
Born December 12, 1983 (age 42).
Where is Zerocalcare from?
Zerocalcare is from Cortona, Province of Arezzo, Italy.
What does Zerocalcare do?
Zerocalcare works as cartoonist, comics artist, film director, writer, illustrator.
What is Zerocalcare known for?
Notable works include The Armadillo Prophecy, Forget My Name, Tentacles At My Throat.
Cartoonist — see all → · Comics artist — see all → · More people from Italy →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-23
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.