CORTO MALTESE

CORTO MALTESE is a laconic sea captain adventuring during the early 20th century (1900-1920s). A "rogue with a heart of gold" HE IS TOLERANT and SYMPATHETIC to the UNDERDOG. Born in Valletta on July 10, 1887, he is a son of a British sailor from Cornwall and a gypsy witch from Gibraltar. As a boy, Maltese carved his own life line into his palm, determining that HIS FATE WAS HIM TO CHOOSE. Although maintaining a NEUTRAL POSE, CORTO INSTINCTIVLY SUPPORTS THE DISADVANTAGED and OPPRESSED.

CORTO MALTESE embodies the author's SKEPTICISM of NATIONAL, IDEOLOGICAL,and RELIGIOUS ASSERTIONS. CORTO BEFRIENDS PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE, including murderous Russian Rasputin (no relation with the historical figure), British heir Tristan Bantam, Voodoo priestess Gold Mouth and Czech academic Jeremiah Steiner. He also knows and meets various historical figures, including Jack London, Ernest Hemingway, Herman Hesse, Butch Cassidy, White Russian general Roman Ungern von Sternberg and Enver Pasha of Turkey.HIS ACQUAINTANCES TREAT HIM WITH GREAT RESPECT, as when a telephone call to Josef Stalin frees him from arrest when he is threatened with execution on the border of Turkey and Armenia.

CORTO´S favourite reading is the Utopia by Thomas More, but he never finished it. He also read books by London, Stevenson, Melville and Conrad.

The CORTO MALTESE stories range from straight historical adventure stories to occult dream sequences. He sees the Red Baron shot down, helps Jivaros in South America, and flees Fascists in Venice, but also unwittingly helps Merlin and Oberon to defend Britain and visits the lost continent of Mu.

MARIA CORTO MALTESE