Iginio Straffy: biography and books

Igiñio Straffy is an Italian producer, designer and animator who became the father of the world famous Winx brand. It all started with a cartoon series that was broadcast on Italian television, but in a few years the fairies from Winx School of Sorceresses have become popular all over the world, they have become a notable phenomenon of mass culture. The creative person, the president of the company Rainbow does not stop there, constantly promoting all new projects that target a wide range of audiences.

A native of the province of Maceratto

Iginio Straffy was born in May 1965 in Italy. The birthplace of the creator of the Winx Empire was the village of Gualdo in the province of Maceratto. Iginio grew up in a picturesque place, where the viewer's view was a wonderful view of the Monte Sibillini mountain range. Such an atmosphere could not but affect the development of the child's creative abilities and imagination.

Until now, memories of the first years of his life serve him as a powerful stimulus when he creates new stories, characters, writes books.

Ignio Stroffy has been immersed in art since childhood, he likes to draw. He adores comics and constantly fantasizes, displaying his thoughts in the form of drawings. It is comic books that will play an important role in the biography of Ignitiono Straffy and will influence his further development as an artist and animator.

The beginning of the way

Having finished school, the future head of Rainbow entered the university. In parallel with his studies, he continues to do his favorite work, creating new painted stories. His comics do not go unnoticed and are published in Italian and international magazines Lancio Story, Comic Art and other authoritative publications.

Also the Italian works as a designer in different magazines and studios. Being very young, Ignino Strathi was invited to work for Sergio Bonelli Editore, a prestigious publishing house in Milan, where he began to work on the popular in those years series "Nick Ryder."

However, at some point he realized that the level of comics had outgrown and decided to try his hand at animation. In search of himself, he leaves Italy and undertakes a series of crossings across Europe, working in France and Luxembourg on different projects. This allowed him to gain international experience and to look at the world with different eyes.

Rainbow

In 1995, Iginio Straffy returns to his homeland, filled with ambitious plans and ideas. He understands that one can fully realize his creative potential only by working independently, outside the framework imposed on him by his superiors. He takes a risky step and opens his own animation studio, which he called Rainbow.

In less than ten years, a small studio turned into a huge media holding, consisting of ten divisions. Today, the scope of Rainbow covers a huge range, which includes the release of cartoons, toys, Internet products, as well as publishing.

However, all this did not happen immediately, we had to start small. A series of educational CDs called "Tommy and Oscar - the Phantom of the Opera" was created. The production was a great success, the disks were translated into twenty-five languages, they were bought up in 50 countries of the world.

"Tommy and Oscar" received many international awards, including the Children Software Review for the best software for children and the prize for the best CD at the festival in Avank in 1997.

On the wave of success, Ignio Straffi releases a whole animated series, dedicated to the adventures of Tommy and Oscar. He was successful not only in Italy, but also in other countries, after which stories were created for two more seasons.

Winx's plan

At the beginning of the 2000s in the segment of animated products for children, energetic adventure series predominantly focused on the boyish audience prevailed. The niche of cartoons for girls is almost empty after the completion of the legendary projects of Sailor Moon and My little Pony.

Aginio Straffy decided to revive the noble tradition and he had a plan for a project designed primarily for girls. This artist was supported by his wife Joanna Lee, who became the prototype of the main heroine of the series about sorceresses from the Winx Club.

Ignio Straffi seriously approached the preparation of his project, which took several years. A lot of work was done to study different ideas, characters, characters. As a result, Inginio Straffi dwelled on the concept of confrontation of young fairies against witches. Little wizards study in a special school of magic, like Harry Potter, pretty like a Barbie doll, and act in a friendly team, like Sailor Moon sailor warriors.

To develop the appearance and image of the fairies, the best designers of Italy were attracted, including specialists from D & G. However, according to Aginio Straffi, for him it was the main thing to focus not on a vivid picture, but on the transfer and propagation of such eternal values as friendship, honesty, family, mutual assistance.

The Winx Phenomenon

The new project was a resounding success. He started to go to Italy in 2004, and in a few years it spread all over the world. The school of sorceresses Iginio Straffy has long outgrown the level of the usual animated series and turned into a special cultural phenomenon. Produced toys Winx, fans sing songs from the series.

At the moment, seven seasons of the project have been published, which are shown in one hundred and fifty countries of the world. Winx's website is visited by more than two million users every month.

Ignio Strathy also acts as the author of a whole series of books about young fairies, more than thirty books have been published to date.

Winx phenomenon is explained in many respects by the fact that young fairies personify the ideal of modern children. They dress fashionably, understand modern gadgets, know how to work in a team, and at the same time they study at school, just like ordinary teenagers, make friends, fall in love and experience similar problems.

Other projects

Winx is the main, but not the only project of IGNINO STRATFI. He is working on new series, oriented not only to the girl's, but also to the boy's audience. Among them are the following: Huntik, PopPixie.

A talented artist does not stop at work on TV and in the cinema. He is full of ideas and intentions, which he plans to realize in cooperation with the most talented people in Europe.