Tanino Liberatore

Gaetano Liberatore (born 12 April 1953), better known as Tanino Liberatore, is an Italian comics author and illustrator. His best known fictional character is RanXerox.

Born in Quadri (province of Chieti), Liberatore went to high school in Pescara where he met comics artist Andrea Pazienza. He later finished his architectural studies at the University of Rome. From 1974 to 1978, he designed record covers for RCA. In 1978 he met Stefano Tamburini and published his first work in Tamburini's comics magazine Cannibale. In 1978 Rank Xerox was born, a cyborg-punk, ultra strong creature created by Tamburini. Several stand alone hardcover albums ensued, translated in several languages. In 1980 he involved in the foundation of the magazine Frigidaire.

Liberatore's work has been republished in several international comics magazines (Transfert, Métal Hurlant, A Suivre, L'Écho des savanes, Chic). The cover of Frank Zappa's The Man from Utopia album features an illustration by Tanino Liberatore, showing Zappa as RanXerox. In 1984 he drew the album cover for Beat Up, the first 7-inch release by New York City based ska band The Toasters. During this time he also created a few 'one of a kind' pieces of art work for Toasters frontman Robert "Bucket" Hingley.