We met and interviewed Fabio Formisano, aka Giano Vander, for the readers of la provinciaonline, to talk about his first comic noir novel: “Three spritzes to kill a punkabbestia” Dialoghi editions.
How did the idea of a comic noir come about?
I have always had directorial ambitions, I grew up on bread and cinema and my favorite genres have always been thriller and demented comedy; having to try my hand at my first novel, merging them seemed to me the most appropriate choice, because maybe opting only for the yellow would have added yet another title to an already mammoth list.
Where can you buy your book?
It can be ordered in any bookshop, both physical and online, and on the website of the Dialoghi publishing house. For those who hang out in the areas around San Giorgio a Cremano, an “official” point of sale is the bookshop “La bottega delle parole”, where my first presentation was held; However, I would like to suggest, to those who reside in Naples and its surroundings, to contact me privately for personal delivery: it is a real pleasure for me to exchange a half hour of chat, deliver the book with a dedication and give a nice bookmark to realized me.
Is this your first novel?
As a “soloist” yes. In 2017 and 2018 I was part of the literary collective Gruppo Nove of Pompeii, with which I co-wrote two novels: the dystopian “Scacco al re” and the humorous “Signori, tickets!”, Published by Homo Scrivens. In 2019 I published with GDS “Try Again – the art of survival”, written jointly with the writer Vittoria Iorio. This is my first solo adventure.
Will there be any other presentations?
I hope so! Summer is approaching and it is more and more complicated to organize afternoon events when most of the people are at the seaside or for walks. I think the best solution is to strive to create a sort of literary evening aperitif, perhaps with several authors of different genres in order to stimulate a comparison between different points of view.
Already from the plot it is clear that it is a hilarious book, making people laugh through writing is not for everyone, what is its secret?
In Italy we have real masters of humorous writing, like the great Pino Imperatore, whom I also quote at the beginning of the novel. I don’t know if there is a secret, it also depends on what kind of comedy you are looking for. One of the first books I enjoyed as a teenager was Felice Caccamo’s “Total Frying”, one of the caricature characters of “Never say a goal”; recently, however, I was almost in apnea with laughter reading Nino Frassica and Maccio Capatonda, a more intelligent and refined humor, based on puns, on parody, on the grotesque that leads to the surreal. It is perhaps the latter that I have tried to inspire me, without exaggerating so as not to make the noir aspect not very credible.
Let’s get to know Giano better, what is his favorite motto?
Irony is the highest form of intelligence.
And, allow me to add, those who take offense are stinking.
What literary genre do you prefer?
The pulp. Palahniuk and Medina Reyes should be studied in schools, they are true masters of writing.
Tell us about a typical day of yours.
In the morning I work as a precarious teacher in a junior high school, in the afternoon I divide myself between boxing (as a student), personal training (as an instructor) and various activities such as writing, videomaking, theater. In the evening, beer and movies.
Future projects?
Various competitions and a new novel, of which out of luck I say nothing.
The plot
The tranquility of the historic center of Naples is threatened by a series of murders against the most famous street artists in the city. The investigations soon lead to suspicion of Aleandro Calicchio, a schizophrenic student who has as his only confidant his imaginary friend, a bourgeois and foul-mouthed Freud. Aleandro proclaims himself innocent, but the deaths increase. Why don’t the police believe him? Why do Neapolitan buskers keep dying? A thriller that stimulates the reader’s gray matter with a massive dose of humor, paradoxical situations and cinematic citations.
The author
Giano Vander, pseudonym of Fabio Formisano, born in Cercola (NA) in 1978, is an actor, director, writer, singer and videomaker. Graduated in sports science, he works as a teacher. Three spritzes to kill a punkabbestia is his first novel.
