Italian comic book author and publisher Sergio Bonelli passed away September 26, 2011. Born in 1932 Bonelli was the son of Gian Luigi Bonelli, the creator of the long running Western comic strip hero Tex Willer. Writing under the pseudonym Guido Nolitta, Bonelli wrote many Tex Willer adventures from # 183 on. Along with illustrator Gallieno Ferri, he also created Zagor in 1961. 
Full details of the history of these characters can be found in my book Encyclopedia of Weird Westerns available direct from McFarland or through Amazon and most online bookstores.
I also have a limited number of autographed editions for sale. Contact me for details.
I read about this guy in your book, Paul. Sounded very interesting.
Yes there’s lots of Weird Western material in Europe that ‘s often ignored in the American market. Tex Willer in particular has outstanding artwork and has been published for over 48 years.