Urtigão (B 820075)
Verci De Mello was an artist for the Brazilian production of Disney comics for Editora Abril from 1978 until 1995. He has mainly illustrated stories with 'Donald Duck' or one of his family members, but he has also regularly worked on stories with the hillbilly 'Hard Haid Moe' or the witch 'Madam Mim'. Verci De Mello's older brothers Moacir Rodrigues Soares and Irineu Soares Rodrigues were also artists of Disney comics. Since the 1990s the three brothers work on commercial assignments through their own studio MW Editora e Ilustrações.
Verci Rodrigues De Mello was born in 1958 as the youngest of the three Rodrigues brothers, in Bilac, São Paulo. He spent most of his childhood in Japurá in the state of Paraná, where he and his brothers discovered the Brazilian Disney comic books published by Editora Abril. His two brothers began working for the company themselves in 1972. Through their mediation, Verci got the opportunity to join the Brazilian Disney production as well in 1978. He made his first stories in cooperation with his brother Irineu, but was eventually also assigned to draw stories all by himself.
Margarida (Daisy Duck) - Zás-Trás (B 880007)
De Mello has drawn a great many stories with Donald Duck, Uncle Scrooge, Daisy Duck, Fethry Duck and the other inhabitants of Duckburg. From 1980 onwards he however also provided the artwork for about 120 stories starring 'Hard Haid Moe' and his dog Houn' Dawg. This hillbilly was created by the Disney Studios for their story production for overseas licensees, but gained remarkable popularity in the Brazilian comic books under the name Urtigão. Verci De Mello also drew many of the Brazilian stories with 'Mad Madam Mim', the witch from the 1963 Disney film 'The Sword in the Stone'. Many of these stories co-starred the other famous Disney witch, Magica De Spell.
By 1995, the Brazilian Disney production was in steady decline, and Verci De Mello's collaboration with Abril ended. Since the 1990s, he has been working with his two brothers at the production house MW Editora e Ilustrações, which Moacir had founded in 1989. The team has since then focused on commercial illustration and design projects, including character design, logo design, animations and illustrations for educational and children's publications. His nephew Moacir Rodrigues Soares Junior (born in 1973) joined the company later on.
Verci De Mello lives and works in Cianorte, a city in the state of Paraná.
Madame Min - Feitiço Havaiano (B 840166)