Even though the tomato is an immigrant in Italy, it has become synonymous with Italian cooking. The soil produced by Vesuvius and the mild climate of the area around Naples and Salerno have allowed the San Marzano tomato to become King.

Marika talks about the difference between normal climactic events and extreme climactic events such as flooding, storms, and droughts.

One of Crepax's techniques is to use the details of everyday life to build his stories and provide context. We even see the titles of the books in Valentina's bookcase.

Here's the story of the Italian version of "killing two birds with one stone."

Italians talk about the weather a lot, and in particular, the winds that come in from different directions. Marika gives us the rundown.

Among the pages of the comic strip, family members find familiar objects, drawings, and personal information from their everyday life. Although Valentina was a figment of Crepax's imagination, she was also an integral part of his family.

What is climate change? What are the elements that make up climate? Marika begins answering these questions.

Valentina's success coincided with the beginnings of feminist movements in Italy. She depicted a woman who was strong and independent, who could do anything a man could do, a departure from the stereotype of the Italian housewife.

Crepax's Valentina was an intriguing character because she openly reflected the sexual freedom of the late sixties and was attractive to both men and women. It was very "in" to be seen walking around with an issue of "Linus," an Italian comics magazine published in Italy beginning in 1965.

In this video, Marika explains plenty of expressions with the word bocca (mouth). Listen for the double C!

Filmmakers Tinto Brass and Giuseppe Tornatore comment on how some elements of expressivity are shared between comic strips and the cinema.

Rosalba was a French teacher who has been retired for about a a year. She now spends her days writing stories and cultivating her passion for photography.

There are a lot of Italian expressions using la bocca (the mouth) in a literal or figurative way. Marika tells us about some of them

In 1963 Crepax got his start in the world of comic books and two years later created his famous character, Valentina. The comic strip first appeared in the anthology comic book, "linus," founded by Giovanni Gandini, who had known Crepax as a kid.

Rosalba lives in Pontedera and shows us her favorite park. There is a sculpture there that reminds her of a woman-cat.