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Iginio Straffi (born May 30, 1965) is an Italian animator and former comic book author. He is the founder and president of Rainbow SpA, which he co-owned alongside the American media company Paramount Global from 2011 until 2023.
Iginio Straffi is the visionary leader of Rainbow Group, a global entertainment company that produces original content and services for children and families. He is the creator of Winx Club, 44 Cats, Maggie & Bianca Fashion Friends and many other successful brands, and a recipient of numerous awards and honors.
Iginio Straffi is the founder of Rainbow, an animation studio that produces popular shows like Winx Club and 44 Cats. He also created the live-action series Fate: The Winx Saga and Club 57, and directed the film Gladiators of Rome.
- January 1, 1
- Gualdo, Macerata, Marche, Italy
Jun 7, 2021 · Iginio Straffi, the founder of Rainbow S.p.A and the creator of Winx Club, talks to Polygon about his fight for girls cartoons, his reinvention of fairies, and his fashion-forward approach. He also discusses the show's legacy, its Netflix reboot, and the controversy over its casting.
- Petrana Radulovic
- Background
- Trivia
- External Links
Life and Career
Straffi was born in Gualdo in the Italian region of Marche. He had an interest in illustrating comic books from a young age, and by age seven, he started drawing his own comic stories. When he was eight years old, Straffi moved to the nearby city of Macerata. In high school, he often drew comic stories in his classmates' notebooks and participated in art competitions, such as one held by the comic magazine Totem. While he continued to develop his art skills, Straffi studied Modern Languages a...
Working with Viacom
Around this time, the international success of Winx Club attracted the attention of the American media company Viacom, owner of Nickelodeon and Paramount Pictures. In February 2011, Viacom became a co-owner of Rainbow, purchasing 30% of the company and leaving the remaining 70% to Straffi. Viacom's entry into the company followed a "long courtship," and the terms of the US$83 million purchase were decided earlier in 2010. Viacom provided Straffi access to financial and studio resources that,...
Starting a Reboot
In 2022, Fate: The Winx Saga was cancelled by Netflix after its second season. Iginio Straffi was bothered by how Netflix treated the show, as well as how the showrunner (Brian Young) treated the news. On Instagram, Straffi said, "The news that there will be no season three should not have been delivered in such an abrupt way, disregarding of our involvement and your feelings, by someone who was only part of the Winx Club journey for a few years after being appointed by Netflix." He confirmed...
In an interview, it was mentioned that Straffi's favorite Winx is Flora.[citation needed]In a 2021 interview, Straffi mentions his future plans of Winx Club which includes:In a July 15, 2023 interview at RiminiComix, he revealed:Iginio Straffi at the Internet Movie Database11K Followers, 78 Following, 65 Posts - Iginio Straffi (@straffiiginio) on Instagram: "Imprenditore Creatore di storie Amante del bello Inguaribile sognatore".
Iginio Straffi, creator of the six teenage fairies in the hit “Winx Club” TV franchise, is launching a new animated series titled "Mermaid Magic" that will drop globally on Netflix on Aug. 22.
