I was born in Roma, Italy, march 26, 1970. My name is Massimiliano Bertuzzi, but to many persons I've been "Max" since the day my English teacher, a beautiful red haired American girl, called me that way. It was 1978 and I was 8 years old. This is a brief story that brings to this site as it is now.

I had took different roads before deciding to go for my main one, and draw for life. I completed High School studying at "Liceo Classico" in Taranto, hot coastal town of the Mediterranean Sea in the very heart of Southern Italy. Ancient Greek, Latin, Italian Literature and Philosophy were the main matters of study. There was not even a drawing course. So, even if I had always been considered very talented by my previous Art teachers, I almost completely quit drawing for 5 years.

After I started to take Engineering courses in Roma, I felt a renewed, emerging pulse to draw. I lasted 2 years at University, then I understood what I really wanted to do. For 3 years I took some courses to learn professional basics.
My collection of Comic Books became a matter of study.


1995. A little confused by the Italian Art scene, and after a few appearances on some Italian fanzines, and on some nationwide Fantasy magazines ("L'Eternauta", "Kaos", and "The Unicorn"), I first heard about the Internet. I understood it was something that would have changed everyone's life. Maybe it could have changed mine too, the way I hoped it. This is the first appearance of MaxBert: this is the nick I first used and this is now my signature.

My first concrete presence on the net with a personal home site is dated 1996, when my ex-girlfriend - very talented children's illustrator - and I started a site called "Max & Francy's Fantasy Pages", hosted on the web space of our best friend Greg Fishback.

In may 1998 Francy left me after 5 years we were together. I sadly shut down the site, replacing it with my personal portfolio. I was very, very sad, but I turned the page and literally started a new life. I used to live in Roma, Italy. First version of the new "Max's Fantasy Art Studio" started at that time.

Now I live in Reggio Emilia, Italy, where I work 8 hours a day as 2D graphic artist in an advertising studio.
At night I do illustrations.


This "version 2.0" of "Max's Fantasy Art Studio" takes its first steps right now, april 2001 within my personal domain name www.maxbert.com, hosted by Informatica 95. I hope it will continue to enjoy people as it looks having been done in its previous lives. I am glad about this, as I am glad to have a personal portfolio that seems to attract interest from several publishers, and that allows me to hope to be a full-time illustrator, some day.

I am working to approach that day.

I hope you like my pages. Ciao!
Sincerely Yours,
                           Max