Tex Willer first appeared on September 30, 1948, in the debut issue of the Italian comics magazine Audace. Created by writer Gianluigi Bonelli and artist Aurelio Galeppini (known as Galep), Tex is a Texas Ranger and honorary Navajo chief who has appeared in over 700 issues across seven decades. The series became a standalone monthly publication in 1958 and remains one of the best-selling Italian comics of all time. For collectors, the original Audace issues and the early standalone monthly editions represent some of the rarest and most valuable Italian comics ever published.

The Audace issues (1948-1958): the true first editions

Tex appeared in the Audace magazine format from 1948 to 1958 before transitioning to a standalone publication. These issues are called the "Albo d'Oro" era and are the rarest Tex material in existence. The first Audace Tex issue (September 1948, featuring "Il Totem Misterioso") in Buono condition is effectively a museum piece: fewer than 10 verified copies are known to exist in any condition. Values for the first 20 Audace Tex issues in any readable condition start at 200 euros and can reach several thousand for near-mint examples.

The standalone monthly (1958 onward): what collectors focus on

When Tex became a standalone monthly publication in 1958, the format changed to the pocket-sized Bonelli standard still used today. The first standalone issue ("Tex n.1 - Il Totem Misterioso", cover-dated July 1958) is the most sought-after standalone Tex. Values by condition:

  • Edicola (NM) — 1,500 to 3,000 euros for a verified first printing in newsstand-fresh condition
  • Ottimo (VF/NM) — 600 to 1,200 euros
  • Buono (FN/VF) — 200 to 500 euros
  • Mediocre (GD) — 50 to 150 euros

Issues 2 through 10 of the standalone monthly are significantly rarer in high condition than most collectors expect, because the series was not yet established and print runs were modest. Values for issues 2-10 in Ottimo range from 100 to 400 euros each.

How to identify a first printing vs a reprint

Bonelli has reprinted Tex extensively over the decades. For the standalone series, the key identification markers are:

  • Cover price in Lire — original issues from 1958 onward were priced in Lire (L. 100 for the first issues). Any copy priced in euros is a post-2002 reprint.
  • Spine text — the original 1958 standalone issues have specific spine typography that differs from reprints. The publisher information and edition codes inside the back cover also differ between printings.
  • Paper quality — original issues use newsprint with a distinctive yellowing pattern over time. Reprints use brighter, more uniform paper stock.

Special formats: Tex Gigante and Maxi Tex

Beyond the standard monthly, Bonelli has published Tex in larger formats including the Tex Gigante (a larger format publication with longer stories) and the Maxi Tex (annual special editions). Early Tex Gigante issues from the 1960s in Ottimo condition can reach 100 to 300 euros. These are more accessible entry points for collectors who cannot afford the standalone #1 but want early Tex material.