Giancarlo Ascari, aka Elfo, is an Italian cartoonist and journalist who has illustrated and written for major Italian newspapers and magazines. After earning a degree in Architecture, he started working as a cartoonist in 1977, becoming one of the protagonists of the increasingly popular Italian comic strip scene. In 2015, he and fellow author and illustrator Pia Valentinis formed a creative duo and began publishing books together: The Green Fingers of Monsieur Monet, Yum!, Zip!, Gong! and Lalala!. He co-illustrated with Pia Valentinis Cher Auteur, by Riccardo Bozzi. They live in Italy.