| Birth Name: | Eugenio Juan Zappietro |
| Birth Date: | 29 February 1936 |
| Birth Place: | Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Cartoonist: | y |
| Write: | y |
| Collaborators: | Juan Zanotto |
Eugenio Juan Zappietro, better known by his pseudonym Ray Collins (born February 29, 1936), is an Argentine retired comic book writer.[1] Among his best-known works are Precinto 56 and Yor the Hunter (Henga el cazador).[1]
Zappietro was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina on February 29, 1936.[2] He began his writing career at the age of 23, encouraged by Julio Anibal Portas of Abril publishing, who suggested that he should use an American pseudonym.[3]
Hugo Pratt commissioned him his first comic, Precinto 56, which had a police theme and was drawn by Jose Muñoz.[3] [1]
In 1967, he was a finalist for Spain's Planeta Award with his novel Time to Die. In 1974, he created the now-classic comic Yor the Hunter along with the artist Juan Zanotto.[1] The comic was also published in the Italian magazine Lanciostory beginning with its first issue (#0) in 1975.[4] The 1983 Italian-French science fiction film Yor, the Hunter from the Future was based on the comic.[5]
He also created the series The Vikings with Arturo del Castillo for the magazine "Tit-Bits" in 1975. Beginning in 1979, he continued the comic Dennis Martin, with drawings by Lito Fernandez.[2]
Besides been a comics writer, Zappiero also worked as a police officer and as the director of the police museum in his hometown city of San Martin.[2]