Vanilla is a product of Lussumo:
Documentation and Support.
I have never, in 25 years of drawing comics, submitted any of my artwork to them
Thus to my dismay, although mainstream readers loved his Slaine, purist comic fans (who were then a small minority on 2000AD) were less than enthusiastic and Massimo's divine spark was entirely lost on them. Despite their small numbers, they had become the dominant voice on 2000AD and critical acclaim was more important than mere reader popularity and commercial success at the box office. Hence why Massimo's work on Slaine was never albumised by Titan Books, the leading fan forum, despite my constant pleas to the publisher that "regular" readers adored his work and his books would sell big-time. As a result of the negative feedback from purists, other artists had to take over on Slaine.