[3] He continued to work as a comic book illustrator through the 1990s, eventually drawing an issue of Sergio Bonelli Editore's Nick Raider series.

The series became internationally successful and attracted the attention of the American media company Viacom, owner of Nickelodeon and Paramount Pictures.

[2] The purchase was called "Straffi's most important agreement" by L'espresso,[8] as it led to the worldwide distribution of Rainbow's shows by Paramount and Nickelodeon, as well as various co-productions.

[9] As of 2019, Straffi continues to work in creative roles at Rainbow, but he has shifted his focus from animation to live action.

[16] In 1992, Straffi left Sergio Bonelli Editore and moved to France for a storyboarding[16] job at the Telcima animation studio.

"[16] Straffi worked on designs for the pilot episode of Valérian as well as a planned film adaptation of Roman de Renart.

Among the studio's first commissions were three minutes of animation in the film How the Toys Saved Christmas and the pilot for Les Armateurs' cartoon Belphégor.

[15] Rainbow eventually secured enough funds to produce its first original project, the Tommy & Oscar|Tommy and Oscar series of CD-ROMs and animations.

[18] Around this time, Winx Club's international success attracted the attention of the American media company Viacom, owner of Nickelodeon and Paramount Pictures.

"[8] L'espresso called the transaction "Straffi's most important agreement," as it led to the worldwide distribution of Rainbow's shows through Viacom's network of subsidiaries.

[21] The film performed poorly at the box office, earning about $10 million worldwide,[22] which Straffi assumed was a result of Rainbow's lack of experience with cinema.

[23] Straffi also produced The Dark Side of the Sun, an animated documentary that premiered at the Rome International Film Festival in December 2011.