By popular demand for those "sick" of pop culture, the first information has arrived on the next edition of the Comicon, a cultural event which - as per tradition - will take place at the Mostra d'Oltremare in Naples from 25 to 28 April, once again boasting a long series of unmissable events and exceptional guests from all over the world.

Born in 1998 as the International Comics Exhibition in the Campania capital, the Comicon has grown over time to become one of the main points of reference for events, exhibitions and dissemination of content - including cinema, television series, comics, video games, music and art - throughout the European panorama.

For over twenty years the fair has welcomed many of the most prestigious international artists - including examples of the caliber of Milo Manara and Tanino Liberatore - involving at each event over 150,000 visitors engaged in four days of intense activities, which also include board games, role-playing, Asian pop culture and cosplay.

For the first time, an edition of the Comicon was inaugurated last year in the city of Bergamo, with an additional three days in addition to those scheduled during the traditional Neapolitan events, becoming part of the official program of the Italian Capital of Culture 2023.

Having surpassed an attendance of over 170,000 in the last edition, Comicon Napoli 2024 finally showed off the official poster created by Mike Del Mundo, one of the most well-known and acclaimed American illustrators of the moment who has become famous thanks to his collaborations in Marvel comic series like “X-Men”, “Avengers”, “Electra” and much more.

Replacing the role of Giorgio Cavazzano - who took his place as Magister in the previous editions of Naples and Bergamo - we will find Igort: one of the most recognized Italian cartoonists, directors and publishers in the European context, who grew up between Japanese and Soviet cultures to give life to one absolutely unmistakable artistic style that combines the graphic novel with graphic journalism.

For the first time in Italy, among the personalities involved for the occasion will also be welcomed the composer Hitoshi Sakimoto, author of over 180 albums and soundtracks for video games, including those of the very famous Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy XII. For this extraordinary event, the Comicon will celebrate the figure of the maestro with a themed concert in collaboration with the Scarlatti Junior Orchestra.

And the appeal will not be missed - also in this case for the first time in our country - the cartoonist John Romita Jr, illustrator and cover artist who has collaborated on projects such as "Spider-Man", "Uncanny X-Men", "Daredevil: The Man Without Fear” and the exceptional “The Preacher”, winning the coveted Eisner Glenn Fabry Award.

The first exhibitions scheduled will be Mike Del Mundo themed: in the category "The Mundo of Mike" we will delve into the artistic experience of the poster artist chosen for this edition. Obviously there will also be no shortage of "Magister 2024" themed events, which in the context of "Landscapes of memory. History and fiction in Igort's comics" will allow us to observe more closely the visionary paths of the Sardinian cartoonist.

Ticket and season ticket sales are available on the ticket.comicon.it website.

«COMICON Napoli 2024 – explains the artistic director Matteo Stefanelli – will be an edition destined to shuffle new cards. Both in languages and in the cultural geographies of creativity. We start with a handful of protagonists of global pop culture, in an original cross between the imagery and styles of Italy, Japan and the United States, while we prepare to announce other projects in collaboration with South Korea and China. The objective is to present to the Italian public how new technological or artistic trends dialogue with tradition: video games with classical music or techno, digital comics with painting or street art, Italian journalism with Central European or American literature , advertising with drawing. I therefore welcome – continues Stefanelli – John Romita Jr. and Glenn Fabry, both for the first time in Naples. And I am particularly honored to host maestro Sakimoto for the first time in Italy, with a unique concert in the history of the festival. Finally, I am grateful to Mike Del Mundo for the suggestive energy of his poster, and to Igort, standard-bearer of European comics, for having agreed to create the Magister 2024 Program with his vision of a traveler without borders".

Giovanni Scanu

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