The race to Comicon Napoli (April 28 – May 1, Mostra d'Oltremare) begins with the first announcements from the world of comics. It starts with three extraordinary international guests: the cartoonist and creative director of DC Jim Lee, the Eisner Award nominee Daniel Warren Johnson and the illustrator of the “New York Times” Brecht Vandenbroucke.
Equally anticipated are the first guests from Italy: the iconic Marvel and DC artist Simone Bianchi; and then Sio, Dado Fraffrog, Keison who debut at Comicon with their new publishing house and creative studio: Gigaciao. There is no shortage of exhibitions that pay homage to some of these great artists: Jim Lee – The Italian Way. Comics, projects and experiences lived in Italy; Brecht Vandenbroucke. Shady stories; Simone Bianchi.
Music of the Bodies. From the universe of cosplay come Lavlien and Wolfot. Jim Lee is a world-renowned comic book artist, writer, and editor, as well as publisher and creative director of DC Comics – a division of Warner Bros. Discovery – and is one of the most revered and respected artists in American comics, known for his detailed and dynamic style. He began his career at Marvel Comics, where his work on X-Men continues to hold the all-time sales record for single-issue sales. Prior to his current role at DC, he was the editorial director of WildStorm Studios and the artist of many of DC Comics' best-selling comic books and graphic novels.
He oversaw the launch of Sony Online Entertainment's massively multiplayer action video game DC Universe Online as Executive Creative Director. Lee has received numerous awards, including the Harvey Special Award for New Talent. In 2003, Lee was a guest at Comicon and began a long residency in Italy during which he gained many creative experiences that represented a turning point, both in his career and in that of other great Italian comic artists such as Giuseppe Camuncoli and Matteo Casali.
That period, culminating with the creation of Batman: Europa, is the focus of the exhibition Jim Lee – The Italian Way. Comics, projects and experiences lived in Italy, which pays homage to Lee's Italian experience, conceived together with his colleagues of the time, with original tables, sketches, photographs, behind the scenes and even some projects born in that special year, which have remained unpublished and never seen before.
Coming directly from Chicago is Daniel Warren Johnson, one of the great – and most energetic – names in American comics of the decade, who has received several Eisner Award nominations thanks to his work as an illustrator and cover artist (but also scriptwriter) for the most important American comic book publishers, such as: Marvel Comics, DC Comics and Image Comics.
The author will preview not only the ultimate edition of his cult metal Murder Falcon, but also the most recent series Do a Powerbomb! with Mike Spicer, an adrenaline-filled declaration of love for wrestling, both published in Italy by saldaPress. Among the new great talents under 40 in European illustration, published by “New York Times” and “Vice”, established in comics with his satire on the art of White Cube, Brecht Vandenbroucke has created one of the most iconic protagonists of humorous comics in recent years: Shady.
The works of the Belgian artist deal with irreverent irony and lightning-fast satire on themes ranging from technology to art, from sexuality to racism, alternating comical contexts with more dramatic ones through the encounter between the tradition of Flemish art, the influences of surrealism and pop culture. The exhibition Brecht Vandenbroucke. Shady stories brings together a selection of his paintings, illustrations and original plates from the book Shady published in Italy by Rulez and previewed at Comicon 2023.
Simone Bianchi, known throughout the world thanks to his works first for DC Comics and then exclusively with Marvel for over a decade, has become a protagonist of international superhero publishing thanks to his pictorial and detailed style. At Comicon he will be present with a stand and with the exhibition Simone Bianchi. The music of the bodies the artist exhibits a vast selection of his drawings inspired by his passion for music, which constitutes a common thread in his harmonious depiction of bodies in action, and which has seen him collaborate with big names in the Italian and international music scene such as Smashing Pumpkins, Caparezza, Tool, 99 Posse and several heavy metal bands such as Vision Divine or Labyrinth. One of the most anticipated projects of 2023 in the worlds of Comics and Animation officially debuts at Comicon.
This is Gigaciao, a publishing house and creative studio of graphics and animation founded by Sio, Dado, Fraffrog and Keison, four authors who are a point of reference in publishing, social media and web marketing. Gigaciao has chosen to be at Comicon with its first stand and its first editorial novelty. And that's not all: in the coming weeks Gigaciao and Comicon will announce all the paper and pixel gigasurprises. Finally, a couple of professional cosplayers for over ten years and among the most loved in Europe, Lavlien and Wolfot have participated, also as judges, in numerous events in Japan, Spain, Germany, Norway and have become famous thanks to their extraordinary cosplay interpretations of Eren and Levi from Attack on Titan.
They take care of the entire production of their cosplays: from the creation of costumes to the study and creation of makeup and hair; from the creation of concepts and stories to the production of props and scenography; up to the photo shoot and post-production. A rare mix of talents and skills that has made them among the most followed protagonists of the international cosplay scene. Lavlien and Wolfot will be at Comicon to perform, participate in a talk and meet fans.
Article published on 15 February 2023 - 18:01
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