The world’s comic book elite will once again gather in Montenegro this September, in Herceg Novi, for the jubilee 20th edition of the Herceg Novi Comic Book Festival (HSF). The event, which has for years carried — and lived up to — the reputation of a “cultural miracle,” will once again push the boundaries with its programme. Audiences can look forward to meeting more than 200 guests from around twenty countries, live drawing sessions for fans, comic book fairs, workshops, presentations by local and international artists, a top-class music programme, and all of this at as many as 16 locations across the Bay of Kotor.
The jubilee edition will officially open tomorrow, September 4, at Belavista, with one of the most prominent names on today’s comic book scene, Alan Ford writer Ricardo Secchi, announced at today’s press conference.
The programme for the six days ahead was presented by the organisers, Jovan Subotić and Nebojša Mandić, while three special guests, US comic book stars Shawn Crystal, Terry Moore and Jim Mahfood, shared their impressions upon arriving in Herceg Novi and their expectations for the festival.
“We are about to celebrate the 20th edition of the favourite celebration of the ninth art in this part of the world. The fact that it is the favourite is not something I say myself — it is something these people who arrived yesterday, all the way from the United States, have already confirmed. They have already fallen in love with our festival, our country and this city,” said Nebojša Mandić.
He announced the programme of the official opening ceremony, which begins at 8 p.m. He stressed that the programme has been designed to give Montenegrin artists the opportunity to perform alongside comic book and music legends.
“We will have a performance by the Đenović Local Music Band, which will perform several songs specially adapted for this occasion. This will be followed by the opening of the exhibitions at the Josip Bepo Benković Gallery — works by the special guests will be displayed on the first floor, while the second floor will feature works by young comic book creators from Montenegro. We will then head down to the fantastic concert at Forte Mare Fortress, where the local band NeoNoeN will perform first, followed by the iconic rock band Partibrejkers,” Mandić announced.
Jovan Subotić emphasised that preparations for the jubilee edition had been underway throughout the past year, and expressed his gratitude to the many friends and sponsors who have supported HSF. As he noted, after 19 outstanding editions, it was not easy to make this jubilee edition equally strong and distinctive, but they had the best possible foundation for doing so: the positive experiences of the comic book artists and audiences who have placed their trust in the festival over all these years.
“We are aware of our role as the largest festival in the region. We are aware that we have to be the flagship of the Montenegrin comic book scene. That is why, at the opening, we have an exhibition where our young authors — and you will see that they have a lot to offer — will present their work alongside some of the biggest international stars,” said Subotić.
Alongside the 12 comic book stars who are this year’s special guests, the Festival will welcome a host of outstanding artists, many of whom have already taken part in the Herceg Novi comic book event several times. They are coming from numerous countries, including the United States, Mexico, Italy, France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Greece and Russia, as well as Poland for the first time, together with artists from all countries of the region.
“We have great masters such as Tony Sandoval and William Simpson; Frances Portela and Fernando Dagnino are returning, as are Sarah Burini, Marcello Mangiantini, Luka Strati, Ilias Kyriazis and Jean-Charles Poupard,” said Subotić, adding that representatives of major publishing houses will also be among the guests.
HSF is a driving force behind the comic book scene in Montenegro, and is responsible for the ninth art having a place in a country where not a single comic book is currently being published, which has neither a dedicated comic book magazine nor an official school of comics, Subotić said. He added that a comic book school will soon be established in Podgorica, run by people who got their start at this festival and who are now internationally recognised Montenegrin artists.
“After HSF and the success of this festival, a comic book scene emerged in Montenegro as well. There had always been activities on a smaller scale, but today children see comics as something very interesting and meaningful, as a way to express themselves, and they have been given the opportunity to present their work — and to do so before the best audience you could possibly imagine in the region,” Subotić said.
He also noted that, alongside numerous locations in Herceg Novi, as well as in Tivat and on Lovćen, HSF will this year also be held in Risan, thereby encompassing all three towns of the Bay of Kotor, which he sees as “a foundation for an even better and greater transformation of the festival in the future.”
“Our regional scene initially mentioned, somewhat tentatively, and later insisted that this festival should become a festival for the entire Bay of Kotor. The Bay of Kotor is so beautiful that it would be a shame to focus on just one place — we should show people all of it,” said Subotić.
He recalled that the Festival’s expansion to new locations began with boat rides and the “Comics in a Bottle” initiative, which has since become a tradition. The festival then reached Luštica, followed by cooperation with the Municipality of Tivat starting in 2017, a cable car ride to Njeguši, and this year, live drawing for fans will also be organised in Risan, in cooperation with the local community and the Municipality of Kotor.
American Comic Book Stars in Herceg Novi: HSF Connects Artists and Audiences
The world’s comic book elite will once again bring energy, creativity and the spirit of the global comic book community to Herceg Novi. Among the many international guests are prominent figures from the American comic book scene, who have expressed their enthusiasm for the atmosphere, hospitality and significance of the festival.
“I am incredibly excited. I love seeing comic book art celebrated all over the world, and I love festivals like this that bring creators from all corners of the planet together in one place. The opportunity to talk to one another — those of us coming from America and our colleagues from other countries — is one of the most valuable experiences in life for me as an artist. It is fascinating to learn how comic book creators work in different cultures and what we can offer one another. This is a wonderful opportunity for me to learn and grow, but also to spread the ‘gospel of comics’ to a new community,” said Shawn Crystal, an artist who has worked for major international publishers such as Marvel and DC.
Eisner Award winner Terry Moore, the recipient of the most prestigious award in the world of comics, said that his journey from Houston to Herceg Novi had been an easy one, and expressed his great pleasure at being part of this year’s programme.
“The beautiful thing about comic book festivals like this is that, when we are working on our books back home, we are actually like little isolated islands. Our work requires solitude, silence and complete dedication to creating our own worlds. In the process, I often lose touch with my colleagues until we meet at events like this. Then we all come out of our ‘caves’, and it is truly wonderful to see other creators again and spend time together. It inspires us and gives us a chance to catch up on what we have missed — just as the audience and comic book fans here get to spend time with us,” Moore said.
The spirit of community and connection through art was particularly emphasised by Jim Mahfood, who stressed that comics bring people together regardless of geographical and cultural differences. The artist, who among other projects worked on characters for the Academy Award-winning film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, thanked the organisers for inviting him to visit Montenegro, saying that he was deeply honoured to be a guest in Herceg Novi.
“When I travel, comics and art are my way of connecting with people. There are a lot of things in America today that distract people and pull them apart, creating confusion, but that doesn’t interest me — I want to discover what brings us together. After doing this professionally for almost 30 years, I’ve realised that comics and art are my safety net and my best connection to other people. You can meet a complete stranger, but as soon as you realise that you share a passion for art, comics or old movies, an immediate connection is created. That is exactly what I expect from my time here: meeting new people, having fun, drawing for the audience and enjoying good company,” Mahfood concluded.
Admission to all programmes is free of charge, and the organisers encourage visitors to arrive on time and secure their places, as capacity is limited and audience interest is enormous.