The 20th anniversary edition of the Herceg Novi Comic Festival (HSF) is bringing the entire Bay of Kotor together — yesterday, the comic caravan reached Tivat and travelled by cable car to Lovćen, the day culminated in a concert on the steps of Herceg Novi, and today, for the first time, comic book masters will draw for fans in Risan.

The festival caravan began its journey yesterday in Tivat, at Magnolia Square, continuing HSF’s already traditional collaboration with the municipality. Fans of the ninth art took the opportunity to meet the Festival’s special guests, with free live drawing for fans, a rich comic book fair and an environmental promotional programme.

Another highlight of this year’s Festival followed in the afternoon, when the comic caravan took the cable car up to Lovćen. In a unique setting, at one of the most beautiful viewpoints in Montenegro, creators and visitors enjoyed drawing in the open air and a DJ session until sunset.

The music programme featured one of the most influential bands on Belgrade’s alternative scene, Kanda, Kodža i Nebojša, who performed on the packed 28 October Stairway, next to L’Etage Café and Got Pub, bringing another eventful and dynamic day of the anniversary HSF to a close.

Barry Kitson, a living comic book legend and British artist who has worked on virtually every major title in the ninth art, is delighted by the Festival’s extraordinary setting and organisation.

“This is an incredibly fun event. Everyone has been wonderful to us, and the organisers are doing a fantastic job. The atmosphere is extremely friendly and we’re having a great time. The city is beautiful, and now we’re up in the mountains, which are equally enchanting — this is a fantastic place to visit. I only wish it were a little cooler. It’s wonderful to see people I’ve met in different countries all gathered in one place here in Montenegro,” says Kitson.

The unique combination of the Bay of Kotor’s natural beauty and the Festival’s relaxed atmosphere is also highlighted by Katia Vecchio, another special guest and a star of the Italian and international comics scene, known for her work with major American publishers.

“I’m really impressed by the view and by the setting in which the Festival takes place. This is completely different from the usual festivals around the world. The atmosphere is wonderful; I literally feel as though I’m on holiday. I’ve met numerous Italian and American comic book artists, and I’m a fan of some of the creators I’ve had the chance to meet here,” says Vecchio.

The importance of the Festival for the development of the local scene and its support for artists in Montenegro was particularly emphasised by Montenegrin comic book artist and illustrator Luka Cakić, who says HSF continues to push boundaries year after year.

“This is a festival that is fantastic every year and constantly growing. It leaves me breathless. As an artist, it means a great deal to me that every year I get to meet new creators and make new contacts. That is extremely important for my work, but also for our culture and the ninth art in Montenegro,” says Cakić.

He adds that the Festival gave him the opportunity to meet American artists Shawn Crystal and Jim Mahfood, as well as reunite with his longtime inspiration William Simpson, who has had a tremendous influence on his career.

“The regional comics scene is quite good and strong, especially from the perspective of artists working in the Balkans. I have to say that it is least developed in Montenegro, because of the lack of publishers and the fact that we have only one comic book shop. We are still pioneers in creating the ninth art. The crowning achievement of that work is the Herceg Novi Comic Festival, and together with HSF, we are moving towards something better,” Cakić says.

HSF Comes to Risan for the First Time

As part of its tour around the Bay of Kotor, the Herceg Novi Comic Festival arrives in Risan today. From 2 p.m., comic book fans in this historic Boka town will have the opportunity to meet the stars of the ninth art in the shade of the park, receive drawings from them and add new titles from regional publishers to their collections.

As is tradition, the penultimate day of the ninth art festival is also reserved for “Comics in a Bottle.” Cruising through the Bay, the Festival’s guests will create an illustration or comic, place their drawings in several glass bottles and throw them into the sea, hoping they will eventually reach some curious resident of the Adriatic coast.

The music programme of the anniversary edition of HSF will conclude tonight with Boka All Star, the Festival’s resident band, featuring Marko Vlahović, Dragan Ivanović, Martin Đorđević, Goran Milojević and Miodrag Šule Jovović. As is tradition, they will perform in the amphitheatre of the Herceg Novi Theatre, behind the Park Hall, with Seagulls opening the funk-soul party. The concert starts at 9 p.m.

Admission to all programmes is free, and the organisers encourage visitors to arrive early and secure their place, as capacity is limited and audience interest is extremely high.

The full programme is available on the Festival website: stripfestival.me