Riccardo Secchi, writer of the cult comic book “Alan Ford” and one of the most prominent names on the contemporary European comic book scene, officially opened the 20th anniversary edition of the Herceg Novi Comic Festival (HSF) last night in Herceg Novi.

The opening ceremony at Belavista began with a performance by the Đenović Local Music Band, which played several pieces specially prepared for the occasion before a large audience.

An exhibition featuring works by the world’s leading comic book stars, who are special guests of the Festival, alongside works by young comic book creators from Montenegro, opened at the “Josip Bepo Benković” Gallery. The “Unfolding – Mileta Poštić” exhibition was also opened at the “Sue Ryder” Gallery.

The evening continued with a concert at Forte Mare Fortress, whose terrace proved too small to accommodate everyone who wanted to be part of the fantastic atmosphere. The local band NeonoeN performed first, followed by the iconic rock band Partibrejkers.

Riccardo Secchi thanked the organisers for the opportunity to open the Festival and for the attention devoted to “Alan Ford”, a publication that is part of his family’s story and has captivated audiences for decades, particularly in the Balkans, where the comic has enjoyed enormous popularity.

“Alan Ford” is not just a good comic book, but also a vision of life and the world, a way of understanding life that is, in a certain sense, unique to our two countries,” Secchi said.

He added that he had only been the writer of “Alan Ford” for a few months, but hoped that new stories would soon see the light of day and reach readers in the region. His wish is for the new episodes to surprise audiences while remaining faithful to the spirit and tradition of this important comic book.

For the eleventh consecutive year, one of the Festival’s many friends has been the Embassy of Italy in Montenegro, represented at the opening by Ambassador Laura Egoli.

“Italy was among the first countries to support this event, recognising from the very beginning its value and its ability to connect people, cultures and different forms of creativity. This connection has grown even stronger over the years, thanks also to the participation of prominent Italian authors. For example, Moreno Burattini, the first Italian comic book artist to take part in the Festival, and later Zerocalcare, one of the most original and recognisable voices on the contemporary scene. The presence of so many Italian authors here tonight is further evidence of how alive and significant this relationship remains,” Ambassador Egoli said.

As she noted, Italy has an exceptionally rich comic book tradition, with characters and series that have become part of the collective imagination, from “Tex Willer” and “Diabolik”, through “Dylan Dog” and “Mickey Mouse”, to new generations of authors and artists who continue to develop the medium’s forms and languages.

“Comics are an authentic vehicle of language and culture, capable of crossing borders, connecting people and different sensibilities, and recognising what unites us, even in the face of language barriers and any form of censorship which, unfortunately, still restricts freedom of thought in many countries. It is precisely the opportunity to promote and share the power of comics that makes a festival like this so valuable,” Egoli said.

One of the organisers, Nebojša Mandić, recalled that the first HSF was organised in 2007 by Herceg Novi artist Nikola Ćurčin, with the vision of creating a high-quality comic book festival in Herceg Novi that would bring together creators and fans of the art form.

Founded on a love of art, the city and the country, the event has grown over the past two decades, expanded across the Bay of Kotor and Mount Lovćen, become the flagship of Montenegro’s comic book scene and one of the most significant comic book festivals in this part of Europe.

“We have created something that means that today, in the small town of Herceg Novi, in the small country of Montenegro, we have an event that holds a very high position on the global map of the ninth art. This year we are bringing together more than 150 artists, and we have printed 300 accreditations for guests from 25 countries,” Mandić said.

Organiser Jovan Subotić stressed that over the years the Festival had achieved many things that had initially seemed like nothing more than dreams.

“We dreamed of having Milo Manara as a guest at our Festival — he came, and became our friend. We dreamed of having someone from ‘Alan Ford’ come — and he is here with us tonight. We dreamed of having Zerocalcare, perhaps the best-selling comic book author in Italian history, as our guest — and he came. They all fell in love with this Festival, this city and this country, and I hope that all of you have fallen in love with it just as much and that you will enjoy everything that awaits us over the next six days,” Subotić concluded.

The official opening was preceded by several daytime programmes, including a drawing school and comic book and illustration workshop for primary school pupils at the “Dašo Pavičić” school, as well as a comic book fair and the “Ecology and the Ninth Art” promotional programme at Nikola Đurković Square.

Saturday at HSF: Live Drawing in the City Centre, Jura Stublić and Film at Forte Mare

Saturday at HSF is traditionally reserved for the city centre. At the main town square, the Festival’s popular live drawing and T-shirt drawing programme will begin at 11 a.m., accompanied by a sales fair featuring new regional comic book releases and a programme promoting environmental awareness through comics. The musical programme will be provided by the DJ duo 2Beat.

The educational programme for younger visitors — a drawing school and comic book and illustration workshop for children over the age of 10 — will be held at the City Library on Belavista from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with free participation.

At 1 p.m., at Hotel Novi (formerly Lazarev vrt), on 28 October Stairway, a series of presentations by comic book creators will begin. Audiences will meet Riccardo Secchi, the new writer of “Alan Ford”, along with other special guests of the Festival and Montenegrin comic book creators.

The musical programme begins at 10 p.m. at Forte Mare Fortress, featuring Film, one of the key bands of the Yugoslav new wave, led by legendary frontman Jura Stublić, as well as San Gvida sa Hokaida, a band from the Bunt Rock Festival.

Today, Stublić and Film represent a journey through several stages of Yugoslav rock — from the explosion of the new wave and the legendary Kulušić venue, through the great albums of the 1980s, to songs that have continued to live on as part of the collective musical memory.

This year’s anniversary edition of HSF features a stellar line-up of more than 150 comic book artists and industry professionals, led by Riccardo Secchi and 12 additional special guests: Filipe Andrade (Portugal); Marco Castiello, Josephine Tomarchio, Katia and Luana Vecchio (Italy); Dani (Greece); Darick Robertson, Terry Moore, Jim Mahfood and Shawn Crystal (USA); and British artists Geoff Senior and Barry Kitson.

Admission to all programmes is free, and the organisers encourage visitors to arrive on time and secure their place, as capacities are limited and audience interest is enormous.

The complete programme is available on the Festival’s website: stripfestival.me