Exactly three months remain until the start of the 19th Herceg Novi Comic Festival, which will take place from September 5 to 10 at various locations across Herceg Novi and the Bay of Kotor. This is the perfect time to continue announcing special guests of the region’s most important comic book event. Following the excellent 10th Herceg Novi Comic Weekend and the presentation of the reborn Heavy Metal Magazine, the world’s most influential comic publication, the HSF team has announced that this year’s special guests representing Italy—one of the most influential countries in the field of comics in the region—will be Maria Laura Sanapo, Marco Santucci, and Valeria Burzo.
Maria Laura Sanapo is an exceptional artist whose career has been largely tied to the American market, primarily working with publishing giant DC Comics. She has illustrated titles such as Wonder Woman and Green Lantern, and has also contributed to Bettie Page, Red Sonja, Vampirella, Betty & Veronica, and Archie for publishers including Dynamite, Zenescope, Titan Comics, Archie Comics, and Valiant. She also teaches at the School of Comics in Florence.
Marco Santucci began his professional career at just sixteen years old and has since built what can only be described as a legendary career. Starting with Mister No and continuing with Dampyr, he soon moved on to illustrate the iconic Italian western Tex Willer. His talent quickly opened doors to international markets; for Marvel he worked on Spider-Man, X-Factor, and Captain America, before teaming up with French writer Sylvain Cordurié on Mandragore for the Franco-Belgian market. He continues to work with major global publishers such as Dynamite, Titan, and DC Comics, contributing to titles like Red Sonja, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Justice League, and many more.
Valeria Burzo, from Naples, holds a degree in Design and Applied Arts from the Academy of Fine Arts. Her outstanding drawing talent naturally led her to a successful comic book career spanning over a decade. She has illustrated The Prague Kabbalist for French publisher Glénat, The Last Hedgehog for Marotta & Cafiero, Tom Bacardi Investigations for Inkiostro, Samuel Stern for Bugs, Witches of World War II for TKO Studios, Soul Grabber for Mad Cave, and The Hunt for the Skinwalker for Boom. Notably, she worked with comic legend Mike Mignola, creator of Hellboy, illustrating Castle Full of Blackbirds for American publisher Dark Horse. Valeria also contributes to various comic anthologies and is considered one of the most relevant contemporary comic artists in Europe.
Italy will also be represented by Oscar Scalco and Anna Lazzarini, authors of the festival’s main illustration, as well as Davide De Cubellis, this year’s masterclass instructor in storyboarding. Through partnerships with Napoli Comicon, the Comic Art Museum in Brussels, and the festivals in Amiens, France and Amadora, Portugal—within the Creative Europe project Comics Beyond—audiences in Herceg Novi will also experience the multimedia spectacle Moby Dick City Blues by Cosimo Miorelli and Stefano Bechini.
With the return of familiar faces, the arrival of new guests, and an unprecedented Italian presence, it’s safe to say that the Italian comic scene will be more prominently represented than ever before in Herceg Novi—and the HSF stronger than ever, just as the audience expects.