Following the announcement of appearances by three global comic stars from the American continent—Terry Moore, Jim Mahfood, and Sean Kristal—the Herceg Novi Comics Festival (HSF) continues to unveil world-renowned figures of comic art who will be special guests at this year’s 20th edition of one of the world’s leading events dedicated to the ninth art.
At this jubilee edition of HSF, taking place from September 4 to 9—and, unlike many other events, maintaining a consistent and continuous schedule as it is always held on the first Friday of September—three outstanding women from the world of comics will also appear as special guests: Greek artist Dani and Italian artists Luana Vecchio and Katia Vecchio.
We are especially pleased to announce the participation of the remarkable Dani, an artist who had long tried to align her schedule with our festival and has finally succeeded for this anniversary edition. Born in Athens, she graduated in sculpture from the School of Fine Arts in her hometown, after which she began her professional career as a comic artist, collaborating with major global publishers such as 2000AD, IDW Publishing, Vault Comics, Titan Comics, and AWA Studios.
Working with writer Dan Watters, she illustrated Arkham City: The Order of the World for the publishing giant DC Comics, after which the same creative team produced Coffin Bound for Image Comics. She continued her successful career with The Low, Low Woods, written by Carmen Maria Machado for Hill House, and Athanasia with Daniel Kraus for Vault. In 2015, she won the “Reader’s Choice” award in Greece for her comic Tales from the Strips.
Luana Vecchio is an Italian author known for her vivid use of color and a drawing style inspired by Japanese manga, blending eroticism with horror. She first gained attention with a short comic created for Millarworld Annual 2017 by Image Comics, after which she released her breakout hit Lovesick, a work that defined her career.
She went on to collaborate with writer Wyatt Kennedy on projects such as Something for Your M.I.N.D. for Heavy Metal Magazine, as well as Bolero for Image Comics. Image later reissued Lovesick, whose success led to a continuation of the series, with new installments further confirming her status as one of the most sought-after young artists on the American market. She has also worked for DC Comics on titles featuring Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy from the Batman universe. Additionally, she has expanded the Lovesick universe through spin-off stories such as Doll Parts: A Lovesick Tale, exploring the character of Domina.
Katia Vecchio is another major figure in Italian and international comics, known for her work with leading American publishers. Her distinctive style has attracted the attention of key industry players, earning her the opportunity to illustrate Painted for Humanoids, followed by Silver Vessels for Mad Cave Studios and Heart & Sin for Heavy Metal.
Her modern and widely acclaimed style has drawn interest from major publishing houses, and her upcoming title Memories of Giselle—for which she is both writer and artist—will be published under the Image Comics imprint on June 17, 2026, just in time for its premiere at the 20th Herceg Novi Comics Festival.
In this milestone year, marking the 20th edition of the Herceg Novi Comics Festival, the presence of these six special guests—alongside the world’s leading comic creators who will once again gather in Herceg Novi, as they do every September—combined with a top-tier music program, reaffirms the festival’s reputation as a true cultural phenomenon. There is also hope that it will finally receive official recognition as an event of national significance, a status it has undoubtedly deserved for many years.