The Herceg Novi Comic Festival (HSF) continues to push boundaries, reaffirming each year the quality that has, over its previous 18 editions, placed it among the very top European events dedicated to the ninth art. Staying true to this tradition, the upcoming edition—which will be held from September 5th to 10th across more than ten locations in Herceg Novi and the Bay of Kotor—will host among its special guests the acclaimed American artist Khary Randolph and the superstar of British comics and film art Mark Simpson, better known as Jock.

Khary Randolph is an artist known for his dynamic style inspired by Japanese manga and hip hop. His unique visual language has enabled him to work for over two decades with the world’s leading comic publishers, as well as major media companies like 20th Century Fox, Netflix, ESPN, and Nickelodeon, and with creators of video games and trading cards such as Epic Games and Upper Deck. His first major title was with MARVEL on Spider-Man, after which he joined the Batman universe at DC Comics, working on series like “We Are Robin” and “Robin War.” He has created numerous covers for Batman titles and has also contributed to titles like Teen Titans and Justice League. Notably, Randolph’s work for the independent publisher Image Comics stands out, where he had the creative freedom to develop successful titles such as “Excellence,” as well as drawing the legendary Spawn and the highly popular “Tech Jacket.” For Boom Studios, he worked on series like “City Sirens” and “Born Among the Stars,” for Aspen on “Charismagics,” for Epic on “Dreamwalker,” and for Black Mask, he has created a large number of comic book covers.

It’s worth mentioning that Randolph’s piece “Cell Phone: Invisible Connection,” created together with his wife, renowned writer Joanne Starer—who will also be attending the festival in Herceg Novi—was a central part of a major exhibition at the Smithsonian Museum in the USA.

In addition, HSF announced that after Hollywood and the legendary writer Scott Snyder prevented Jock from coming to Herceg Novi last year due to the filming of their major comic hit “Wytches,” this year Jock will be among the twelve special guests at this celebration of the ninth art. Let’s recall that this brilliant artist began his career with the leading British publisher 2000 AD, drawing famous characters like Judge Dredd, Tor Cyan, and Lenny Zero, which led him to work for the American giant DC Comics on prestigious titles like Hellblazer, The Losers, Green Arrow, and Batman. It was his work on Batman that secured him status as one of the world’s top comic stars. He has drawn this hero in the regular Batman series, as well as in series like Detective Comics, All Star Batman, The Batman Who Laughs, and numerous standalone stories. Jock has also stood out for his work at Marvel on titles like X-Men and Wolverine, and for the leading independent publisher Image Comics on the aforementioned “Wytches.” His distinctive style has made him one of the most celebrated cover artists, creating iconic covers for titles such as Batman, Superman, Daredevil, Swamp Thing, Hulk, American Vampire, Venom, and Scalped. Just last week, his cover for the legendary “Detective Comics #880” sold for an astonishing $288,000! He has won numerous international awards for his comic work and has also made his mark in film production, contributing significantly to Hollywood blockbusters like Hancock, Battleship, Children of Men, Dredd, Batman Begins, X-Men: Days of Future Past, and Ex Machina.

The presence of Randolph and Jock at the festival this September—together with the already announced Eduardo Risso from Argentina and French artists François Boucq, Tristoon, and Jean-Charles Poupard, as well as Italian artists Maria Laura Sanapo, Marco Santucci, and Valeria Burzo—guarantees that this year’s list of special guests will once again confirm the outstanding reputation that the Herceg Novi Comic Festival enjoys in European and global circles. It is also worth noting that from Italy come the creators of this year’s main illustration, Oscar Scalco and Anna Lazzarini, along with this year’s masterclass storyboard instructor, the brilliant Davide De Cubellis, and Cosimo Miorelli and Stefano Bechini, who will present the multimedia spectacle “Moby Dick City Blues” as part of the Creative Europe project “Comics Beyond,” realized in partnership with Napoli Comicon, the Belgian Comic Strip Center in Brussels, and the festivals in Amiens (France) and Amadora (Portugal). HSF also announced that in the coming days they will release the complete list of the usual twelve special guests and the final festival program including music guests.

With all the special guests, returning artists, and new faces coming on their own initiative, it can be said that so many world-renowned authors coming to Herceg Novi make this year’s HSF the strongest ever—just as the audience expects. With this announcement, and along with more than a hundred of the greatest artists of the ninth art who return each year to Montenegro for their favorite festival, in its nineteenth edition, the Herceg Novi Comic Festival continues to live up to the title of a cultural phenomenon—a title given to it by global artists during their visits to Herceg Novi. It also hopes, finally, to be officially recognized as an Event of National Importance, a status it has undoubtedly deserved for many years.