Lucca Comics & Games: A place for dialogue and differences

Lucca Comics & Games 2023 has sawed 314,220 tickets sold, 15,000 accredited professionals, 700 exhibitors, the hundreds of guests present from all over the world (from Asia to South America, to the United States, passing through Europe). Among the international personalities who arrived at Lucca Comics & Games to promote their work and meet fans were the Oscar winner Michel Gondry, comics legend Frank Miller, Marvel Editor-in-Chief C.B Cebulski, Chief Creative Officer of DC Comics Jim Lee, actor and D&D master Joe Manganiello, writer of The Boys and Preacher Garth Ennis, Warhammer/Games Workshop Founder and author Sir Ian Livingstone.

Adding their handprints to this year’s Lucca ‘Walk of Fame‘ were Japanese Manga artist and musician Naoki Urasawa, Jim Lee, Hiro Mashima, Garth Ennis, Usamaru Furuya, Sir Ian Livingstone, Max Pezzali.

Emanuele Vietina, director of Lucca Comics & Games: “The ability to incorporate the complexities of contemporary life into the festival is a sign of maturity and is one of the keys to the success of Lucca Comics & Games 2023. Complexities that we are proud to have faced led by universal values shared with our entire community. This edition marks a step of further growth, a new path that prepares us for the next editions with the certainty that hospitality, union, respect for the plurality of opinions and sensitivities are the pillars of an event that is and wants increasingly be a point of reference for the sector at an international level and a comfortable place for everyone."

HIGHLIGHTED DONATIONS
This year's self-portraits were created by Frank Miller one of the biggest names in comics, and Luis Royo, the Spanish master of fantasy illustration, to whom the festival dedicated an exhibition this year at the Palazzo Ducale together with his son Romulo Royo. Both artists were special guests of Lucca Comics & Games 2023.

Director Eike Schmidt came to Lucca Comics & Games for the closing of the festival to reinforce the partnership that originated the gallery dedicated to comics which now lives in the permanent collection of the most famous museum in the world. “These splendid works – commented Schmidt – will be added to those already donated in previous years and which we are collecting at the Uffizi to make available to all”.

Among the 12 new rooms inaugurated last July on the first floor of the Uffizi Galleries, a section is dedicated to self-portraits of comics artists. The project was born in 2021 following the initiative "Comics in the museums" supported by the Ministry of Culture. The gallery came to life in collaboration with Lucca Comics & Games and already sees many big names such as: Milo Manara, Lorenzo Mattotti, Altan and Will Eisner.