Lucca Comics and Games 2016

The International Comics and Games Festival in Lucca celebrates 50 years!

From 28 October 2016 to 01 November 2016

Preparations are underway for the new edition of the popular Lucca Comics and Games Festival. During the 'Lucca Comics 2016' dates - from 28 October to 1 November - the historic town of Lucca will turn into a magical realm inhabited by strange characters. You can watch fights between legendary samurai, have your photograph taken with Hallo Kitty, the cute Lupin, the protagonists of the most popular cartoon characters or see elves and fairies chasing and play jokes. It is not a dream ... it is the incredible atmosphere offered by the Lucca Comics and Games Festival 2016, which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary, and the many events organized for the occasion.

But what is the Lucca Comics and Games Festival and how did it begin? Since 1995 it has been considered one of the most prestigious festivals of Comics for games, cinema and illustrations, recognised at an internationally level. The Lucca Comics and Games Festival attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world every year. Over the years the fair Lucca Comics has become the most important event of its kind in Europe, while, globally, occupies the third place, surpassed only by the famous Comitek in Tokyo and from Comic-On in San Diego, California.

In fact, the origins of the International Lucca Comics Festival date back to 1966, when the Tuscan city hosted the International Exhibition of Comics: the experience turned out very positive, a cultural association started out with a private nature which for years took care of organizing the event which gained an incredible success year after year.

1990 was a momentous year for the show because it was transformed from a free public event to a charged one with the obligation to purchase a ticket. An area was introduced for role-playing games, board, card and video games: hence the decision to change the name of the event that, in 1995, became 'Lucca Comics and Games Festival', still in use today.

The Lucca Comics and Games Festival continues to expand its horizons with new initiatives and events: exhibitions, competitions, tournaments, role playing games, such as cosplay - the art of interpreting a known character wearing a costume and imitating the behaviour of the characters - workshops, meetings and discussions with authors, that have greatly enriched the program of the Lucca Comics, making the event even more magical and spectacular.

There are great expectations for the Lucca Comics 2016: dates and Lucca Comics 2016 program have now been disclosed and this year the festival promises to be as exciting as ever and therefore should not be missed! '....

Gold 'will be the title of this edition:' gold 'because it is a precious achievement and a very important anniversary!

At Comics Lucca 2016 participating guests will delight the audience by explaining their work and signing autographs.

Three Italians: Casty - nom de plum Andrea Castellan- unmistakable author of Mickey, Andrea Sorrentino, since 2015 tied to Marvel by an exclusivity agreement and currently involved in the revival of the 'Old Man Logan' series starring 'Wolverine' and Zerocalcare, author of this year's poster.

The cartoonists Franck Cho, creator of the famous Liberty strip Meadows, and Brandon Graham, who has captured the attention of the audience with Image Comics Prophet, will arrive from the United States.

Lucca Comics and Games 2016 will also present the eccentric Spanish author Joan Cornellà (real name Renato Valdivieso), Scotsman Mark Millar, one of the most popular writers of comic books of the last two decades currently creative consultant for Fox Studios in their new productions Marvel and Croatian Goran Parlov who, after working for Sergio Bonelli Editore drawing the legendary Tex, went to work for the American market.

At the Lucca Comics and Games Festival 2016 the events organized on the occasion of the comics festival Italy 2016 will range from music to photography, from art to cinema and parades to cosplay competitions. This year, ample space will be given to the exhibitions hosted at the Doge's Palace in Lucca:

• A memorable exhibition is dedicated to the author of the poster of the Lucca Comics 2016, the cartoonist Michael Rech, nicknamed in Zerocalcare. The Staffieri Hall will host the original drawings of the most memorable stories from his blog and some graphic novels, in addition to a careful selection of its first underground works.

• Scheduled at Lucca Comics 2016 is also an unmissable exhibition of Frank Cho, self-taught author with a very particular style characterized by anthropomorphic animals and curvy pin-ups. On display a selection of his best work in comics and some paintings dedicated to women, its main source of inspiration.

• The exhibition also features the surreal world of Joan Cornellà, controversial author who has turned the surreal and the grotesque into his trademark. His speechless short stories juxtapose strong signs and bold colors to adult and often violent themes, a striking and fascinating. Cornellà is also very popular on the web: his facebook profile has reached the 'like' threshold of 4 million.

• 'The Disney World between tradition and innovation' is the title of Casty's exhibition who, after producing some of Lupo Alberto and Cattivik stories, arrives at Disney for which, over the years, has worked both as a cartoonist and as a songwriter, becoming the undisputed number one of the Mickey Mouse comics. The exhibition at Lucca Comics 2016, aims to highlight how his narrative and graphics are able to blend tradition and modernity.

After the extraordinary success during the last edition, Japan Town is back: in Lucca, the district of San Francisco will be entirely dedicated to the fantastic Japanese world with action figures, colourful cosplay costumes, meetings and workshops with important guests. Among the new features of this year it is worth mentioning the Japan Academy, in the Canova Hall, which will host educational and technical training courses.

So, why wait any longer to purchase your Lucca Comics 2016 tickets, one of the most anticipated Lucca events in 2016? From 28 October to 1 November Lucca will become the metropolis of entertainment where, for a few days, everyone can escape from everyday reality to assume the role of superheroes, knights, fairies, cartoon characters and other original and quirky characters.

For the Lucca Comics 2016 tickets can be purchased in advance from 5 September, while the office of the Lucca Comics will open on site from the beginning of October.

Book one of our magnificent hotels in Lucca and get carried away by the sparkling atmosphere of one of the most anticipated Lucca events in 2016 in Tuscany. In addition, on our website toscanainside.com you will find many exciting tours that will take you to discover the beauty of Tuscany...We are waiting for you!

Lucca events in 2016 presents the LUCCA COMICS AND GAMES FESTIVAL 2016!

LOCATION: Lucca historic centre and Doge's Palace

LUCCA COMICS DATES: October 28 to November 1, 2016