LUCCA COMICS & GAMES, A LEGACY THAT FUELS THE FUTURE
60th Anniversary Edition
Wednesday 28 October – Sunday 1 November 2026 | Lucca, Italy
Claudio Castellini signs the 60th-anniversary poster, themed Legacy, passing the baton to ten-year-old French award-winner Louise Stéphant, heir to Lucca’s legacy of stories and dreams.
Guests include Go Nagai, Frank Miller, Jonathan Hickman, Tillie Walden, Tōru Fujisawa, Yoshinori Kitase, Hideki Kamiya, Yōko Kanno and many more.
Two anniversary projects: the 8-bit game Luke & Clea: A Quest for Legacy and Legacy – The Exhibition.
30 years of Pokémon (Play Lab in a true “Pokémon gym”), the Lucca debut of POP Mart, and the Italianpremiere of Naruto Card Game.
Lucca, 23 June 2026 – Lucca Comics & Games is preparing to celebrate its 60th anniversary, together with its legendary community, from Wednesday 28 October to Sunday 1 November 2026.
Sixty years of history and creativity, diversity and inclusion, evolution and, above all, community. The “diamond” anniversary is not only a chance to celebrate the past, but a moment to understand what the festival has built with those who have lived it – and to discover, together, what comes next. For six decades, comics, gaming and the culture of the fantastic have been a gymnasium of the imagination for entire generations; that heritage of values, stories and dreams is the LEGACY of Lucca Comics & Games, the theme of this edition.
Legacy means heritage and the passing of the baton – but also, as in those board games where every move permanently changes the board, the idea that those who play today change how everyone plays tomorrow. Born in Italy in 1966 and now an excellence of Made in Italy, the festival has expanded beyond its borders into a place to meet, grow and play, united in diversity. It shares that ideal with the motto of the European Union: this edition is held under the patronage of the European Commission, placing Italy and Lucca’s global resonance at its centre. The 60th anniversary was presented this morning at a press conference at the Uffizi Galleries in Florence.
THE META-POSTER AND THE PASSING OF THE PENCIL
The official 60th-anniversary poster is signed by Claudio Castellini, an absolute master of international comics and a living embodiment of the festival’s history. Born in Rome in 1966 – the very year Lucca began – he made his name at Sergio Bonelli Editore on Dylan Dog and Nathan Never, before becoming the first Italian artist to work from Italy for Marvel USA, a pioneer of the so-called “Italian Invasion” and a winner of the Yellow Kid, Italy’s most important comics award. His poster is the first and only meta-poster in the festival’s history: a single, detail-rich image, full of symbolism, references and Easter eggs, that brings the protagonists of Lucca’s historic posters back on stage together.
Among them are Zerocalcare’s golden heroine “Lu”, who represents the community; Don Maitz’s Sandokan, a symbol of classic adventure; Phil Hale’s gorilla with a robot, standing for transformation; Ted Nasmith’s Lady Hope, a hopeful gaze toward the future; and Ciruelo’s dragon, which turns the city into a place of fantasy. At the centre, a giant superhero supports a little girl – the luminous protagonist of Michael Whelan’s poster – who raises her pencil: she is the new generation, the one who will draw what comes next.
With his Michelangelo-Esque touch for hands, Castellini also draws the gesture at the heart of this edition: an adult hand placing a pencil in a young hand – not an inheritance to be preserved, but a tool to be used. During the press conference he passed his pencil to Louise Stéphant, a ten-year-old French talent and two-time winner (2024 and 2025) of the Petit Fauve at the Festival International de la Bande Dessinée d’Angoulême, the competition that for decades has discovered new BD talents. She will sign the variant cover of the 2026 poster, to be unveiled at the opening on 28 October on the stage of the Teatro del Giglio Giacomo Puccini.
AN EXHIBITION DEDICATED TO CLAUDIO CASTELLINI: MASTERSTROKES
Renowned for his dynamic style and the extraordinary anatomical power of his figures, Castellini redefined the aesthetics of modern superhero storytelling. Held at the exhibition palace of the Fondazione Banca del Monte, Masterstrokes traces the key stages of his career through original pages: from his Bonelli beginnings on Nathan Never and Dylan Dog, to his historic Marvel and DC work on Silver Surfer, Conan and Batman, and the legendary Marvel vs. DC crossover. The show focuses on his study of chiaroscuro and the muscular plasticity that have made his work a global benchmark.
ANNIVERSARY PROJECTS & EXHIBITIONS
LUKE & CLEA – A QUEST FOR LEGACY
For its diamond anniversary, Lucca unlocks a new level with a fun 8-bit pixel game destined to become a cult title. With a style that pays homage to 1980s arcade gaming, Luke & Clea – A Quest for Legacy is a journey through the fantastic multiverse of Lucca Comics & Games, full of villains, Easter eggs and in-jokes to discover in order to “save” Lucca’s story. It is born from an idea by Emanuele Vietina, Francesco Bonturi and Sergio Algozzino; directed and drawn by Manuel Macchia (Game Director and Game Design), with programming and level design by Andrea Tognetti, visual, concept and sound design by Sergio Algozzino, pixel art by Andrea Putortì (Lead Artist and Lead Animator) and texts by Teo Benedetti. The music was created in collaboration with the Luigi Boccherini Conservatory of Music. The game arrives on 24 September 2026 – the exact day the festival began in 1966 – playable via app, with a final, surprising level unlocked on the opening day.
PALAZZO GUINIGI DEVOTES AN ENTIRE FLOOR TO LEGACY – THE EXHIBITION
An entire floor of the historic Palazzo Guinigi becomes a cultural platform with adaptive, permanent devices designed to evolve over time. It hosts the first major exhibition celebrating 60 years of Lucca Comics & Games, developed in partnership with POLI.design, the postgraduate centre founded by Politecnico di Milano. Like players of a legacy game, visitors will be able to intervene and “change” the exhibition permanently. From today, fans can answer a call to action by sending a video about their first Lucca, a selection of which will feature in the ever-changing My First Lucca area (link: https://bit.ly/4xEfXzQ).
FASTER THAN HIS SHADOW: 80 YEARS OF LUCKY LUKE
In 1946, on the pages of Journal de Spirou, a gunslinger capable of shooting faster than his own shadow made his debut. Eighty years later, Lucca Comics & Games is honored to celebrate the birthday of Lucky Luke, the legendary character born from the graphic and narrative genius of Morris.
Directly from the Master’s archives, visitors will be able to admire an extraordinary selection of original pages and historic covers showing the epic of the West from an absolutely unprecedented perspective. It will be a unique opportunity to meet again the horse Jolly Jumper, the “faithful” dog Rantanplan and the ever-returning Dalton brothers, as well as historical figures such as Jesse James, Billy the Kid and Calamity Jane: fictional heroes and real protagonists of the frontier, all seen through the distorting and ironic lens of the Author.
An exhibition route will lead visitors into the heart of the “comic western” invented by Morris, a genre that became a benchmark and an inexhaustible source of inspiration for comics, cinema and literature. The halls of Palazzo Guinigi will be transformed into the ideal setting where Native Americans, bandits, sheriffs, undertakers and saloon dancers welcome the public, transporting them directly into their fascinating world. We thank Le Éditions Dupuis, Philippe Blanckaert, Antoine Mathon, Fanny Blanckaert for the collaboration.
The Lucky Luke celebrations continue… Sergio Bonelli Editore is also celebrating the 80th anniversary of the famous cowboy Lucky Luke with a new adventure drawn by Giorgio Cavazzano with a story by Marco Nucci. An all-Italian tribute to the myth of the gunslinger created by Morris in 1946 will be available at Lucca Comics & Games 2026.
TILLIE WALDEN: TIME CAPSULE
A voice of Generation Z, American comics artist Tillie Walden has distinguished herself on the international scene through the maturity with which she addresses coming-of-age themes, the inventiveness with which she explores the potential of the comics language, and the sensitivity with which she tells delicate, intimate stories.
In Italy for the first time, the author will be at Lucca Comics & Games in collaboration with Bao Publishing from 28 October to 1 November.
Born in 1996, in 2018 she became one of the youngest winners of an Eisner Award with Spinning (Oscar INK), the autobiographical work that made her famous in Italy, centered on the world of skating and the search for one’s identity. In 2021, with Are You Listening? (Bao Publishing), she won another prestigious Eisner Award in the Best Graphic Novel category. With the young-adult Clementine trilogy, a spin-off of The Walking Dead (SaldaPress), she was selected for the Lucca Comics Awards in 2024. In September 2026, BAO Publishing will bring Charity and Sylvia to Italy, a graphic novel between fiction and history that tells the courage and challenges of two lesbian women in early-nineteenth-century Vermont.
The exhibition offers a detailed picture of the author’s stylistic evolution, focusing on the narrative use of color, the definition of settings and the complex psychological exploration of characters.
COMICS
Today’s first announcements shape an all-star team from nine countries across three continents – Japan, Korea, Taiwan, the USA, Canada, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria and Great Britain – each hosted with their Italian publishing partner.
FROM GRENDIZER (GOLDRAKE) TO THE DIVINE COMEDY: LEGEND GO NAGAI STARS AT LUCCA 60
On the 160th anniversary of Italy–Japan relations, Sensei Go Nagai – creator of Grendizer (Goldrake) and a pioneer who spread manga culture worldwide – is protagonist from 28 to 30 October, in collaboration with J-POP Manga. His manga adaptation of Dante’s Divine Comedy earned him the Pegaso for Culture, the highest honour of the Region of Tuscany.
TŌRU FUJISAWA, LEGENDARY AUTHOR OF G.T.O. AND G.T.U., IN ITALY FOR THE FIRST TIME
Celebrated for his humour and social satire, Tōru Fujisawa achieved worldwide success with G.T.O. – Great Teacher Onizuka and continues it with G.T.U.. In Italy for the first time, the Sensei will be at Lucca with Dynit Manga from 28 to 31 October.
FROM WEBTOON TO YELLOW KID: WELCOME TO JH
Jung Ji-hoon, known as JH, is one of the most important names in Korean webtoon. His work The Horizon earned a 2024 Eisner nomination and the Yellow Kid Comic of the Year at the Lucca Comics Awards 2025. With Gaijin (Renoir Comics), he presents daily the final volume of I Have Something to Tell You.
CHANG SHENG, THE TAIWANESE SPARK LIGHTING UP WORLD COMICS
Known for science-fiction and fantasy with hyper-realistic female protagonists, Taiwanese artist Chang Sheng is a double 2026 Eisner nominee – a first for an artist from Taiwan. Thanks to Toshokan, he is a guest from 28 October to 1 November.
THE RETURN OF THE MASTER: FRANK MILLER STARS AT LUCCA 60
A Will Eisner Hall of Fame member and Yellow Kid Master of Comics (2023), Frank Miller is a living legend and an ideal symbol of this edition’s theme. He will be present throughout the festival with Panini Comics; two of his landmarks also turn 40 this year, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and Daredevil: Born Again.
THE ARCHITECT OF MARVEL WORLDS: JONATHAN HICKMAN IN ITALY FOR THE FIRST TIME
A superstar of contemporary comics whose storytelling redefined modern superhero fiction (Fantastic Four, Avengers, X-Men, Secret Wars), Jonathan Hickman will be in Italy for the first time, with Panini Comics, from 28 October to 1 November.
PEACH MOMOKO: JAPAN MEETS THE MARVEL UNIVERSE
Peach Momoko has conquered the world with the “Momoko-verse”, reinterpreting the Marvel Universe through Japanese folklore. From 28 October to 1 November she is a guest with Panini Comics, with a stand in the Giglio pavilion, signings, panels and a special project to be revealed.
TIME, LOSS, EMOTION: PACO ROCA RETURNS TO LUCCA
A master of Spanish comics, Paco Roca won awards worldwide with Wrinkles (Rughe), adapted into an Oscar-nominated film. Yellow Kid Author of the Year in 2022, he returns with Tuné, the publisher of all his work in Italy, from 28 October to 1 November.
SETH IN ITALY FOR THE FIRST TIME… IT’S A GOOD LIFE, IF YOU DON’T WEAKEN
A master of North American comics on a par with Chris Ware and Daniel Clowes, Seth (Gregory Gallant) comes to Italy for the first time, with Coconino Press, to present the new edition of It’s a Good Life, If You Don’t Weaken.
BOUM: BLACK AND WHITE THAT SURPRISES THE SOUL (AND WINS AWARDS)
Canadian author and illustrator Boum won the 2025 Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material with The Jellyfish. Thanks to Tuné, she will meet readers at signings from 28 October to 1 November.
TILLIE WALDEN: TIME CAPSULE
A voice of Generation Z, American artist Tillie Walden is in Italy for the first time, with Bao Publishing, from 28 October to 1 November. One of the youngest Eisner winners (2018, Spinning) and again in 2021 (Are You Listening?), she brings Charity and Sylvia to Italy in September 2026. Her exhibition Time Capsule charts her stylistic evolution.
GARIBALDI IN COMICS: ALESSANDRO BARBERO LANDS IN LUCCA WITH DAVIDE SAVELLI AND IRIS BIASIO
A benchmark in historical storytelling, Alessandro Barbero enters comics. For the release of Garibaldi. The British Tour (Rizzoli Lizard), he will be at Lucca on 28 October with co-authors Davide Savelli and Iris Biasio.
THE SKY IS BLUE ABOVE LUCCA: THE “WORLD CUP” CHALLENGE BY MIRAGE COMICS
Promoted by Mirage Comics, an 11-a-side live-drawing match – Italy vs Rest of the World – plays out from unpublished scripts by captains Brian Michael Bendis and Roberto Recchioni, with first players Alex Maleev and Sara Pichelli and commentary by Marco Civoli. Auditorium San Romano, 29 October.
SCOTT’S COLLECTABLES AND ITS ARTISTS IN LUCCA FOR THE FIRST TIME
Scott’s Collectables makes its Lucca debut, bringing its artist alley to the Oratorio San Giuseppe with a prestigious roster including Martin Simmonds and Marco Checchetto, where fans can meet the artists and buy original works.
UPLOAD COMPLETE: WITH MARIO MORONI, THE FIRST ITALIAN PROJECT FROM PODCAST TO COMIC
Mario Moroni, creator of the podcast Il Caffettino, moves from podcast to comics with Achille & KiPI – I Disconnessi di m1RC, built with its community (the first ten pages are free on its Kickstarter) and presented for the first time at the festival.
VIDEO GAMES
LUCCA COMICS & GAMES CELEBRATES FINAL FANTASY VII, YOSHINORI KITASE GUEST OF HONOUR
To celebrate the legacy of FINAL FANTASY VII and the release of FINAL FANTASY VII REVELATION, Yoshinori Kitase – Producer of the Remake series and Director of the original game – will be Guest of Honour and added to the Lucca Walk of Fame.
FROM DEVIL MAY CRY TO ŌKAMI: HIDEKI KAMIYA, WHO WROTE FUNDAMENTAL PAGES OF INTERACTIVE POP CULTURE
One of the medium’s most visionary designers, Hideki Kamiya (Resident Evil 2, Devil May Cry, Ōkami, Bayonetta) now heads his studio CLOVERS and is directing the Ōkami sequel with Capcom. He will be in Lucca on Thursday 29 and Friday 30 October.
THE MAN BEHIND THE GTA COVERS COMES TO LUCCA COMICS & GAMES 2026
Stephen Bliss is the Senior Artist who defined the visual identity of the GTA franchise from 2001 to 2016, creating the iconic covers of GTA III, Vice City, San Andreas and V, as well as artwork for Red Dead Redemption and L.A. Noire.
NARA STUDIO AND CYDONIA BRING WONDERFUL NEORAN VALLEY TO LUCCA
After a Kickstarter that raised over $1 million – the most successful video-game crowdfunding ever run on the platform by an Italian team – Wonderful Neoran Valley by Nara Studio comes to Lucca with meet & greets led by content creator Cydonia, the project’s Creative Director.
LUCCA COMICS & GAMES 2026 WELCOMES DANIEL DOCIU, LEGEND OF INTERNATIONAL CONCEPT ART
One of the most influential figures in interactive entertainment for over thirty years, Daniel Dociu defined the visual identity of Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2 as Chief Art Director of ArenaNet, with experience also at EA, Squaresoft and Amazon Game Studios.
NOAH FALSTEIN, ONE OF THE FOUNDING FATHERS OF THE GOLDEN AGE OF GRAPHIC ADVENTURES
Among the first ten employees of Lucasfilm Games (later LucasArts), Noah Falstein worked on The Secret of Monkey Island and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. A guest from 28 to 30 October, he will sign Andrea Contato’s LucasArts history (Mondiversi/Tora Edizioni).
TORA EDIZIONI BRINGS CHRIS DARRIL TO LUCCA
A guest of Tora Edizioni, Chris Darril – creator of Bye Sweet Carole and the Remothered series – presents the official Bye Sweet Carole artbook, with previously unpublished content. The game won a Webby and six Telly Awards.
BURNING FARMHOUSE PRESENTS MARMOREA, THE HORROR GAME THAT TURNS TUSCANY INTO A CENTURIES-OLD MYSTERY
Set between the Apuan Alps and Versilia, Marmorea follows Guido, who returns to Pietralba to investigate his brother’s disappearance among marble quarries. Burning Farmhouse presents it with a dedicated talk; release scheduled for 2026 on PC.
COLLECTIBLES, GAMES & FANTASY
The space dedicated to Collectibles moves into a new multi-brand pavilion inside the Giardino degli Osservanti, home to the leading international players in the field.
THE MAGIC OF POP MART COMES TO LUCCA FOR THE FIRST TIME
For the first time, POP MART – a world leader in designer collectibles – arrives at Lucca, in a debut that also marks its 16th anniversary. Known for THE MONSTERS, SKULLPANDA, CRYBABY, MOLLY, DIMOO and HIRONO, it promises exclusive experiences and activations.
POKÉMON 30
Pikachu leads the Pokémon crew toward the 30th-anniversary celebrations. The Pokémon Play Lab moves to the newly restored Palestra Bacchettoni, a real gymnasium hosting workshops, limited-edition novelties and meet & greets, with more “Road to Lucca” surprises to come.
BANDAI CARD GAMES: A DEDICATED PAVILION AND THE ITALIAN PREMIERE OF NARUTO CARD GAME
A Gametrade pavilion in Piazza Santa Maria is devoted to Bandai Trading Card Games (ONE PIECE, Gundam, DRAGON BALL SUPER, Digimon). In addition, the Naruto Card Game arrives in an absolute Italian premiere; expected in 2027.
MARKO DJURDJEVIC RETURNS WITH ORKEN
Internationally renowned artist Marko Djurdjevic brings Orken, the dark-fantasy project from his studio SIXMOREVODKA, first presented at Lucca in 2017, with Italian artists Gigi Cavenago and Matteo Scalera on the artbook variant covers.
MAGIC: THE GATHERING ILLUSTRATIONS WITH REBECCA GUAY AND SCOTT M. FISCHER
Two beloved fantasy illustrators come to Lucca thanks to Boose Mtg: Rebecca Guay (more than 150 Magic cards; Vertigo’s Black Orchid and The Sandman) and Scott M. Fischer (more than 160 Magic cards; Dungeons & Dragons, The Witcher). The road to Lucca begins 10–12 July with Paupergeddon Summer Edition at Polo Fiere di Lucca.
PAOLO BARBIERI, 30 YEARS OF IMAGINARY WORLDS
Italian artist Paolo Barbieri celebrates 30 years tied to Lucca’s history. On Saturday 31 October at 9 p.m. in the Auditorium del Suffragio, Concerto in Arte – produced by Lucca Crea with the Luigi Boccherini Conservatory – pairs music and image. Sergio Bonelli Editore publishes the anniversary volume Trent’anni di disegni sbagliati.
THE 5 FINALISTS FOR BOARD GAME DESIGNER OF THE YEAR 2026 ANNOUNCED
The five finalists for Board Game Designer of the Year, the award promoted by Lucca Crea with SAZ Italia, are Bruno Cathala, Johannes Goupy, Tomáš Holek, Reiner Knizia and Paolo Mori. The winner is revealed at the Teatro del Giglio Giacomo Puccini.
MUSIC
Music is again a protagonist, filling the city across the Giardino degli Osservanti, Piazzale Verdi, the Foro Boario, the Teatro del Giglio Giacomo Puccini and the open-air stage of the historic centre.
YŌKO KANNO IN ITALY FOR THE FIRST TIME: IN LUCCA AND…
In her first-ever Italian appearance, Yōko Kanno – composer inseparably linked to Cowboy Bebop and its theme Tank! – is in Lucca on 31 October and 1 November. On 3 November, in a European premiere at the Teatro Nazionale in Milan, she performs Piano Me, produced by Let Me See and Yellow Echos (presale: https://ticket.yellowechoes.com).
FINLEY’S POP-PUNK RETURNS
Finley return to Piazzale Verdi on Friday 30 October, after a tour marking twenty years of their double-platinum debut Tutto è possibile. Formed in their school days, the band brings its high-energy, generational sound to Lucca.
I CAVALIERI DEL RE AT THE THEATRE
I Cavalieri del Re – authors of more than 40 anime soundtracks including Lady Oscar, Yattaman and Devilman – return with a special concert at the Teatro del Giglio Giacomo Puccini on Friday 30 October, preceded by a lighter set at Piazzale Verdi on Thursday 29 October.
CELEBRATING 60 YEARS WITH THE BLASTER EVENT
The first of the 60th-anniversary parties is Blaster night on Saturday 31 October at the Foro Boario – an alternative event mixing music subcultures (metal, punk, rock, electronic) with the nerd world.
MOVIE
The Movie Area, curated by QMI, returns for its sixteenth year for fans of cinema, TV series and entertainment, with previews, meetings, special events and exclusive content. The first guests will be announced soon.
TICKETING & INFORMATION
Early Bird tickets and passes for Lucca Comics & Games – Community since 1966 go on sale today from 1 p.m. at a reduced price, until midnight on Friday 24 July (capped at 80,000). Regular ticketing opens on 1 September at list price.
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