Beyond the guests – between old acquaintances and new entries – the real news is that this year the Nerd Festival will be the festival of the city of Foggia. The emotion of the organizers, during the press conference at Palazzo di Città, is palpable. “It is an idea that we have cherished from the beginning and now we have succeeded: we will give back to the city something beautiful and of cultural relevance” explains Alessandro Guida, responsible for the cinema area of the event.
For its eighth birthday, in fact, the first Foggia comics fair will take place for the first time in the center on May 4th and 5th, along the pedestrian area. Thanks to a dialogue that this time was not one-way: “This administration listened to us and accepted our proposal” the coordinator of comics area activities Francesca Capone tells us, while the mayor Maria Aida Episcopo specifies that “the objective is to bring a beautiful idea of Foggia to the fore and to build the future of the city on culture”. Also because, as highlighted by the councilor for culture Alice Amatore, “the festival will not only be fun and entertainment, but will give a boost to the local economy thanks to the amount of people it will bring”.
And so Foggia is preparing to welcome the flood of people who will arrive on the first weekend of the month of roses to participate in what is considered one of the most important points of reference for fans of comics, books, video games, cosplay and streamers (it is part of the Italian Comics Network). At least thirty thousand are expected, so as not to disfigure compared to the years of GrandApulia and the City of Cinema, even if the new location (the shopping place par excellence and Sunday meeting place for families) lends itself to higher numbers. And also because the genre has now been cleared through customs and has become transversal and popular.
“If before, nerd culture was something niche – explains Rocco Scotellaro, president of the ‘Festival del Nerd’ Association – today it is capable of embracing all ages, from the child who watches cartoons to the collector up to the comic book enthusiast who grew up together with his favorite heroes”.
“Finally the comic has entered the narrative to all intents and purposes – adds Francesca Capone – because it was understood that it can be an excellent means of transmitting, but also of reflecting and learning. Comics today talk about history, news, biographies, and can be a tool to escape even from difficult situations. It is entering all homes and all cultural places”.
For this reason there is great anticipation for the guests who, in addition to meeting fans and simply curious people in the stands located along the pedestrian area, will be the protagonists of a series of workshops, laboratories and presentations of publications that will take place over the two days of the festival. Therefore, important names from both the national and international comics scene will arrive in the city: Luca Maresca (Spiderman, John Doe, Martin Mystère, Nathan Never, Avengers), Antonio Muscatiello (Diabolik), Simona Simone, Lorenzo Coltellacci, Emiliano Barletta, Giuseppe Sansone (Mickey Mouse), Buong, Alessio Fortunato (John Doe, Dampyr), Marco and Stefano Chiuchiarelli, Germano Massenzio, Katia Centomo (7 crimes, Monster Allergy). The presence of director Alessandro Rak (Cinderella the Cat, 2017) is also expected.
Exclusively for the Festival del Nerd, the works of Luca Maresca will also be on display at the Palazzetto dell’Arte Andrea Pazienza, and those of the designers Elena Casagrande and Carmine di Giandomenico in the Modern Art Gallery of Palazzo Dogana.
There will be no shortage of appointments with K-Pop competitions (it is possible to register online until May 3) and with Cosplayers around the centre. Grand finale with the highly anticipated concert of the star of the cartoon theme songs Cristina D’Avena on Sunday evening.
And then there will be them, the students: those from the Foggia schools to whom ad hoc moments will be dedicated and those from the Gulliver Comics School who will be the protagonists of ‘Mine Vaganti’, a catalog that collects their works and which will be presented in preview during the Festival. All of this will be strictly free again this year (this year a fundraiser has started to ensure that the events are free over time and to support educational projects in schools).
“We are the only trade fair in the sector in Italy – explains Giuseppe Guida, artistic director of the Festival and of the Gulliver Comics School – entirely free for users. It’s complicated, but we succeed every time because we are driven by passion, by the desire to get involved. And then we are always the same close-knit team. This is probably what has made us increasingly stronger and more determined”.
The event, organized by the Festival del Nerd association in collaboration with the Municipality of Foggia, enjoys the support of Covo del Nerd, the Gulliver Comics School of Foggia, the University of Foggia and the Polo Bibliomuseale of Foggia.
