Golden Romics 2026: award-winning international comics, cinema and illustration authors

Paola Barbato, Italian writer and screenwriter, famous for her over twenty-year contribution to the stories of Dylan Dog (Bonelli Editore) and for her prolific career in thriller fiction. Equipped with a rare versatility, she successfully ranges from comics to fiction for adults and children, to cinema, television and theatre. His writing is characterized by strong narrative tension and deep psychological introspection. The Golden Romics celebration meeting is scheduled for Sunday 4 October.

Stefano Bessoni, Italian director, illustrator and master of stop-motion, famous for his visionary style that combines fairy tales, science, entomology and anatomy. He directed works of fantasy cinema such as Imago Mortis and Krokodyle, and published highly relevant illustration books such as Alice Under Ground and Wunderkammer. The Golden Romics celebration meeting is scheduled for Sunday 4 October.

Max Bunker, one of the pillars of Italian comics, famous for having created immortal masterpieces such as Alan Ford, Kriminal and Satanik. Publisher, journalist and writer, he has revolutionized noir and satirical comics since the 1960s. Co-founder of Editoriale Corno, the publishing house that marked Italian comic book publishing, and thanks to which Marvel superheroes arrived in Italy for the first time. During his extraordinary career he has written thousands of books and novels, ranging from comics to cinema and television. The Golden Romics celebration meeting is scheduled for Friday 2 October.

Takeshi Koike, contemporary Japanese director and animator, famous for his bold and impactful visual style. During his career he has created reference works for international animation such as Redline and The Animatrix: World Record. It also stood out for its intense and modern reinterpretation of the Lupine the Third franchise which during the 37th edition will be screened in its entirety on Friday 1st October. Koike will also be the protagonist of a Q&A and copy signing session with the public. The Golden Romics celebration meeting is scheduled for Saturday 3 October.

Simone Legno, Roman artist and illustrator, with a style inspired by Japanese culture; co-founder and creative director of the tokidoki™ brand. His recent projects include important institutional symbols such as Luce for the Jubilee 2025, Italia-chan for Expo 2025 Osaka and Nipponina for the anniversary of relations between Italy and Japan. Legno will be the protagonist of a special meeting dedicated to the relationship between imagination, character design and creativity; during the four-day event he will bring an unprecedented work to life before the eyes of visitors by drawing live on canvas. The Golden Romics celebration meeting is scheduled for Saturday 3 October.

Sir Ian Livingstone is a famous British author and game designer, an absolute pioneer of interactive entertainment and role-playing games. Co-founder of Games Workshop and Eidos Interactive, he contributed to the spread of Dungeons & Dragons in Europe and the launch of historic franchises such as Warhammer and Tomb Raider. He co-created the legendary Fighting Fantasy series, destined for immense global success. The Golden Romics celebration meeting is scheduled for Saturday 3 October.

In the 37th edition, the Romics Special award, which pays homage to new creative frontiers, is awarded to Laura Pérez and Dan Walker.

Laura Pérez, Spanish illustrator and graphic novel author, famous for her refined and evocative style. He has signed works of great international success such as Ocultos (Astiberri Edicione) and Nocturnos (Oblomov Edizioni) as well as prestigious collaborations with publications such as the New York Times, MoMA and for the theme song for the series Only Murders in the Building (nominated for an Emmy). The meeting is scheduled for Saturday 3 October.

Dan Walker, British concept designer for film and television, author of the visual imagery of over 75 productions including Star Wars, The Dark Knight Trilogy and Doctor Who. With his work he has given shape to cinematic icons such as the interiors of the Batmobile and the famous Sonic Screwdrivers, collaborating closely with visual effects, costumes and set design departments. The meeting is scheduled for Sunday 4 October.

During the thirty-seventh edition, the surface area dedicated to major exhibitions grows further: from solo exhibitions to in-depth studies on the awarded artists up to collective exhibitions.

YOU IMAGINE PINOCCHIO. On the occasion of the two hundred years since the birth of Carlo Collodi, Romics celebrates Pinocchio with a great transmedia journey between literature, illustration, cinema and animation. A journey into the imaginative interpretations of the most famous puppet in the world, told through the work of illustrators, directors, costume designers, puppeteers and set designers who made him travel for decades "from one ocean to another". On display are ancient and rare illustrated editions, sketches, screenplays, storyboards and stage costumes of Pinocchio by Matteo Garrone, of the animated film by Enzo D'Alò together with illustrations and stop motion animations by Stefano Bessoni, video materials and thematic insights. The exhibition is organized with the patronage of the Carlo Collodi Foundation and the National Committee for the Celebrations of the Bicentenary of the Birth of Carlo Collodi, Archimede Film, ASC – Association of Set Designers, Costume Designers and Decorators, Tancredi Foundation of Barolo – MUSLI. School and Children's Book Museum, E. Rancati Srl, Tecnostyle Bellini and Tirelli Trappetti Costumi.

PAOLO BARBIERI. 30 YEARS OF IMAGINATION. Thirty years of fantastic worlds, creatures, myths and visions take shape in the great exhibition that Romics dedicates to Paolo Barbieri, one of the most recognizable and loved Italian illustrators on the contemporary scene. From his first childhood drawings to his editorial work, from his famous covers to the full affirmation of his authorial dimension, the journey tells the story of the evolution of an artist who was able to reinvent myths, fairy tales, legends and great literary classics through an unmistakable style. On display are original drawings, many of which have never been exhibited before, studies, pencils, illustrations, covers, prints and archive materials: a journey into Barbieri's continuous research and the construction of an imagination capable of uniting tradition, fantasy and contemporaneity.

VILLAINS. THE ROOTS OF EVIL. Antagonists, antiheroes, supervillains or simple "bad guys". Sometimes endowed with anthropozoomorphic features and others coming from other worlds, the result of contamination with myth and magic or the result of scientific experiments or traumatic and mysterious personal stories. Not to mention when the heroes themselves embody the villains and become evil "temporarily or for narrative reasons". Villains. The Roots of Evil ranges across the main narrative universes of American comics in a multifaceted carousel of materials that combines collectible statues and rare books, critical notes, original tables and illustrations accompanied by the words of some of the artists present at Romics with their favorite evil negatives. The exhibition is created in collaboration with CArt Gallery, Statue Collector di Fabrizio D'Amelia, Elite Talent Management and TomatoFarm Agency.

IMAGINARY VEHICLES AND TECHNOLOGICAL INVENTION DESIGN: THE ART OF DAN WALKER. Romics' research on the world's great concept artists brings to Italy for the first time in the October edition the great talent of the British Dan Walker, an expert in flying vehicles and sci-fi rovers, motorcycles, weapons, props and more. The exhibition dedicated to him presents works with which the artist contributed to the success of franchises such as: The Dark Knight, Spider-man, Mission Impossible, Harry Potter, Justice League and Doctor Who.

TAKESHI KOIKE AND LUPINE III. The collection of five films designed by Takeshi Koike for Lupine III is the protagonist of a special exhibit at Romics in which they are exposed: artwork and sketches associated with still frames of the five films, silhouettes of the characters, products and official merchandise of the series and the Japanese posters of the works, with a particular focus on the last chapter Lupine the IIIrd - The Movie - The immortal lineage.

STEFANO BESSONI - ILLUSTRATION, ANIMATION AND CINEMA. A path and a transdisciplinary reading that follows the career and imagination of Stefano Bessoni from his works in publishing to directing live action and stop motion animation films up to the illustrated works and exhibitions dedicated to the great masters who have inspired him over time, first and foremost Tim Burton and Peter Greenaway. Original illustrations and prints, work materials, video contributions and short films are presented together with the sketches and puppets used in the stop motion works.

MUSICOMICS – ROMICS MUSIC AWARD FOR IMAGES. The fifth edition of the Award dedicated to artists working in the field of soundtracks for cinema, TV and video games, which boasts the patronage of SIAE - Società Italiana degli Autori ed Editori, the sixth collecting in the world for collection of copyright and Nuovo IMAIE, Nuovo Istituto Mutualistico Artisti Interpreti Esecutori, the Italian collecting that deals with the management and distribution of related rights of Artists Performing Artists. The Luigi Albertelli Lifetime Achievement Award is awarded to Maestro Gianni Mazza, composer, arranger, pianist and orchestra director, the Andrea Lo Vecchio Critics Award is awarded to Maestro Piero Cassano, author of iconic theme songs such as Pollon, Sailor Moon, Nanà Supergirl and The Mask. The Special Prize for Foreign Productions, established in collaboration with the Film Music Composers Association (ACMF), awarded to Pino Donaggio, composer of over one hundred soundtracks for cinema and TV. In collaboration with the Film & TV department of Sony Music Publishing (Italy), the Best Synchronization Award for audiovisual projects will also be awarded. The Awards Ceremony scheduled for Saturday 3 October and presented by Andrea Agresti, historic correspondent of Le Iene, will reveal the winners of the competing categories.

THE BOYS AND THE NARCISSIST CHARM OF ANTIHEROES. Thanks also to the worldwide success of the television series, The Boys has updated and rewritten the role of antiheroes in contemporary entertainment. On Saturday 3 October we will travel among the most famous villains of The Boys in a meeting with the American cartoonist Darick Robertson and the Northern Irishman John McCrea.

ROMICS AND WACOM: THE "WACOM VISIONARY ARTIST AWARD" IS BORN. Mirka Andolfo, one of the most multifaceted and innovative Italian designers and authors on the Italian independent and American comics scene, is the first artist to be awarded the Wacom Visionary Artist Award which will be awarded on the occasion of the celebration scheduled for Saturday 3 October. Mirka Andolfo will be the protagonist of an interview with live performances on stage dedicated to some of the characters from her best-known hits published all over the world.

NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR... MARK COULIER. The British genius of make-up and special effects, winner of three Oscars and three BAFTA Awards for the films Poor Creatures, Grand Budapest Hotel and The Iron Lady and nominated several times for his work in Harry Potter and other great franchises, on Saturday 3 October talks behind the scenes of the Coulier Creature FX studio for films such as Pinocchio (Matteo Garrone) and Bohemian Rhapsody and with Hollywood stars such as Meryl Streep, Emma Stone and Willem Dafoe.

BETWEEN FANTASTIC WORLDS, FEARS AND WONDER. The creation of characters and worlds capable of speaking to the new generations by addressing fears, growth and identity through the power of narrative is at the center of the meeting between two exceptional voices of Italian creativity: Barbara Canepa, signature of cult universes such as W.I.T.C.H. (Giunti Editore), Monster Allergy (Tunué), Sky Doll (Tunué) and Greenwood (Tunué) and Paola Barbato, screenwriter of Dylan Dog (Bonelli Editore) and author of children's novels, including The Returner and Horror Game. A dialogue entirely dedicated to imagination and the fascinating construction of stories.

ADORABLE VILLAINS! DRAWING AND REINTERPRETING A VILLAIN, AN ANTIHERO OR A SIMPLE ANTAGONIST. Saturday 3 October Two of the best-known artists in Europe on American comics from the DC Comics universe, Mikel Janin and Elena Casagrande, talk about their relationship with negative characters and their interpretation of their complex identities. Are there gender differences, narrative licenses or particular requests from the screenwriters, and where does the designer's gaze rest in understanding (and transmitting) the roots of Evil?

ZEROCALCARE RETURNS TO ROMICS protagonist of an eagerly awaited open dialogue, ready to take unexpected directions between new and old stories. The meeting, led by journalist Riccardo Corbò, recounts the artistic journey of one of the most influential contemporary storytellers.

STEAL THE SOUL OF ANTIHEROES, FALSE HEROES AND DREADABLE "VILLAINS". There is a villain in each of us, and each of us has our favorite villain. It also happens to great comic book artists and authors who in their careers are called upon to interpret the unconscious wounds, traumas and social hardships that make the most beloved negative characters in American comics great. On Sunday 4 October, cartoonists Leandro Fernandez and Otto Schmidt, among the major talents of DC Comics and Marvel comics, and cartoonist R. M. Guera will talk about it.

COMICS, DRAGONS AND SAVORY PIES IN ITALY (1996 - 2026): HISTORY OF A CULT SERIES. The event celebrates the thirtieth anniversary of the arrival in Italy of Bone by Jeff Smith, a milestone in adventure and fantasy comics. In collaboration with Lo Spazio Bianco, the panel will see the participation of Michele Foschini (Bao Publishing), Matteo Cinti and GianLorenzo Franzì (Lo Spazio Bianco). A journey through anecdotes, editorial memories and the magic of a timeless saga that has marked entire generations of readers.

FROM COMICS TO GAMING: THE INITIATIVES OF THE LAZIO REGION. At the regional stand, in Pavilion 6, the FabLab Lazio, in collaboration with the School of Comics, Illustration and Manga Pencil Art, will propose a rich program of events dedicated to the world of comics, illustration and manga. Eight meetings are scheduled, distributed between morning and afternoon sessions, which will see professional illustrators, cartoonists and manga artists as protagonists. The program includes talks, interviews and discussions with the authors, accompanied by live demonstrations during which the artists will create works in front of the public and live sessions that will offer visitors the opportunity to witness the creative processes and techniques of the sector. For the entire duration of the event