Etna Comics 2026 kicks off, the international comics festival pays homage to Pippo Baudo (and Caparezza is also among the guests)

One hundred thousand attendances in 2025, a number that the organization aims to repeat. It is with this ambition that Catania is preparing for the four days of Etna Comics, from 30 May to 2 June, when the Le Ciminiere exhibition center will reopen its doors to tens of thousands of fans. The ribbon cutting is set for Saturday at 10am. The hashtag chosen for the fourteenth edition, #showmustgoonfunctions as a common thread and, at the same time, as a declaration of intent.

The hug to Pippo Baudo

This year’s poster has only one face (and it couldn’t be otherwise for an event in Catania) that of Pippo Baudo, portrayed with a smile and open arms in the pose that brought him into the collective imagination. It was signed by the Bolognese cartoonist Giorgio Carpinteri, who retains a direct professional memory of the host, having collaborated on the graphics of an edition of Domenica In. After last year’s tribute to Franco Battiato, the event once again chooses a symbol of Sicilian and Italian culture.

Rai and Rai News 24 will be media partners of the event, Rainews.it content partner, No Name Radio the official radio of the event. Tg1 journalists Dania Mondini and Leonardo Metalli will respectively moderate a meeting on collecting and fanaticism and a conference on the “national Pippo”.

Fantasticomics, the first evening show, is also dedicated to him: not a simple biographical celebration, but a real journey into the popular culture of the last sixty years, with Heather Parisi, Morgan, Tuccio Musumeci and Pippo Pattavina on stage, hosted by Ruggero Sardo and the TeleRicordi band as the soundtrack.

The Comics area and the names of the comics

It remains the flagship of the festival. In addition to Carpinteri, fans will be able to meet the Japanese mangaka Yōichi Takahashi, creator of Captain Tsubasa, the manga known to us as Holly and Benji, present thanks to the collaboration with Edoardo Serino. Then there is Northern Irishman John McCrea, co-creator of Hitman, at the fair for all four days.

Above all, Leo Ortolani, father of Rat-Man, who in 2014 signed the poster of the fourth edition, returns. Among the foreigners, the Argentine Ariel Olivetti stands out, making his first time in Catania thanks to the Mad Collectors, and the Croatian Esad Ribić; the Bonelliani Siculi will instead bring Gianluca Pagliarani and Marco Ghion. Five names from the Disney firmament (Fabio Celoni, Paolo Mottura, Michela Frare, Ivan Bigarella and Casty) while Gigaciao presents itself in an explosive formation with Sio, Labadessa, Fraffrog, Dado and savuland.

Among the publishers, Panini Comics arrives with a piece intended for collectors: the variant cover of Mickey Mouse number 3679 dedicated to Baudo, drawn by Ivan Bigarella and colored by Andrea Cagol. Closing the area, as per tradition, is the auction of works donated by the artists, the proceeds of which will go to charity.

Caparezza, between the two souls

The most awaited return on the musical front bears the name of Caparezza, born Michele Salvemini, who will take the stage on Sunday 31 May. The Apulian artist will talk about himself through his two souls, that of a musician and that of a comic book enthusiast and writer – a dialogue that has always run through his production, from lyrics to record covers up to the recent comic book Orbit Orbit. His presence, in a festival that mixes different languages, has the naturalness of someone who is exactly in the right place.

Movies, fantasy and big evening events

The Movie area hosts Matthew Modine, the Joker soldier, among the guests of honor Full Metal Jacketand Matteo Oscar Giuggioli, fresh from North South West East. The Roman Ricky Memphis is expected, who will present his latest film as a national preview The great Boccia together with Bianca Nappi and director Karen Di Porto; among the stars also Ilenia Pastorelli and Diana Del Bufalo.

Potter Alley returns to the Fantasy Literature area, curated by PotterCast with Fantasy Universe: star guest Lee Ingleby, Stan Picchetto of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkabanwho will meet his Italian voice actor Simone Crisari for the first time. For the first time in Italy also the illustrator Johnny Duddle, while Paolo Barbieri will be celebrated with an exhibition.

There will also be space for gaming, with game designer Paolo Mori, Master Ame, Federic and JackTorrance in the Games area, and a long list of creators in the Videogames area, where Sabaku no Maiku will return. On Monday 1 June, Rob, winner of X Factor 2025 and local from Catania, will take the stage. Among the special guests also Gabriella Greison, the physicist and popularizer nicknamed “the rock star of physics”.

For info and reservations, we refer you to the official website of the event.