San Marino Comics: the 2022 edition is at the starting line
The San Marino Comics Association, with the patronage of the Secretariat of State for Tourism, the Secretariat of State for Education and Culture, the Secretariat of State for Industry, Crafts and Commerce, the Secretariat of State for Health and Social Security and of the San Marino Castle Council and in collaboration with the Tourist Office, presents the 9th edition of “SAN MARINO COMICS”, Festival of Comics and POP culture of the Republic of San Marino which will take place on 26-27 -28 August 2022 in the Historic Center of the oldest Republic in the world.
COMPANY
Partners of the event: Giochi del Titano, Cassa di Risparmio, Fondazione San Marino Cassa di Risparmio – SUMS, Rubiko Digital Minded Solutions, SUMS – Società Unione Mutuo Soccorso, UniRSM – University of the Republic of San Marino, USC – Unione San Marino Commerce and Tourism, USOT, Track & Field San Marino, Red Bull, San Marino Outlet Experience, Arzilli Gioielli, Chiaruzzi D. San Marino Supermarket, GHSM Grand Hotel San Marino Group.
San Marino Comics Festival 2022 is presented to the press today in the presence of the Secretaries of State who sponsor the event
THE 2022 MANIFESTO AND ITS HISTORY
Directly from the distant Rising Sun, the skilled hands of Maestro Junichi Hayama created the illustration for the poster of the ninth edition of the San Marino Comics Festival.
The Maestro, character designer of Ken the Warrior (Hokuto no Ken), will be a guest of the festival on August 26, 27 and 28 where meet & greet, exhibitions and panels with the public will be organized. Hayama is the first Japanese guest to fly to Italy after the pandemic period and he enthusiastically welcomed the invitation of the organization that asked him to create a poster that would recall the world of fantasy and the fantastic that only the wonderful landscape of Republic of San Marino can give away.
“I was very pleased to receive the commission for a poster for an Italian event; it is the first time ”comments Maestro Hayama. “I really like history, both Japanese and from other countries. I have been to Italy and have received many gratifications from the Italians.
With my brushes I wanted to create an image inspired by the history and greatness of San Marino. The rider on the back of his horse, ready to defend his places, seemed to me the most suitable image to represent this enchanted place that I can’t wait to discover during the days of the event, sure of the excellent hospitality I will receive. It was exciting for me to create a scenography starting from the beautiful images received. I hope all visitors to the event and the entire population of the Republic of San Marino like the poster ”.
PROGRAM AND GUESTS
The beating heart of the event will be in Piazzale Cava Antica (Parking n.6) where the main “Music & Cosplay” stage will be set up with ledwall and cover to allow all activities to run normally. The activities of the stage planned: concerts, cosplay competition, shows, conferences, guest performances and much more. In addition, the P6 will also be the location of the Exhibition Market of Comics, Gadgets, Nerd, Cosplay and Steampunk themed accessories and clothing within a mega tensile structure of 15x45mt, to guarantee purchases and the safety of the public and exhibitors even in case of bad weather. . The area is enriched this year with a Vip-Lounge area where festival guests can take pictures with fans and make the signature-copies of their books, drawings or music albums in total relaxation. Guests will receive a welcome bag in collaboration with San Marino Outlet Experience and the Terra di San Marino Consortium.
Another crucial area of the 2022 edition will be Via Eugippo where the COSPLAY BOULEVARD will be created, a street dedicated to all cosplay activities, crossroads and departure of activities, parades, cosplay and steampunk themed content.
The lecture hall of the University of San Marino becomes the nerve center of board game activities in collaboration with the largest Italian gaming festival: Modena PLAY! Different activities will be developed from board game to role play, from party game for families and children to 3D dioramas. On Friday evening the “Role Playing Game in the Dark” will be held, a format that provides that the player who decides to participate, does not know until the last moment the theme of the game and the name of the Masters present.
San Marino Comics wants to dare to emphasize even smaller districts. New in this edition in Contrada Santa Croce in the High Schools building, is the experiential path “AT THE SCHOOL OF MAGIC” where young wizards will be guided in a series of games, activities and experiments inspired by the world of Harry Potter. Also in the same district you can take part in the EXPERIENCE SHOW Biancaneve 2.0 where we will be guided by the Seven Dwarfs within the most famous fairy tale in the world.
Another big news this year will be the use of the Second Tower for another path always inspired by the saga of the most famous wizard in the world, the “Horcrux Hunt” which will develop in the ravines and rooms of the Tower to find the seven Horcrux that will allow you to defeat Voldemort, the sworn enemy of Harry Potter, through the interaction with artists who will play the characters of the film.
For all ages there is a renewed proposal and a larger area dedicated to exhibitions, games and workshops made with LEGO bricks that will find its space in the Aula Magna of the High Schools in Via Donna Felicissima, near the food area.
There will also be dedicated to conferences and workshops with authors, designers, screenwriters and voice actors:
JUNICHI HAYAMA – Character Designer of Ken the Warrior, draftsman
FRANCESCO LANCIA – from Radio Deejay, Actor and Author of books and theatrical performances
CHEF HIRO – Chef, Influencer, writer
ANDREA ROCK – from Virgin Radio, speaker and musician
FARANCESCO MOBILI – Marvel designer
ANDREA YUU DENTUTO – the only Italian mangaka to have worked on Lupine III
RICCARDO NUNZIATI – Diabolik designer
ENRICO SIMONATO – designer and author of the 2020 San Marino Comics poster
ADRIANO FORGIONE – Nippon Shock Editions
GIOVANNI “ZETH CASTELLO” ZACCARIA – Tom’s Hardware Pop Culture, Saldapress
PIETRO UBALDI – voice actor
MOSE ‘SINGH – voice actor
VOICES FROM NERD – voice actors, influencers
PELATI AND COMICS – influencer
… And all the cast of influencers involved for the show “COMICI ALL’AVENTURA” which will take place on Sunday at 2.00 pm at the Titano Theater: a “live” match at Dungeons & Dragons with Francesco Lancia in the role of Master. The players instead will be the fantastic: Guia Scognamiglio, Federica Cacciola, Daniele Fabbri and Francesco Arienzo.
This year, for the first time, Cartoon Club – Riminicomix will also give its contribution to the event with a rich program of guests from the world of comics that will develop in their area of Via Eugippo.
All the authors will take turns in entertaining interactive conferences on the stage in Via Eugippo and on that of Piazzale Cava Antica, in which we will learn to draw and learn more about the world of comics directly from the hands-on voice of some of the best Italian designers and influencers in the industry.
The Garden of the Liburnians returns to be the meeting point for artists and enthusiasts with the Artist Alley that TRIPLE its spaces with tensile structures suitable for the level of guests who will participate!
The SOFTAIR themed area has also been reconfirmed in the location on the terrace of Piazza Sant’Agata. A real event within the event where you can get close to this sport, try weapons in a shooting tunnel supervised by professional instructors and watch real shows staged by the teams present. The area will be supervised by “Nazgul Softair Group Rimini & San Marino” with the technical and logistical support of Jolly Softair.
An opportunity for fans from all over Italy who can thus visit the establishments of the Republic of San Marino, a reference point for this beautiful sport.
In Piazza Sant’Agata the VIDEOGAMES VILLAGE is reconfirmed with video games, arcades, retro and next-gen consoles. An area where you can challenge yourself to FIFA, Mario Kart, Metal Slug and many other video games suitable for all ages.
Also in Piazza Sant’Agata you can dance to the rhythm of K-POP with the collaboration of KST and Bradipoteatar. Also in the theater, “Alla Corte di Versailles” clothing exhibition, San Marino Photo Cosplay photo exhibition and personal exhibition of Maestro Hayama.
More entertainment and fun with Tana delle Tigri Italian Cosplayers who will set up a real wrestling ring in the ex-skating area where there will alternate encounters held by figures in Tiger Man themed costumes with real professional wrestlers.
Furthermore, the “Diversamente Comics” project continues for the seventh consecutive year, together with the organizers of the Festival in collaboration with the Secretariat for Health, which aims to integrate and social inclusion. There will be various recreational activities and markets organized and managed by some San Marino realities that revolve around the world of disability.
This year it will be integrated with a workshop made with Lego bricks, dedicated to people with autism.
Music will be another great protagonist of San Marino Comics. There will be singers, live shows, concerts and shows in all areas involved in the event. On Sunday at 2.00 pm a Marching Band of 30 elements in collaboration with the Banda di Rimini and the Istituto Musicale Sammarinese, will open the “Great Cosplay Parade”, a parade with all the cosplayers present at the event.
Friday evening at Campo Bruno Reffi there will be the traditional inaugural ceremony of the festival in the presence of the Hon. Secretaries of State and representatives of the San Marino Castle Council.
Following “Neverland between music and reality” a wonderful Disney-themed concert (and not only) with Animeniacs Corp. The show is produced by Lucca Comics who will be present at the event with Gianluca Del Carlo, director and project manager of the area Music and Cosplay by Lucca Comics & Games.
On Saturday evening, always at Bruno Reffi, the public of San Marino will be able to attend the concert by Giorgio Vanni, the legendary singer of the animated themes of Dragonball, Pokemon, Naruto, One Piece and many others. Then there will be the COMICS DISCO PARTY, an event with disco music also dedicated to younger children who will be able to dance until 02.00 at night at Campo Bruno Reffi. The Comics Disco Party is organized in collaboration with San Marino Beer Fest, Bar Guaita and Bar Giulietti.
On Sunday afternoon at 3.30 pm it will be the turn of the Gem Boys who will celebrate their 30 years of career in San Marino with the concert “30 years of parodies” and will close the San Marino Comics music festival.
The awaited cosplay competition of San Marino Comics conducted by the Epicos group will take place from the late afternoon. Epicos is the group that leads the most famous cosplay races in Italy in a circuit that will decide the winner of the “Cosplay Italian Cup”. Pending the verdict of the jury, the singer Francesca “Fiore di Luna”, famous for her TV appearances on “The Wall” on Mediaset, will entertain the audience with a short live concert.
On Sunday at the Porta del Paese at 2.00 pm there will be the “Walk Told” with the San Marino Comics Run Walk for anyone who wants to see all the locations that Lupine III touched in the 4th series (blue jacket) which was set in San Marino. Event organized in collaboration with Track & Field San Marino. Lupine Team cosplayers will be present.
The San Marino Comics Festival is increasingly positioning itself as a reference point for this type of event, becoming an unmissable event for the Republic of San Marino and for all Italian fans. Thanks to the collaboration with Lucca Comics, Pescara Comics, Think Comics, Falcomics and Cartoon Club – Riminicomix, the boost of the event will be increasingly important and will give greater prestige to the Republic of San Marino every year.
In fact, in 2021 31,620 visitors were registered in the Titano car parks and 18,166 cable car rides, in addition to the 3400 people estimated in the more peripheral car parks … Over 53,000 people waiting year after year to return to San Marino for the comics and who will not stay disappointed by the rich program proposed in 2022 which will at least contribute to repeating last year’s success.