Three comics and three films not to be missed at Lucca Comics & Games

A new weekly instalment of DECODER, the Il Foglio column edited by Gianluca De Angelis and devoted entirely to pop culture: a veritable guide to navigating this vast world through all its new releases, whilst also inviting readers to delve into the classics by immersing themselves in comics, films, series and games. This week, however, to mark one of the most eagerly awaited events in these worlds – Lucca Comics & Games – we have compiled a concise guide to three comic books that readers should catch up on, and three films to watch for, which will be screened during the event itself.

From the world of comics, we have selected three highly diverse works, ranging from experimental pieces to major comebacks. The first is Popeye in a Tin Theatre, a massive editorial project launched by the independent collective Ragdoll Fumetti Scomposti, which takes the character of Popeye and reimagines him in an infinite number of unrelated works – including posters, booklets, volumes and interactive narratives – all contained within a huge tin that mimics the character’s famous tins of spinach. Not to be missed.

The second comic, however, is "American Caper – The Blues of the Redpilled", published by Panini Comics and written by Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser, one of the narrative minds behind "Grand Theft Auto", "Red Dead Redemption" and "Bully". It is ideal for readers seeking a political and irreverent comic that portrays contemporary America as if it were, in itself, a giant crime story.

Finally, the return of a great classic: Pinky, by Massimo Mattioli, in a comprehensive, multi-volume edition published by ReNoir / Nona Arte, with the first volume being launched at Lucca Comics & Games. A major part of Italian comic history, it first appeared in 1973 in the pages of Il Giornalino and went on to run for over forty years. A character seemingly aimed at children—colourful and accessible—yet created by one of the most anarchic and experimental authors in Italian comics, whose stories have delivered brilliant and surreal sequences, taking reporter Pinky on adventures amongst aliens, monsters and absurd inventions. Not to be missed.

Turning to cinema, three screenings are scheduled during the Lucca festival. The first is the film "Look Back", distributed in Italian cinemas by Lucky Red: a film adapted from the manga of the same name by Tatsuki Fujimoto and directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, who will be a guest at the Lucca festival. A work that explores art, the creative process and deep friendship, and which thus perfectly embodies the spirit of community that permeates this event.

The second is the grand return of the King of the Kaiju with "Godzilla: Minus Zero". A highly anticipated sequel to a film which, in 2023, took a seventy-year-old franchise and made it tangible, real and terrifying: a narrative centred on human beings set in a war-torn Japan, where cinema’s most famous monster came to symbolise trauma, the survivors’ sense of guilt and an entire country literally forced to start from scratch.

Finally, the third film we recommend is decidedly lighter in tone, but no less interesting: we’re talking about "Shaun the Sheep: Operation Z.U.C.C.A.", also distributed by Lucky Red and produced by the British studio Aardman Animations, an icon of stop-motion animation. This is worth highlighting because the film’s director, Matthew Walker, and, above all, Aardman co-founder Peter Lord will also be guests in Lucca; they will hold several talks revealing the behind-the-scenes story of the film and discussing a craft-based approach to animation that has become a symbol of slowness and physicality, in stark contrast to an ever-accelerating digital world.

On this occasion, we present six works designed to guide readers and provide useful directions during this edition of Lucca Comics & Games. DECODER aims to decode the present, including through its new popular myths, piecing together, week after week and event after event, a vast map that charts, more than ever, the infinite nuances and directions of our present. We look forward to meeting you again next week for another selection of essential titles.