The eleventh edition of San Marino Comics ended on Sunday 25 August, the Pop Culture festival organized this year by the San Marino Comics Association and the LEG Group after the successful collaboration of 2023. The claim “Believe” was highly appreciated, which recalled the atmosphere of Frank Baum’s “Wonderful Wizard of Oz” and the image of the poster, created by Christian Cornia. The event attracted 47,000 attendees over the three days. The many events, the numerous new features, the extension of the 12 thematic areas beyond the walls of the historic center, the stages with concerts and meetings of great interest, the prestigious guests have captured the attention of the public, contributing to the success of what, from many quarters, has been defined as one of the most successful editions of the festival.
Among the most followed events: the reunion of Gigi and Andrea, the concert “Neverland” dedicated to the Disney world of ANIMEniacs Corp, the vintage show “Vice is Nice”, which transformed Campo Bruno Reffi into a large open-air disco from the 80s.the meeting with the voice actors Giorgio Perno and Valerio Amoruso of the iconic series Cobra Kai, the exhibition dedicated to Sailor Moon by Japanese masters Hisashi Kagawa and Ikuko Ito, the talks with the magnetic Zeth Castle, the presentation of the biography of the historic TV theme song group I Cavalieri del Re, the meeting with Roberto Genovesi, artistic director of Cartoons On The Bay and director of Rai Libri, the presence of prestigious names in Italian journalism such as Fabrizio Basso of Sky Tg24, the friendliness of the comic duo PanPers and Yoko Yamada, the advice of the influencer Kenta Suzuki, the acclaimed K-pop and the unmissable Cosplay Contest.
The expansion of the thematic areas, extending beyond the walls of the historic center, is a winning move, according to a careful design study carried out on the urban furnishings. In particular, This year’s new areas have received wide acclaim: the E-sport, in collaboration with QLASH, the expanded Harry Potter school of magic inside Palazzo Graziani, the Fantasy Village at the Ex Pattinaggio, the meetings at the Teatro Titano and the Movie Zone with previews and talks dedicated to cinema, the Pet & Friends Area reserved for four-legged friends, for the first time in a POP Culture festival, in collaboration with Marlù. Toxic Train has been a hit among horror fans. inside the Montale Gallery which attracted many curious people.
Satisfaction in the words of the Secretary of State Federico Pedini Amati for the excellent success of this edition: “I am very satisfied with the numbers recorded by the 2024 edition of San Marino Comics. I have reiterated on several occasions how much I believe in this event and in the induced effects it generates, I would say that today, the numbers prove us right. I congratulate the organizers and volunteers who make possible an event that has now reached a clear international caliber and I invite everyone to prepare for 2025”.
“I am very satisfied with how the event was organized in synergy with the LEG Group, which brought new contents compared to previous editions. – declares the artistic director of San Marino Comics Paolo Gualdi – I have to thank the institutions that supported the festival, the Secretariat for Tourism, the Tourism Office and all the Secretariats of State and also the Police Forces that coordinated the security activities, essential in an event like this. The success of the Toxic Train at the Galleria Montale has enhanced an area of the territory of San Marino already well renovated by the Ass. Treno Bianco Azzurro, in this specific case revisited thanks to the work of the Ass. San Marino Comics. The new thematic areas have told an important story of Pop Culture that crosses many sectors. The two Japanese sensei have also donated a work of art to the Pediatrics Department of the State Hospital of San Marino. It was an important team effort that meant that many people flocked to San Marino to play, pay homage and give the Republic so much color in three days lived in total carefreeness”.