BilBOlbul 2018: Bologna's Comics Festival Returns with Kirby, Cattani, and Brinkman

The 12th edition of BilBOlbul, Bologna's international comics festival, runs from November 22, 2018, featuring a program centered on fantasy as a tool to understand reality. Highlights include a lectio magistralis by French cartoonist David B. on November 22 at the Accademia di Belle Arti; the exhibition 'Jack Kirby. Mostri, uomini, dei' at Fondazione del Monte di Bologna e Ravenna, surveying the work of the superhero pioneer; and two shows at the Pinacoteca Nazionale: 'Risorse umane' by local artist Francesco Cattani and 'The Dungeon Master,' the first global retrospective of American underground comic artist Mat Brinkman. Swedish author Emelie Östergren presents 'Mangiami bevimi' at Sqaudro, exploring childhood and fantasy. A conference and exhibition honor Guido Buzzelli. Festival director Alessia Tommasini explains the event's evolution: from establishing graphic novels as high culture (first seven editions), to a lab phase focusing on young artists and self-production, to the current third phase emphasizing curation and reader education. Tommasini notes that while youtubers and cosplayers attract audiences, BilBOlbul remains author- and work-focused. The festival aims to attract superhero fans via Kirby and convert them to auteur comics. Future plans include strengthening educational initiatives through workshops, student-artist meetings, and university collaborations.