Comic strips return to print: BeccoGiallo publishes Cassandra Calin and Gabriele Villani

Despite the digital age, comic strips are making a comeback in print. BeccoGiallo, an Italian publisher known for 'fumetti d'impegno civile' (socially engaged comics), has released two new books that signal a return to the origins of the medium: humorous yet thoughtful strips reminiscent of Peanuts, Pogo, Calvin & Hobbes, Lupo Alberto, and Mafalda. The first, 'Prendersela comoda' by Cassandra Calin (born 1994 in Romania, moved to Montreal at age ten), collects her semi-autobiographical micro-stories that have garnered four million online followers. Her work focuses on everyday life—her room, apartment, friends, boyfriend, yoga, TV, food, diets—rendered in a round, appealing style that balances minimalism with surprising insights. The second, 'Coma empirico. Tutta la notte del mondo' by Gabriele Villani (28, from Taranto), features a character resembling a young Corto Maltese who navigates melancholy and existential questions, engaging in dialogues with the moon and cats. Villani has 300,000 followers despite writing in Italian. Both books were published in Padua in 2018, priced €18 and €15 respectively.