Stefano Antonucci's Quarantine and New Graphic Novel 'La fattoria dell'animale'

Italian satirical cartoonist Stefano Antonucci, known for works like 'Quando c'era LVI' and 'Il piccolo Führer', discusses his quarantine experience and his latest graphic novel 'La fattoria dell'animale', published by Feltrinelli Comics. The book is a parody of George Orwell's 'Animal Farm', recontextualized to critique contemporary populist politics worldwide, from Trump to Salvini, Boris Johnson, and Bolsonaro. Created with Daniele Fabbri and Maurizio Boscarol, the comic uses a dual narrative: visuals present events without judgment, while text offers a propagandistic, distorted version. Antonucci, born in Pescina in 1987, lives in Lettomanoppello, a small town in the Abruzzo Apennines. He notes that the promotional tour for the book was canceled due to Italy's lockdown, and he faces uncertainty in the publishing industry. Despite working from home, he finds the sudden shift destabilizing. Antonucci's satire often blends politics and religion, using grotesque imagery such as Saint-Exupéry's Little Prince with Hitler's features or Mussolini resurrected via a Frankenstein experiment. He describes his work as experimental, choosing the medium based on the idea. After the lockdown, he plans to rest at home.