From 12 to 14 May 2023 at the Mattatoio in Rome he returns ARF! Festival, the celebration of those who love, read, write, draw and breathe comics. Three days of Stories, Signs & Drawingsa total immersion in comics in the center of Testaccio, a district-symbol of the capital’s creative ferment, thanks to theARFist Alley to meet dozens of international cartoon stars (Pepe Larraz, Otto Schmidtthe Collective Harassment, Werther Dell’Edera, Rita Petrucciolijust to name a few), to Job ARF!meeting place between publishing houses and aspiring professionals, alla Self ARF! entirely dedicated to independent publishing, toARF! Kidsan area for quality creative workshops, meetings with books and readings, under the guidance of the best talents in children’s publishing on the Italian scene.

Inevitable, then, the TALK room, pulsating engine as well as a real “trademark” of ARF!, which will be animated again this year by the greats of international comics, publishers, independent authors and personalities from the world of cinema and music. The first meeting on Friday, the official opening of the festival, will see the protagonist Zero limestonewho will answer the questions of a room entirely made up of under 14 boys. Following the absolute preview presentation of the animated video Detective Scott-X & Pandoro realized by Gigaciao (Sio, Giacomo Bevilacqua, Dado and Fraffrog) for the Centrale del Latte in Rome, the new partner of the event.

The rich program will also see, among others, Lillo, Caparezza, Ivan Silvestrini, Raiz and Giacomo Giorgio Of Sea OutLuana Belsito Shintarō Kago, Pear ToonsNut Of Gicaciao, Will McPhailZuzu, Gipi, Barbara Baraldi, LRNZ, Nicoletta Baldari (author of the ARF!2023 manifesto), Valerio Lundini, Greg in addition to Lectio Magistralis held by three masters of author comics Igort, Lorenzo Mattotti And Francesca Ghermandi (here the program of the talks).

The big news of ARF! 9 is the BOOKSHOW®the exhibition space of over 500 square meters (in collaboration with the Giufà bookshop) where it will be possible to find a large representation of the major comic book publishing houses with their own novelties and the authors for sketches and dedications.

For the ninth edition of ARF! they will be set up 11 exhibitions in different spaces, three of which are already underway: De Sagittis and Seminibus Of David Aja at the Sala Dalì in Piazza Navona and the great anthology dedicated to Sergio Toppi, Geographies of Adventure to The Cowshed to Eur, where the works of I VALUE ITthe winner of the 2022 Bartoli Prize.

The other 8 exhibitions, all exclusive, will be open to visitors during the busy weekend of activities 12,13 and 14 May, from 10 to 20 at La Pelanda at the slaughterhouse. Nicoletta Baldari (author of the ARF! 2023 manifesto) the cartoonist, illustrator and character designer, among many characters, from Frozen, The Incredibles, Star Wars, Spider-Man, Big Hero 6 will present Kaleidoscope and Spanish Pepe Larraz designer Marvelwill be on show for the first time in Italy with absolutely unique pieces by [RE]BUILDING HEROES. Another absolute preview is the exhibition of the tables by Lancelot of the master Lorenzo Mattotti which will be published at the end of 2023 in volume IV of the tetralogy Arthur, Lancelot and the Grail of Einaudi’s Millennia.

TO Lillo, aka Pasquale Petrolo, special guest of this edition, ARF! also dedicates an exhibition entitled Lillo & Friends in which the famous actor is the protagonist with all his characters, born from his pencil and those of fellow cartoonists such as Greg, Michelangelo the Snow, Franco Saudelli, Gabriel Dell’Otto, Luca Usai, Lorenzo La Neve and Giancarlo Caracuzzo. It’s still Slaughterhouse, the rough, very powerful signs that sculpt black and white in the art of Werther Dell’Ederaan occasion, also a world premiere, to be able to admire live the pictorial experiments related to Ultraman, Batman, Orfani, Dylan Dog, up to Something is Killing the Children and NO ENTRY — Entry prohibited Of Shintarō Kago, Manga master and relentless investigator of the human soul, between body-horror, sensual paranoia, tender kittens and other frivolous and romantic atrocities.

In the Kids Area Mafalda! an exhibition itinerary that tells, in a selection of over one hundred strips, the world of the Argentine girl created by Not here and for the Self ARF section! the talent of Margherita Morottiartist, cartoonist and illustrator with Mirages, Nightmares and Obsessionsstories with an obsession for details and mystical quotes from different cultures for a sophisticated and punk narrative at the same time.

Since its first edition ARF! is also synonymous with solidarity: after Emergency, Cesvi, Dynamo Camp, Amnesty International, UNHCR, Mediterranea Saving Humans and the daSud anti-mafia association, this year the solidarity partner of the Festival will be Doctors Without Borders.

ARF! born in 2015, in just a few years, from a small independent festival it has turned into one of the national reference events in the sector, attracting over 15,000 visitors to the last major edition, including enthusiasts and curious, children, teenagers and families. Conceived and organized by Daniele “Gud” Bonomo, Paolo “Ottokin” Campana, Stefano “S3Keno” Piccoli, Mauro Uzzeo And Fabrizio Verrocchi, ARF! is part of RIFF (Italian Comics Festival Network).

The ninth edition is promotedto from Department of Culture of Rome Capital and Palaexpo Special Company with support of the Lazio Region and of the Centrale del Latte in Rome and the ATAC partnership.