Zerocalcare abandons Lucca Comics over Israeli embassy sponsorship

“Without mincing words: Unfortunately, the patronage of the Israeli embassy on Lucca Comics for me represents a problem” and “for me to come and celebrate in there represents a short circuit that I cannot handle.”

This is how comic artist Zerocalcare with a Facebook post announces his withdrawal from participation in the most important event in the comics industry in Italy, which takes place in Lucca, this year from November 1 to 5.

The artist’s decision not to go to “Lucca Comics & Games” 2023 was dictated by the fact that the exhibition-market that brings over 250 thousand paying visitors to the city this year also has the patronage of the Embassy of Israel in Italy. An all-political decision, he explains it to his readers as follows: “At this moment when two million people are stuck in Gaza who do not even know if they will be alive the next day, after more than 6,000 civilian deaths, starving men women and children reduced to exhaustion waiting for the next bombardment or ground invasion, while politicians rant on TV that there are no civilians in Gaza and that Gaza must’be destroyed, while even the United Nations calls for a ceasefire-the minimum really-that is contemptuously refused, for me to come and celebrate in there represents a short circuit that I cannot handle.”

A post that in 6 hours garnered 60 thousand likes 4611 comments and 10588 shares and accessed a media and social debate with a jumble of statements and stances for or against the designator’s decision. For the sake of completeness, the event that of Lucca that has become a must for the entire world of comics expanding then to the contaminations of neighboring genres that for decades has been held within the ancient walls of the Tuscan city invading it with young and old often dressed in the costumes of their favorite characters, is organized - as stated on the website - by the City of Lucca, LuccaCrea in collaboration with the Region of Tuscany and the Province of Lucca, under the Patronage of the Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Consulate General of the United States of America in Florence Embassy of Israel in Italy. Main Partner Isybank and Main media partner Rai.

Now, apart from the peculiarity of being sponsored by a foreign consulate and embassy (last year neither was present and there was and this year there is no the cooperation of the European Commission (on the whole therefore all maximally institutional and ’neutral’ entities), without a doubt the pairing that has come together certainly expresses a side to the conflict now taking place in Gaza after the terrorist attacks on Israel. Although it must be said that like all events of this kind, the timing of organization and preparation greatly anticipates the days of the event, and thus the choice of sponsorships was made with an earlier timing than the bloody events of this October.

Zerocalcare, whose real name is Michele Rech was supposed to participate in initiatives organized by his publisher Bao Publishing in its booth and would be the protagonist of a panel dedicated to him entitled ’Zero. None. One Hundred Thousand,’ in the post he goes on to describe himself as sorry “towards the publishing house, the readers who spent money on trains and lodgings maybe to come on purpose, and also for myself, because Lucca for me has always been a giant takeover but also a moment of warmth and meeting.” No doubt many would come to meet him after the successes of the graphic novel series on Netflix. And on the logo of the Embassy of Israel featured on the festival materials, he goes on to say that "I know that the one on the poster is just a symbol, but that symbol for many people close to me represents right now the fear of not seeing the sun rise in the morning, the rubble under which loved ones are buried, the threat of dying trapped in that open-air prison where so many boys and girls were born and grew up without ever being able to get out.

The cartoonist also reveals that he was in "Gaza several years ago, I know people who still live there and people who went there to build solidarity, sports, hip hop and writing projects. When these people ask me how is it possible that a cultural event of this importance does not question the appropriateness of collaborating with the representation of a government that is perpetrating war crimes in defiance of international law, I honestly cannot provide an explanation. I cannot even tell them of my regret that I am not there and how much this tears me apart when I compare it to the anguish I hear in their voices.

This is not a contest of radicalism, and there is no lecture or moral judgment on my part toward those who will go to Lucca and do so in the way they see fit, especially not a challenge to the presence of the two poster authors Asaf and Tomer Hanuka, who I hope will be able to be there and feel at home, because I never thought that peoples and individuals coincided with their governments. I hope that one day the Palestinian cartoonists who are currently unable to leave their country can be there as well."

Among the first to express opposition to this decision was Transport Minister Salvini and vice-president of the Council, who attacked harshly: “It’s unfortunate that for someone the support of the Israeli embassy to a beautiful cultural event is a problem, to the point of canceling the presence. I feel exactly the opposite, and I will do everything I can to be at Lucca Comics. Hurray for art, hurray for freedom.”

Zerocalcare abandons Lucca Comics over Israeli embassy sponsorship

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