John Romita Jr., Terry Dodson, and more sign on for Lake Como Comic Art Festival's new podcast series

Popverse's top stories of the day

• Hannibal wouldn't be a fan of Chicago's local food scene, according to Mads Mikkelsen (but, then again, he's a cannibal)
• Watch: Artist's Alley Asks: Superman or Fantastic Four? Gene Ha, Cully Hamner, Jarrett Melendez, Rachael Stott, Soo Lee, and Tim Seeley weigh in on their cinematic preference
• Brandon Sanderson tried (very hard) to change one character arc on the Wheel of Time show

In advance of the annual event taking place this May, the Lake Comic Comic Art Festival has unveiled a new podcast series featuring many of the high-profile guests attending the show, including Tula Lotay, Olivier Coipel, and John Romita Jr.

Hosted by respected editor, art collector, and originator of the oversized 'Artist Edition' format Scott Dunbier, the podcast (available via Lake Como Comic Art Festival's website) will release new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday throughout April, beginning with an interview with Spanish illustrator Juanjo Guarnido, with future episodes featuring Tula Lotay, Sean Gordon Murphy, Terry Dodson, Lee Bermejo, Olivier Coipel and John Romita Jr. The show is produced in conjunction with Comic Book Pros.

All of this is leading up to this year’s Lake Como Comic Art Festival, which runs Friday May 17 through Sunday May 19 at the beautiful Villa Erba in Cernobbio, on the shores of Lake Como, Italy. All of the above listed podcast guests will be present at this year’s show — which has been running since 2018, and described as “paradise for the comic art community” — with other guests including Alex Maleev, Belen Ortega, Bill Sienkiewicz, Charles Vess, DaNi, Elena Casagrande, Emmanuela Lupachino, Esad Ribic, Frank Quitely, Jordi Bernet, Marco Checchetto, Sara Pichelli, Stan Sakai, and many many more.

Related: Comic conventions: a comprehensive guide to all of the major upcoming comic cons

To mark the occasion, the Festival is producing an exclusive fine art portfolio featuring previously unseen prints from a number of the artists attending the show, unbound and ready for framing. The portfolio will only be available with the purchase of a 2-day or all-access pass before April 10, and will be available upon check-in to the festival itself.

For more information on the new podcast series, as well as the event itself, head to the Lake Comic Comic Art Festival official site… and maybe start thinking about a last-minute trip to Europe, just in case.

Comics aren't just a medium, they're a large. Get into the vibrant world of comics with our guide to buying digital comics, how to make the most out of comic shops, comic shops, and our comprehensive guide to the upcoming comics, manga, and graphic novels you should be looking for.