LCCAF 26: Restocking The Batcave, Italian Style
by Tom Smithyman
As the name implies, the Lake Como Art Festival is all about comic artwork and creators. Writers are not invited, and even when high-profile ones show up, they are not given a table. So attendees line up to snag a commission or a page offered by some of these exemplary creators.
Since I collect Batman art, it’s a perfect place to add to my collection of over 600 pieces. This year was no exception (though I did go out of my way to buy a non-Batman piece from one of my favorite artists at the show.)
With that as a backdrop, let’s reveal my pickups from Italy.
James Stokoe is known for his detail — and he sure delivered a crazy detailed version of the Dark Knight with this piece. I saw him post this on social media and was hoping it was the one I commissioned from him. It’s one of the many highlights from this year’s show.
Another highlight comes from my friend Mark Raats. His photo-realistic depictions are a marvel. With this George Clooney, I have nearly every modern Batman actor from him. Nearly. As we were talking, I realized that I somehow missed the Ben Affleck version. At least that gives me something to look forward to for next year.
Paolo Rivera painted this classic Batman. With the Bat symbol cleverly breaking the piece’s frame. There’s a very modern-looking Gotham City behind the serious detective.
UK-based Laurence Campbell is known for his work on BPRD, Marvel Universe Vs. Wolverine, and Judge Dredd. So it’s no surprise that his Batman is another one of my favorites. This Dark Knight is standing guard over his beloved Gotham City.
Absolute Batman continues to dominate the sales charts as well as collectors’ minds. I asked artist Francesco Tomaselli to paint the Batman of his choice, and he immediately opted for the Absolute version. He wanted to use red to demonstrate the character’s passion. The result is one ticked-off version of the Dark Knight.
Scott Hampton gave a much calmer version of the original Batman. He focused on the calming blues. But make no mistake — this detective is ready to spring into action.
Michael Bair also gave a pretty traditional view of Gotham’s defender. You can see the great detail that Bair put into the piece, including some pitting on the chimney Batman is using for his perch.
One of the show’s biggest disappointments was Brian Bolland’s cancellation just a few weeks ago. There wasn’t much of an expectation that he would be sketching much, but the chance to meet this legendary creator was a huge draw for many of us. Fortunately his art dealer was there with some quick head sketches of the Joker. I grabbed the best one 🙂
I reached out to Argentine legend Enrique Breccia a few months before the show to see if he would draw a Batman for me. He assured me that he would have several at the show for me to choose from. He was a man of his word, and I picked out this beauty.
They can’t all be Batman commissions. I went into this show looking for something from Dave McKean to hang in my bedroom. (No, my wife will not me hang Bats there!) Dave is incredibly generous with his time at the show. If you buy a book from him or even bring one (or three in my case), he will not only sign it, but sketch in it for free. He had several pieces that he created for the Folio Edition of American Gods. I had to have this one. Now to get it framed and on my wall!
It’s a good thing that LCCAF is only once a year. It will take my bank account that long to recover!
