The intense program of the Officina del Sole continues with events on themes and characters linked to the art of comics such as the recent presentation of the graphic novel “Paolo Borsellino. A story to tell” by Marco Sonseri and Gian Luca Doretto, published by ReNoir.
The workshop is frequented by many young people who want to learn techniques and ideas, personally meeting their artistic reference points. In a year of activity it has promoted more than 20 “indoor” events, in addition to initiatives and workshops in schools and in the city, with the message that comics can create income. A positive signal in contrast with the haemorrhage and flight of young talents from Messina.
A spearhead of this Center is Lelio Bonaccorsoan established illustrator who in recent months has worked on Spiderman, one of the most iconic characters in the world of comics, through a very important collaboration with Disney/Marvel for Spider-Man Magazine, already released in the United Kingdom. At his side as inker, in this undertaking as well as in the work of the last ten years, is Fabio Franchi which has already published with national and international publishing houses such as Feltrinelli, Glénat, Tunué and Steinkis. If the illustrator creates the drawing of the characters from a blank sheet of paper, the inker goes over the drawing, cleans it up, underlines it and then passes everything on to the colourist. Although there are designers who also take care of the inker's part, the industrial pace of dividing roles is increasingly widespread also with a view to saving time.
«In March 2023 – says Lelio Bonaccorso – I was contacted by Disney, owner of Marvel, for this ongoing project which is Spiderman Magazine, aimed above all at a young audience, with stories produced with artists and then sold to various publishing houses around the world . As soon as I got the job, due to my philosophy of conceiving comics as a tool for those who work with me and in the area, I asked to be able to have my inker Fabio Franchi who has a high technical profile and my trust at my side. He took a test, passed very well, and worked on Spiderman and also for other publications. We are a team for Disney, with two other Sicilians, who have received good reviews from both the company and users. We have already done four issues of the magazine and we are working on the fifth.”
And Fabio Franchi tells his story: «I was a chemistry student until 2008, when I met Lelio in a conference at the Province while he was telling his story. I was just a comics reader, a collector, but after that testimony my life changed direction. I started following Lelio, I attended the comics school in Palermo and finally I started working in the shadows, training first as an illustrator and then as an inker. An encounter changed the course of my life as I hope will happen through encounters with very young people in schools or in the workshop. You can live in Messina and work for France or America, it's a great opportunity. It's right to have professional and human experiences outside and then return, it's right to dream.”