Voice Actor Troy Baker, Composer Austin Wintory Among Major Guests at Naples Pop Culture Festival

Voice actor Troy Baker, video game composer Austin Wintory, and manga editor Kazuhiko Torishima will attend Italy's Comicon Napoli, running April 30 through May 3. The festival, held in Naples, has confirmed more than a dozen international creators from comics, animation, and gaming as featured guests.

Comicon Napoli organizers announced the guest lineup for the 26th edition of the annual pop culture event. Baker is known for voice work on "The Last of Us," while Wintory composed music for "Journey" and "Assassin's Creed Syndicate" and holds a Grammy nomination. Torishima served as editor for the "Dragon Ball" manga series and has shaped the franchise's development over decades.

The festival also confirmed Aurélien Predal, a production designer and concept artist at Sony Pictures Animation who worked on "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," "Inside Out 2," and the "Despicable Me" films. Makoto Yukimura, creator of the manga series "Planetes" and the anime adaptation "Vinland Saga," will attend alongside British comic artist Liam Sharpe, known for work on DC Comics' "The Green Lantern."

Additional confirmed guests include manga artist Satoshi Shiki, Serbian comic book artist R.M. Guéra (known for the DC series "Scalped"), Disney comics illustrator Don Rosa, and Andrea Pessino, co-founder of video game studio Ready at Dawn. The festival will also feature a major exhibition honoring underground cartoonist Robert Crumb, described by organizers as a cornerstone of this year's programming.

Comicon Napoli drew 183,000 visitors in 2025, making it a major European fandom event. The festival's poster was designed by Predal for the 2026 edition.

Context

Comicon Napoli has grown into one of Europe's largest pop culture gatherings since its inception. The event attracts international creators across multiple entertainment mediums—comics, animation, video games, and manga—reflecting the convergence of global fandom communities. The 183,000 attendees last year placed it among the continent's top conventions by attendance, comparable to major events like San Diego Comic-Con's reach in North America, though Comicon Napoli operates at a smaller scale with its European base.

The guest roster reflects the festival's emphasis on international talent. Previous editions have featured creators from Japan, North America, and Europe, establishing the Naples event as a destination for both established industry figures and emerging artists seeking European exposure.

What's Next

The April 30 opening of Comicon Napoli will mark the first major gathering of this scale for several of the confirmed guests. Fans attending will have opportunities to meet creators across disciplines—from voice acting to manga editing to video game composition—in a single venue, a rarity outside of larger industry conferences. The festival's four-day run will likely draw significant attendance given the breadth of the guest list and the Robert Crumb exhibition, which organizers have positioned as a major draw for this edition.