The masks and cloaks of Lucca Comics & Games will serve a great cause, blood and plasma donation. The crossover between the culture of donation and the main Italian event dedicated to comics fans will produce “Be a Hero presents: Dice&Donors”, a book born from the collaboration between Italian National Blood Centre, CIVIS, the acronym that brings together the main associations of blood volunteering (AVIS, Italian Red Cross, FIDAS and FRATRES) and Panini Comics, one of the most important comic book publishers and owner of important licenses in Italy including Disney, DC Comics, Marvel, Star Wars.

“Dice and donors” created by the illustrator Giulia Zucca with her style influenced by manga, is an adventure that reiterates in a light tone the importance of donating blood and blood components, highlighting the values that underlie of a gesture of solidarity that allows to save around 1700 lives every day. But it is also an amused homage to the world of role-playing games that immerses its protagonists in the most diverse atmospheres, from fantasy to gothic horror, passing through cyberpunk.

The book, which contains 16 pages of comics and 6 of useful information for those wishing to approach to donation, will be distributed for free in 20 thousand copies during the entire course of the event at the Panini Pavilion (Ex Cavallerizza) and in the coming months it will be distributed in comic shops throughout Italy. In Lucca it will also be possible to meet the author on Sunday 3 November from 2.00pm to 3.00pm for a copy signing session at the Paladediche.

Vincenzo De Angelis, director of CNS, comments: “Blood and plasma donations save lives. not only through transfusions, but also with plasma-derived medicines, produced thanks to donated blood, such as immunoglobulins and albumin. This is a message that must be remembered, every day and by every means, even with the funniest and most colorful ones, comics for example, which have always entertained and fascinated their readers and which have sometimes made them reflect. And we hope that these pages will entertain you, fascinate you and above all make you reflect ”.

Gianpietro Briola, president of AVIS which manages the project on behalf of CIVIS, comments: “The Lucca Comics & Games has always been a highly anticipated and attended event, and we are happy to take part in it again this year. In our opinion, the language of comics is one of the most effective tools to involve and raise awareness among new generations about the importance of donating blood and plasma. We are very proud to be, like AVIS, coordinators of this editorial project for the 2024 edition. I thank all those who collaborated with us for the creation of the comic which, I hope, can help us bring more and more people closer to this precious gesture of solidarity for many patients and for the entire Italian transfusion system ”.

Stefania Simonini, Publishing Manager Panini Comics, adds: “For the third year we are pleased to renew the partnership with the Blood Volunteer Associations and with the National Blood Centre, on the occasion of Lucca Comics & Games 2024, with the production of a new and entertaining comic story to attract new donors especially among the young generations protagonists of the convention. The fun and captivating style of the author Giulia Zucca tells the importance of this gesture of altruism precisely in the language of Millennials and Generation Z, in the hope that this message can then be translated into concrete actions.”

For the author Giulia Zucca: “Donating blood is a simple but fundamental gesture that we can all do to help the others. Telling the importance of donation through comics was an incredibly stimulating experience, not only from a creative point of view! I believe that blood donation, despite being of vital importance, often risks being overshadowed due to lack of information. I wanted my work to not feel like a “task” but rather a way to entertain while learning. This is why I combined my love for role-playing games with comics, creating small adventures that explore the topic of donation from different points of view, always with humour, bright colors and lots of adventure. With this approach, I hope to be able to entertain and educate readers, accompanying them to the end of the story with pleasure. I am truly grateful for this experience. It has been stimulating and rewarding to work on a project that I hope will help young readers better understand the importance of donating blood!”.

Blood and plasma donation is open to all citizens who have valid id.

Physical requirements

To donate the following are needed:

  • age between 18 and 65 (for the first donation 60 years old max, periodic donors can donate up to 70, subject to the consent of the selecting doctor)
  • minimum body weight of 50 kilograms
  • a good health.

For info and to find the nearest blood collecting unit click on the following link: donailsangue.salute.gov.it