Christmas special issueonline magazine

Produced by Anonima Fumetti in collaboration with Scuola Cottolengo and Accademia Albertina di Belle Arti

Editing Nico Vassallo and Bonsignori Fr Andrea

CoverArash Eftekhari

Optimization, Graphic Design, EditingStudio Parlapà - Davide G.G. Caci

Artistic AdviceGianfranco Costagliola e Pierpaolo Rovero

Web EditingGianfranco Goria

English TranslationFiorenzo Delle Rupi

p. 5Scrum at Cottolengo!

Fourth arc: An Unexpected GiftNico Vassallo Initial Idea

Alberto Arato Story

Andrea Dotta Art & Colors

Studio Parlapà Lettering & Editing

p. 15The Thunderstorm

Jacopo Maria Vassallo Research and Interviews

Alberto Arato Story

Elena Barberis Art, Colors & Lettering

p. 21The Mirror

Jacopo Maria Vassallo Research and Interviews

Alberto Arato Story

Cristina Carnino Art, Colors & Lettering

Online magazine produced by:

THE HIDDEN CITY

Here we go again!

Yes, we are a little late, but then again, even if we live in a comic book world, between a “gulp”, a “sbam” and a “splash” we have to take care of the real life as well. Still, we live in the world of comic books, not in a world of dreams, and so... we are fully awake!

After all, we have always loved comic books, and we have always stayed a little young. So we can joyfully enter a new season alongside our Hidden City, a season we may call winter, or, even better, Christmas!

Someone is discovering school for the first time this year, and they are getting acquainted with friends, teachers, a few difficulties and a little melancholy. Others have a hard time getting back to school after the good days of summertime, but they are also excited to meet again all those little things they loved in their class. Others have to get back to work (if they are lucky enough to still have a job), and they wish they didn’t have to work at all... and so on. We all have our personal stories.

Some have new goals, others are still pursuing their old goals. Some people grudgingly get back to work together, others are happy to be here again. Anyway, it’s a new beginning.

The same applies to our “Hidden City” as well, ready to start a new path, but still lively and sparkling. The excitement of a new beginning may soon leave room to the winter of fatigue and routine, but these pages will always feature the energy of a new discovery, a lofty cause to sustain, that special feeling of a world that can be changed through little things. We will find out that we can protect the weak, help those who have less than us even if it is not their fault, and we can keep quietly building a new city, maybe a hidden one... but surely a different city! Let’s keep walking side by side and help us. A few words, a comment, a suggestion from you (segreteria@anonimafumetti.org) are always invaluable to us!

Bonsignori Fr Andrea

ARC 4: AN UNEXPECTED GIFT

Can we begin to play?

Fine, now we Can begin

to play.

we begin to play when i say so, is that

CLEAR?!

what’s the matter? aren’t

you Coming to play?

group deFense? me not sure what

it means...

at last!

about time!

oh!

what?

oh!

I sAId pLAy! pLAy! pLAy! me do

not under-stand...

...and Change your paCe! in a group deFense, you must

widen your game, pass quiCkly...

no AbsEnt-mIndEd!

how old will he

be?

i don’t know. he’s going to be twelve, i think...

what should we get him?

i don’t know what Jaromir likes...

how about a Coupon For my unCle’s pastiCCeria?

a kimono For his

Ju-Jitsu training...

a good hair gel... he would look so

Cool with a mohawk!

i know what he’d like: a

Cellphone. i’m sure he doesn’t

have one.

Good IdEA!

three euros, twelve Cents and two buttons?

ok boys, let’s ColleCt the money. how muCh do

we have?

i think this is a dumb idea!

working to purChase a giFt doesn’t look like a bad thing to me.

old ComiCs! we are selling old ComiCs, i Can’t believe ite!

Cut it out, someone is Coming.

may i help you?

ComiC books?

1974?

in Chinese?

pfffff!

mwhahahaha! Chinese ComiC books dated 1974... and you hope

to sell these...?! ha!

so whAt? thEy usEd to bELonG

to my fAthER, thEy ARE just A LIttLE...

vIntAGE!

Chinese vintage ComiCs... ha! ha! ha!

I InsIst. thIs Is A dumb IdEA!

stop It!

stop!

let’s tie this beast to the benCh, we will have

a moment oF rest...

selling sandwiChes... we should be selling

sandwiChes, rather than being dog-sitters!

rasCals! vandals!

...iF we Can!

to the park... we are going to the

park...

i think we should... ARGh!

hELp!

stupId doG... hEEEEELp!

later…

i say you have to try!

you do it, iF you dare!

It’s not my fAuLt If wE hAvEn’t mAdE A sIn-

GLE CEnt wIth youR ImpRovIsEd

jobs!

so, just Go!

exCuse me, sir, you are watChing the matCh, aren’t you?

so what?

i should... well, the team or-dered me to sell you a

tiCket...

you have been very Clear... apologies...

on thE sIdE, pAss It on thE sIIIIIIIIIIdE!

don’t worry about that... we’ll Find a solution,

you’ll see...

shut up, peCker!

aCtually, we...

Come on, spit it out, what’s the problem?

a group deFense must be outFlanked, and blah, blah, blah...

on thE sIdE, pAss It on thE sIIIIIIIIIIdE!

what did he say?

that we’ll get the giFt, somehow. now, let’s outFlank them! go on the other side!

and what about the

giFt?

don barnaba said we shouldn’t worry

about that. wE sCoREd!

hello, don barnaba, i have something For you...

what is it?

i don’t know! they Just said “give it to don barnaba... it’s a

giFt...”

Come here, everybody!

where’s Jaromir?

here’s your giFt For Jaromir!

happy birthday, Jaromir!

hAppy bIRthdAy to youuuuuuu!

i Can’t believe it... i Can’t believe it... a Cellphone, Just For me..!

Put your hand where your money is, and whatever will be, will be: give it

merrily to your brothers!

AC ID

Introduction: Well, is there someone who has something against girls playing rugby? Come here and tell me that in person, and

I’ll break your neck... What did you say? Why do they call me “Acid”? Take a guess...Name: LorellaSurname: Boy, aren’t you a little too curious? What do you

need my surname for? Are you going to pull some prank on me?

Special Traits: I am the top, the only girl who makes the difference in this pitiful team. If it weren’t for me...

Boyfriend: There’s no boy that can consider himself my equal. Pfft. Everyday there’s someone who tries to flirt with me, but I know how to keep those clods at arm’s length.Close Friends: Friends? Hmph. It’s better to watch your

back. Everybody gets mushy when you’re looking, but as soon as you turn your back on them... bang! You’re done for. Here

it’s slightly better than elsewhere, but I am not making any mistake... sooner or later it’ll happen here too...

Occasional Enemies: The others.Sworn Enemies: The others.Wishes: Everybody should look at me when I’m doing

something, and everybody should realize how good I am. What I really don’t get is why it seems that nobody can stand me. I always say loud and clear what I think about a person in her face. And yet, it seems that this policy it’s not too appreciated... Criticisms? I like those a lot, I am an expert in criticismsBut if someone dares to criticize me, well, his life expectancy is going to get awfully short...

a regular aFternoon at a magazine’s headquarters...

no, “tourism oF sorrow”

sounds better!

blaCk tourism?

the reports are surely

impressive...

Just to see Costa ConCor-dia’s wreCkage oFF the giglio’s

Coast, tourism is reporting

an inCrease oF 48%.

the mansion oF Cogne’s mur-der, the garage

where sara sCazzi was killed, the plaCe were yara gambirasio was

Found dead... gen-tlemen, tourism on a tragedy’s

sCene is a sound business by

now!

so? whAt’s thE tIt-

LE?

the plaCes oF death!

dark tourism?

horror travels?

a regular aFternoon at Cottolengo.

they have insisted

so muCh... they have Just wed,

and they’re spending

their honey-moon

in turin.

very well! let them in!

thank you, don mike! you know, we’ve Come From

so Far!

we were married only two

days ago!

god bless you! what Can i

do For you?

well, you see, we know that

you keep a lot oF gravely misshapen Freaks here, and so... we Couldn’t leave beFore we

saw... ...Cotto-LEnGo’s

monstERs!

keep Calm. this is another test.

get out oF here!

shame on you! pain is not a show!

how rude!

why is he treating us like this?

is there some-thing

wrong?don

mike is a mad-man!

what did he do?

we only

asked to see the mon-sters

you keep here!

Just this? well, maybe he is a little stressed. iF you wish, i Can show them to

you.

oh, god, i’m so thrilled!

that’s it!

i think i see

some-one!

i’m a little

sCared!

it’s dark...

really? would you help us?

go through that door and Follow that Corridor,then turn

right... at the end, you should Find what you

are looking For!

a kind person, at last!

oF Course! it’s easy.

but... it’s a mirror! it’s us...

...we are the mon-sters!

a regular aFternoon at Cottolengo.

that’s inCredi-

ble!

something’s wrong?

no, on the

Contrary! those two newlyweds have sold

their wedding presents...

and they are sending us the money to help the

siCk...

that’s interest-

ing!

they want to look

aFter us!

yes... sometimes looking into yourselF

will help you look aFter the others!

The Hidden City is a project of:

Scuola Cottolengo

In collaboration with:

Anonima Fumetti association of professional of comics, with the task of enhancing the art of comics also as a chance to read for young people.

Associazione Sportiva GiuCo (Sports Association GiuCo) association that uses Sport as a way of integration. For several years now it play “normal” championships with all di-sadvantaged people according to the principles of St. Joseph Cottolengo.

This work has been supported by:

For info on The Hidden City, contact us.segreteria@anonimafumetti.org