10 and a half months have passed since the conclusion of the Special “Licence to kill – 70 years of 007“, dedicated to James Bond, and even 12 since the Special “WE CELEBRATE DOCTOR WHO 60 YEARS“. They were two very important projects for this site and for our association, now we want to experience new ones.
After having completed the projects of Reading Comics in Schools – 5 and a half, really beautiful ones, really intense but also very demanding and tiring – and after the first short Special of 2025, dedicated to the memory of the Italian musician and singer Lucio Dalla, we want to fly far away and the occasion is propitious: the new Special of this year.
Anticipated by some news reported in the previous newsletters, the SPECIAL “DAN DARE, PILOT OF THE FUTURE” arrives on these digital pages. Let’s see in detail what it is about with an introduction written by Daniele Tomasi (whom we also thank for the graphics of the presentation header).
Also, we want to thanks our friend and traveling companion John Freeman, who suggested this Special last year (and who obviously we involved).
Please note: This Special Project, like all the others on this digital magazine, is not for profit but only for informative and educational purposes, and the same is valid for the used images, which are © of the rights holders.
Mario Benenati, creator of the Cultural projects of the Italian association Fumettomania Factory APS
Starting from the beginning of July, the Fumettomania website is offering a new Special Project dedicated to one of the most important science fiction comics created in England: DAN DARE PILOT OF THE FUTURE.
Every 7 days a new contribution focused on the space hero will be accessible.
DAN DARE was created, both for the texts and drawings, by the illustrator Frank Hampson, and published in the weekly comics “Eagle” from 1950 to 1967, two pages in each issue. The magazine was immediately a huge success, driven by the character who was always present on the first page. His stories had long and complex plots, with lively dialogues and extremely accurate color drawings made by Hampson and other artists, including Harold Johns, Don Harley, Bruce Cornwell, Greta Tomlinson, Frank Bellamy and Keith Watson.
His adventures, reprinted in volume several times, continued from the 70s in other magazines, and are still presented in a magazine as the continuation of the adventures from where they left off in the original “Eagle“, with a style as close as possible to that of the classic strip. Various radio dramas, an animated television series and some video games have been made about Dan Dare, and it has been translated and published in many countries.
The Fumettomania DAN DARE SPECIAL wants to present all these aspects to make you discover and be fascinated by a classic of science fiction comics, exploring these topics:
– the editorial history of DAN DARE and the life of its creator Frank Hampson;
– the editions of Dan Dare translated in various parts of the world;
– the transpositions in various media;
– the editorial projects never realized;
– the current production and publication in the magazine “Spaceship Away”;
– activities and structure of the Eagle Society;
– activities and structure of the Dan Dare Corporation.
A fundamental contribution was given by experts about the character and comics in general, such as the British association EAGLE SOCIETY, the journalist, editor, blogger John Freeman, the Italian association TERRE DI CONFINE, whom we warmly thank.
As always, Fumettomania offers the opportunity to all artists, professionals and non-professionals, to propose their contribution, consisting of a color illustration or a comic strip, but also to writers who want to try their hand at a short story.
Read further down the infos to contribute and participate!!!
The appointment, for the first contribution that we will propose, is July 3rd!!!
Daniele Tomasi
INFORMATIONS TO CONTRIBUTE:
Participation method is the same for all our projects, those that will be published in the ONLINE MAGAZINE as well as the projects on the TERRITORY (the EXHIBITIONS, in other words).
Designers, illustrators, writers, journalists, cultural associations, members of Fumettomania and site contributors are invited to participate freely through newsletter or email.
Articles and drawings (illustrations) will be published on our web magazine, and possibly shown in an exhibition.
The ownership of the work belongs to the artist/writer who created it.
At the end of the exhibition which Fumettomania will possibly organize, each author/owner that have exposed the original artwork will dispose of his work as he wishes: sell it to third parties or donate it to other entities or to the association.
We do not accept works made with AI.
Send us the works from August 30, 2025 to October 30, 2025
Writers (or journalists) can participate with a text, i.e. an article, or with a short essay, minimum 600 words (3600 characters, including spaces).
Artists can participate with a single illustration, or with a short comic story of maximum two pages.
All techniques are accepted: pencils, ink, watercolor, oil, acrylic, digital.
Pages size must be A4 or A3.
Each participating artist must send a scan of the illustration or each page of the comic book story as .JPG with 600 dpi resolution.
The following information about the work must be sent via email to info@fumettomaniafactory.net, to be used for the promotion of the project itself and for the collective exhibition:
– size of the pages;
– title of the work and any caption or short text related to the work;
– medium or technique used;
– any copyright notices.
When the project also includes a collective exhibition (as in this case) artists can send even the original artwork or a signed printout of the work to the following address:
“Fumettomania Factory APS” C/O Mario Benenati,
Vicolo Basilicò 6
98051 Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto (Messina) – Italy
The shipping costs will be reimbursed by Fumettomania Factory APS to those who will make request.
Each work must be accompanied by the author’s biography and a recent photo, in order to give maximum visibility to each of you.
For questions, explanations, clarifications and more information, please contact Fumettomania writing to associazione.fumettomania@gmail.com
Who’s who:
DANIELE TOMASI is a multifaceted creative in the field of ComicArt, acting as artist, letterer, colorist, editor.
With the DTE brand, “the smallest publishing house in the world”, he edited and published three volumes of the “DebbieDillinger” series (where he is even the artist), the first number of “TetroTeatro” magazine (author of texts and drawings), the digital magazine “Continua…” (a free-distribution magazine with comics of various genres and authors, seven issues so far) and three issues of the magazine “Gli Archivi del Fumetto” (new issues and large-format volumes are planned).
He has created comics and illustrations for various Italian publishers (Tunuè, ProGlo, ComixCommunity, UndergroundPress, BotteroEdizioni, Pegasus/Comicus, Antani, Apache, AltaFedeltà).
He has worked as graphic designer for Italian publishers ProGloEdizioni, GreencomService, Shockdom, Palabanda Edizioni and Chimbe.
He has made lettering for Black Velvet and RW Edizioni.
He organizes courses about the Language of Comics.
In Internet you can see some of his artworks on the website danieletomasi.altervista.org , see other works and read some of his thoughts and opinions on the blog danieletomasi.blogspot.com , read for free some of the DTE publications in issuu.com/dteditore, read for free a fake storyboard of the “Spider-man” movie by James Cameron downloading the pdf (screen or print resolution) from the site spidercameron.altervista.org , write to him at the e-mails danieletomasi@gmail.com and dteditore@gmail.com
