Milo Manara is an artist that has frequently been highlighted by My Country magazine. His latest works are dedicated to “Lockdown Heroes” to produce charity funding to help hospitals situated in Naples, Milan and Padua. The project consisting of 25 illustrations designed by Manara was created in collaboration with Comicon (Comic Festival) and Feltrinelli Comics.

“I cannot say exactly how I started this series of watercolours,” commented Manara, “it was not at all programmed as I simply found myself drawing the first image. I remember the dismay and disbelief of the looming catastrophe that made it impossible to continue my routine work as I just couldn’t concentrate.
It was International Women’s Day – March 8th and I was trying to find an image for the occasion but the emergency news overlapped any inspiration. Doctors and Nurses were facing a virus that they knew nothing of, often without any adequate protection as the wards filled and intensive care facilities proved insufficient. It seemed quite natural after more than fifty years spent celebrating women’s beauty and seduction to also celebrate their other virtues. Together with all health workers many other people continued to work throughout the emergency stages exposing themselves to risk including supermarket cashiers, hospital cleaners, pharmacists and police and military forces amongst others. Giving tribute to women workers at a time like this isn’t just being kind but it means affirming life against death, hope against anguish, beauty against sadness and love against hatred.
Today, we need this even more than ever. I designed them one-by-one to simply thank them… or perhaps even hoping that we will remember them all when this is all over” …

LOCKDOWN HEROES will be on-sale in Bookshops from July 30th and is already available by pre-order.
Lafeltrinelli.it, Ibs.it, shop.comicon.it/milo-manara, Amazon.it, Hoepli.it, Webster.it

Source ©My Country magazine – July 2020 (page 5)