LUIS ROYO AND ROMULO ROYO, OFFICIAL ARTISTS FOR THE 25TH ZARAGOZA COMIC FESTIVAL POSTER

Last Thursday, September 17, the poster for the 25th Zaragoza Comic Festival was presented at the Centro Cívico Estación del Norte in Zaragoza. This is a particularly significant edition, as it marks the 25th anniversary of one of the city’s longest-running cultural events dedicated to comics and illustrations. The festival will take place on December 11, 12, and 13, 2026, at the Sala Multiusos of the Zaragoza Auditorium, once again bringing together artists, publishers, bookstores, fanzines, and collectives connected to the world of comics. The presentation also marked the opening of an exhibition showcasing the posters from the festival’s different editions, which can be visited at the Estación del Norte.

 

The evening was conceived as a celebration of art and culture in their many different forms. Throughout the event, there were various performances and artistic presentations, including contemporary dance, acrobatics, theatre, humorous interventions, and other surprises, creating a lively and particularly enjoyable evening.

 

 

The most eagerly awaited moment of the evening came with the unveiling of the poster, a work created by Luis Royo and Romulo Royo. The artwork establishes a compelling dialogue between the past and the future, taking as its starting point the figure of Francisco de Goya and, specifically, one of his best-known works: La Maja Desnuda. Facing the painting is one of the characteristic characters created by Luis Royo and Romulo Royo: a futuristic, cybernetic-looking being who gazes at the painting with fascination.

The image thus presents an impossible encounter between two different eras: on one side, Goya’s painting, created at the end of the 18th century and transformed over the centuries into a universal icon; on the other, a character from an imagined future who observes the artwork from a completely different time.

The artists’ intention is to reflect on the ability of art to transcend its own time. The futuristic character looks at Goya’s work as though discovering something belonging to a distant past, yet something that retains its ability to move and surprise. In this way, the poster reflects on the enduring nature of beauty and on how a work of art can detach itself from the era in which it was created and continue to engage with future generations.

The choice of Goya also carries special significance in Zaragoza. The Aragonese painter is an inseparable part of the city’s cultural heritage, and his work continues to be reinterpreted through contemporary artistic languages. This connection is also familiar territory for the artists, who in recent years have explored and reinterpreted the legacy of the Aragonese master through various projects and works.

 

From Laberinto Gris, we would like to thank Zaragoza City Council and everyone involved in the organization and, especially, those responsible for the Comic Festival for organizing this presentation. It has been an honor that Luis Royo and Romulo Royo were commissioned to create the poster for this 25th anniversary, such a special edition for the Comic Fair.

And, of course, thank you to everyone who joined us and shared this very special evening with us.

See you from December 11 to 13 at the 25th Zaragoza Comic Festival.