ARF! Comics Festival - Garbatella Edition
Stories, Signs & Sketches: independent publishing takes over Garbatella
About ARF! Garbatella
Independent comics arrive in the neighborhood
Founded in 2015 as the first Roman festival entirely dedicated to the ninth art, ARF! Comics Festival has chosen a widespread format for its twelfth edition: no longer a single headquarters, but a series of stops crossing Rome from district to district, from Parione and Testaccio to Garbatella. The latter hosts the most iconic part of the festival, dedicated to self-production and small publishing, in the heart of the VIII Municipality of Rome, in the Lazio Region.
LA SELF: fifty publishers you won't find in bookstores
The center of gravity for this leg is LA SELF, the great independent comics festival hosted in the outdoor spaces of Casetta Rossa. Over fifty collectives, fanzine creators, micro-publishers, and self-published authors display their work on tables that remain open until late at night: woodcuts, stapled magazines, risographs, screen prints, and volumes rarely found in traditional distribution circuits. It is the kind of market where you talk directly to the person who drew the page you are flipping through, and where the cover price almost never exceeds the cost of a pizza.
Exhibitions and live drawing at the Villetta
A few steps away, the Villetta Social Lab hosts the exhibition area. The highlight is the 100% Viscosa exhibition, dedicated to the work of the Viscosa Collective and its authors, accompanied throughout the weekend by Magville activities: live drawing workshops, comic book swaps, and workshops open even to those who have never held a pen. The atmosphere is typical of Garbatella's social spaces—informal and unfiltered, with the public sitting on the ground or at the garden tables.
JOB ARF!: the festival that puts you to work
The Moby Dick Cultural Hub hosts JOB ARF!, the section dedicated to training and professional orientation. Here, free masterTalks are held by teachers from Italy's leading comics and illustration schools—from IED to RUFA, and Pencil Art—on very concrete topics: how an editor works, how to build a portfolio, and how to transition from editorial illustration to gaming. In the same space, the plates by Juta, winner of the Bartoli Award for Best Italian Comics Promise, are on display.
Talks until midnight
The program of meetings, all concentrated at Casetta Rossa in the late afternoon and evening, alternates reflections on the craft with tributes to the history of the medium: from debates on how comic book language is contaminating social media and digital platforms, to a journey through the century of comic strips featuring Popeye, Peanuts, Calvin & Hobbes, and Little Nemo. There are also sessions on new emerging voices and disobedience as a narrative style, as well as live painting moments.
Why it's worth the trip
Garbatella, with its 1920s buildings, courtyard lots, and stairways, is already one of the most beautiful walks in Rome. Seeing it animated by comic book stalls, impromptu murals, and discussions on publishing until midnight restores the original idea of ARF!: a festival that doesn't close itself in a trade fair pavilion but mixes with the city, with free admission for everyone.
ARF! Garbatella — edition 2026
The twelfth edition goes widespread
In 2026, ARF! abandons the single headquarters formula and spreads across several Roman districts, with stops in Parione, Testaccio, and finally Garbatella from May 29 to 31. This last appointment is entirely dedicated to self-production and the independent scene.
Three venues, three souls
Casetta Rossa hosts LA SELF with over fifty exhibitors and the evening talk program; Villetta Social Lab welcomes the 100% Viscosa exhibition and live drawing workshops curated by Magville; the Moby Dick Cultural Hub focuses on JOB ARF!, with free masterTalks from major comics schools and the display of plates by Juta, winner of the Bartoli Award for Best Italian Comics Promise.
Programme ARF! Garbatella 2026
Friday, May 29
Casetta Rossa (4:00 PM - 12:00 AM)
- 5:30 PM — The end of (my) world, preview of the book born from the collaboration between ARF! and Dominio Pubblico, with Andrea Brumat, Coso, and Mattia Pelusi
- 7:00 PM — "Small Press" who?!, meeting on self-production and new independent publishing realities
- 9:00 PM — One strip, 100 years of love, a journey through Popeye, Peanuts, Calvin & Hobbes, and Little Nemo
Villetta Social Lab (4:00 PM - 8:00 PM): inauguration of the 100% Viscosa exhibition; live drawing and workshops with Magville
Moby Dick Cultural Hub (10:00 AM - 7:00 PM)
- 2:00 PM - 2:50 PM — masterTalk Out of format, between comics and illustration
- 3:00 PM - 3:50 PM — masterTalk Editor, what are you doing! on the editorial craft
- 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM — masterTalk with Alan Tiddì (IED)
Saturday, May 30
Casetta Rossa (4:00 PM - 12:00 AM)
- 5:30 PM — Comics that scroll: how comic language contaminates the web, with Chiara Fiordeponti and Toonie of the Viscosa Collective, Lorenzo La Neve, and Isotta Santinelli
- 7:00 PM — 100% Viscosa, meeting with the protagonists of the exhibition and delivery of the INKEE Award
- 9:00 PM — New voices join the choir, on emerging authors
- 10:30 PM — live painting by Sputnik Press
Moby Dick Cultural Hub (10:00 AM - 7:00 PM)
- 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM — The power of fantasy. Working with illustration, from publishing to gaming, with Luca Sotgiu (Pencil Art)
- 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM — Graphic design. Essential graphics for illustration and comics, with Claudio Spurio (RUFA)
Sunday, May 31
Casetta Rossa (4:00 PM - 8:00 PM)
- 5:00 PM — The art of disobedience, on rebellion in comics
- 7:00 PM — The hydra artist, on multidisciplinary creative practices
Villetta Social Lab (4:00 PM - 8:00 PM): exhibitions and activities continue. Moby Dick remains closed.
Highlights ARF! Garbatella 2026
- LA SELF — over 50 collectives, fanzines, and micro-publishers of self-production at Casetta Rossa
- 100% Viscosa exhibition dedicated to the Viscosa Collective at Villetta Social Lab
- JOB ARF! — free masterTalks with teachers from IED, RUFA, and Pencil Art
- Plates by Juta, winner of the Bartoli Award for Best Italian Comics Promise
- Live drawing workshops and comic swaps with Magville
- Evening live painting by Sputnik Press
Prices ARF! Garbatella 2026
Practical information — ARF! Garbatella
How to get there
Metro line B, Garbatella stop: from there, all three venues can be reached on foot in five to ten minutes. Alternatively, take the FL1 regional train to Roma Ostiense, then a ten-minute walk. Driving is discouraged: the neighborhood has very limited parking and narrow streets.
The three venues
- Casetta Rossa — Via Giovanni Battista Magnaghi 14 (LA SELF and all evening talks)
- Villetta Social Lab — Via degli Armatori 3 (exhibitions and workshops)
- Moby Dick Cultural Hub — Via Edgardo Ferrati 3a (JOB ARF! and masterTalks)
Admission and hours
Free admission to all activities, exhibitions, and meetings. Casetta Rossa opens Friday and Saturday from 4:00 PM to midnight, Sunday from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Villetta Social Lab is open from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM, while Moby Dick opens in the morning (10:00 AM - 7:00 PM) on Friday and Saturday.
Tips
Casetta Rossa has a kitchen and refreshment area with popular prices: you can have dinner on-site between talks. Bringing small-denomination cash is useful for purchases at LA SELF, where not all exhibitors accept electronic payments.
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Where does it take place — ARF! Garbatella
Casetta Rossa, Villetta Social Lab e Hub Culturale Moby Dick
Via Giovanni Battista Magnaghi 14, 00154 Roma