Lucca Comics and Games at 60: 80,000 Fans a Day, and the Cosplay Delivered

Lucca Comics and Games, Europe's largest Comic-Con, drew around 80,000 ticket-paying fans per day to the medieval Tuscan city for its 60th anniversary edition, which ran from Oct. 28 to Nov. 1.

The festival filled Lucca's pavilions, exhibitions and pop-up experiences with comic book authors, manga artists, showrunners, animators, actors and film directors. Here's what the event told us about the state of fandom right now.

How big was the Harry Potter buzz?

Queues for HBO's Harry Potter pavilion began in the early morning and wound around the building in long crocodile lines. Visitors saw props from the upcoming show, got temporary House tattoos and watched a specially filmed message from John Lithgow and Nick Frost, who play Albus Dumbledore and Hagrid.

Notably, no one from the show attended in person, and no footage previews were granted. Fans were cautious in their enthusiasm. Stefano — a film fan, confusingly dressed as a Jedi — told Variety: "It will be fun to see the books addressed in a way that is deeper." Alessia, from Lake Como and dressed as Maleficent, worried that "they've made too many changes." The show is due for release on Christmas Day.

Which fandom showed up in force?

"Percy Jackson and the Olympians" turned out one of the largest presences. Cast members Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries and Aryan Simhadri appeared alongside showrunners Jonathan E. Steinberg and Dan Shotz. After an earlier panel, the cast greeted more than 8,000 fans gathered on a terrace overlooking Piazza della Magione, many dressed in the colors of Camp Halfblood from the show.

What premiered on the film side?

The live-action adaptation of the "Blue Lock" anime and manga series received its European premiere. The plot follows an authoritarian regime running a survival game to select the most selfish — and therefore best — striker from 300 candidates, with the ultimate aim of winning Japan the World Cup. The film is a faithful rendering of its anime predecessor and plays like a demented mix of "Battle Royale" and the Michael Caine soccer picture "Victory."

What did the comics legends bring?

Frank Miller, of "The Dark Knight Returns" and "Sin City" fame, returned to announce a new collaboration with artist Peach Momoko, inspired by Japanese horror stories. Japanese manga pioneer Go Nagai received a special exhibition, "Sun, Heart, and Steel," featuring "Mazinger Z" — the series that inaugurated the Mecha genre (giant robot manga) — and "Devilman," which drew inspiration from illustrations of Dante's "Divine Comedy."

What about the cosplayers?

The public itself remained one of Lucca's major attractions. Cosplayers turned the city into what the report calls a rolling "Cosplay Utopia," spanning Middle Earth, Hogwarts, the Mario Bros. and Squid Game. Spotted in the crowds: Leon from Luc Besson's 1994 film "The Professional," complete with silenced pistol and houseplant; a Walter White; and a group of friends dressed as the full cast of the original "Jurassic Park," Jeep included.

The regular "Star Wars" parade was led by a Mandalorian who revealed himself to be Alberto Angela, the popular Italian author and television personality, after spending the day moving through the crowd incognito. With six decades behind it and attendance this strong, Lucca shows no sign of loosening its grip on European fan culture.