The third Podgorica Comic Book Festival will take place from 22 to 29 September 2025 at the Big Fashion shopping centre. Organised by the NGO 9th Art and the comic club Mr No, the festival offers a rich and engaging programme. Festival director Drazen Baletic, owner of Montenegro’s only comic book store, says last-minute changes are inevitable, but promises surprises and quality content for all comic fans.
Promoting comics remains a key goal, though Baletic notes that the comic scene in Montenegro is still underdeveloped compared to the region and Europe. He emphasises that events like this are driven by passionate individuals trying to spotlight the “9th art,” which remains underappreciated in Montenegro.
This year’s guests include both local artists and international names like Stevan Subic, Walter Trono, and Luca Strati. Despite financial challenges, the organisers are optimistic, with support from institutions like the Ministry of Culture, the Capital City, the Italian Embassy, and Big Fashion. The audience is steadily growing, and the festival is designed to appeal to all ages and interests.
Baletic is encouraged by the increasing number of young comic enthusiasts, seeing them as proof that the festival is making an impact. He also praised the Herceg Novi Comic Festival, calling it one of the best things to happen to Montenegro in the past two decades, not just in comics but for cultural promotion overall.
Highlighting Montenegro’s rising talent, Baletic points to artist Luka Cakic, who designs the festival’s posters and has inspired a wave of young comic artists—many of whom will debut at this year’s festival. He sees this new generation as a sign of serious artistic potential on the Montenegrin comic scene.
Baletic, a passionate collector with over 30,000 comic issues dating back to the 1960s, says his love for comics is what drives his work. He sees his collection as having museum-level value and hopes Podgorica might one day host a dedicated comic book museum.
