BORN FROM THE GENIUS OF CESARE ZAVATTINI
PRESENTED BY ARTSTUDIO NETTOON
DIRECTED BY LUCIANA SYMPA
In 1936, ninety years ago, a visionary creative trio — Zavattini, Pedrocchi, Scolari — birthed the very first Italian science fiction comic saga, predating and rivaling global icons like Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers. Today, this historical landmark transitions from static paper to cinema. Using innovative digital animation, the original thirty historic comic boards are rendered into a movie.
In 1936, an alien armada from Saturn, led by the ruthless dictator Rebo, invades Earth using terrifying advanced weaponry. Brilliant Italian astronomer, Professor Marcus and his fearless young assistant Ciro, rally humanity to fight back. Joining forces with Queen Sulinea of Pluto, Marcus uses scientific ingenuity to sabotage Saturn. Conceived under the shadow of 1930s fascist censorship, the story carries a timeless message: humanity survives only when it casts aside division and unites as one.
A project curated by Prof. Luciana Sympa
Ninety years ago, a young Cesare Zavattini, the father of Neorealism, imagined the future by creating the first Italian science fiction comic series. Today, to pay tribute to this pillar of cinema and his fantastic colleagues, Pedrocchi and Scolari, the Nettoon's team envisioned bringing his characters to life using modern digital technologies. As if on a real film set, we managed to keep the original period plates intact, placing them into a digital environment and filming them with a virtual camera.
There is a special magic in seeing movement in what remained still on paper for nearly a century, but imagination knows no boundaries, and we are certain that Zavattini himself would have appreciated the challenging task of awakening his space heroes in a real movie. Reviving these splendid stories in an unprecedented guise required a great deal of patience, ingenuity, and the work of a large, passionate team. Graphic designers, digital animators, screenwriters, directors, and voice actors: a substantial team to whom I extend my most heartfelt thanks for their invaluable collaboration, starting with Federico Ciompi, Alessandro Aquilani, Jessica Fiocco, Laura Lai, Daniele Gravina, Maria Laura Gargiuolo, and the EcoSound team.
Sincere thanks for their invaluable and generous scientific, iconographic, and documentary support go to: Arturo Zavattini, son of Cesare; Luigi Pedrocchi, son of Federico; Luigi F. Bova, former director of the WOW Spazio Fumetto in Milan; Prof. Claudio Ferracci, director of the "Le Nuvole" Comic Book Library and professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Perugia; and Alberto Ferraboschi, head of the Cesare Zavattini Archive in Reggio Emilia. Their deep expertise, combined with their passion for safeguarding this precious cultural heritage, was fundamental in breathing new life, in a different form, into this exceptional work.
Through Nettoon's YouTube channel, which can also be accessed via the Nettoon website, you too can transport yourself alongside Ciro, Marcus, and Rebo, and let yourself be swept away by a whirlwind of images and music.
Scolari's iconic spaceships have become beautiful collectibles! These "interplanetary crafts"—as they are called in the comic—come to life in the real world through 3D design!
Handcrafted in ceramics in a limited edition by the master artisans of Deruta (25 cm in height), they look as if they materialized straight out of the comic book! Alternatively, you can purchase one of the other gadgets created by our team.
Mug, notebook, powerbank: each of these wonderful items allows you to access the first 10 minutes of the first episode of Saturn Against the Earth via a magical QR CODE.
To order or reserve your e-book and collectible set, please get in touch with us.
Contact us at: amministrazione@nettoon.net
The "Saturn Against the Earth" book will be available at the WOW Museum in Milan.
