A comic floats inside the international space station. It's "There's Space for Everyone," the fun graphic novel which has its protagonist Rat-Man, the superhero mouse created from the imagination of cartoonist Leo Ortolani and published by Panini, in collaboration with the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the European Space Agency (ESA). The astronaut Paolo Nespoli showed it in a video from the extraordinary panoramic dome of the station in orbit. "Life here is quite intense, we work all day"Explained Nespoli,"but, of course, there are also moments of rest and leisure: and I brought a preview of Rat-Man's comic. I hope to receive the volume just come back on Earth!". Nespoli has in fact orbited the cover of "There is Space for All", currently in the press, and also the "La stazione" magazine, which contains a preview of the volume and a series of insights into space activities . It is the first comic to fly in space and Panini has decided to commemorate this historic event by launching the procedure for recognition by the Guinness World Record.
"It was a great emotion to see our comic float in space, a reward for the passion of the ingenious Leo Ortolani, who designed and designed this graphic novel, and for all those who in ASI, ESA and Panini have believed in this amazing operation"Said Marco M. Lupoi, Publishing Director of Panini. "The whole world of comics must be grateful to Paolo Nespoli for accepting that Rat-Man would fly with him on the space station and also for the gift of having brought, for the first time in history, a comic in orbit. For this reason we hope that the Guinness World Record will soon recognize this record".
In the video from the space station, Paolo Nespoli turned to Leo Ortolani, at the event for the end of the series of Rat-Man, which in 20 years of publications sold over 5 millions of copies between unpublished and reprinted. "I'm reading the preview of the comic, which I did see also to my other astronaut colleagues. Rat-Man was immediately recognized and condemned!"Said Nespoli. "I hope in the future to be able to see all of you in space, why enjoy this sight and this feeling is really amazing".
The volume "There is Space for Everyone" (19,8x28,8 cm format, 264 pages) will be officially presented at the next edition of "Lucca Comics & Games", the international festival of comics that will take place in Lucca from '' 1 to 5 November 2017.
