Pokémon Adventures (Japanese: ポケットモンスターSPECIAL Pocket Monsters SPECIAL) debuted in Japan on March 3rd, 1997. It is popularly known as Pokémon Special even outside of Japan, and is often shortened as PokéSpe (Japanese: ポケスペ / ポケSP PokeSupe). The series is currently serialized in Japan in CoroCoro Ichiban!. The various story arcs of Pokémon Adventures span the nine generations of Pokémon games so far, with each arcs named typically for the games they correspond to. The protagonists of each arc typically also share these names. In 2000, Pokémon creator Satoshi Tajiri endorsed the series, stating "This is the comic that most resembles the world I was trying to convey." Tsunekazu Ishihara, the president and CEO of The Pokémon Company and Pokémon producer, has also praised the series, saying, "I want every Pokémon fan to read this comic!" As of writing, the Italian release of Pokémon Adventures is currently still in the X & Y arc, with the latest Volume 26 including chapters 581 (the first chapter in the Japanese Volume 60) through 595 (the final chapter of the X & Y arc, and first chapter in the Japanese Volume 62).
In addition for their work on Pokémon Adventures, Hidenori Kusaka and Satoshi Yamamoto also collaborated on two Pokémon Ranger series manga, Double Mission and Shadows of Almia. Hidenori Kusaka also acted as an advisor for Miho Asada's manga Phantom Thief Pokémon 7, while Satoshi Yamamoto has also illustrated an Arceus promo card for the Pokémon Trading Card Game. In 2016, Yamamoto and Kusaka were both awarded the Comic-Con International's Inkpot Award, and the Mejor Kodoma Manga award in the XXII Salón del Manga de Barcelona.
Details on precise times the two will be available for signing at the event, and the rules around this signing, will be announced closer to the event by J-POP Manga on their website and official social media accounts.
