Cosplayers posing for pictures at Delhi Comic Con; international comedian Matt Hawkins; a participant dressed as the Night King from Game of Thrones; Actor Adil Hussain (clockwise) | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Returning after a pandemic-induced hiatus of two years, Delhi Comic Con saw the participation of Rick Leonardi (creator of several Marvel and DC comics) and Matt Hawkins, as well as comic artists such as actor Adil Hussain, comedian Zakir Khan, Ashish Solanki and Gurleen Pannu. hosted.
This three-day festival brought together the community of comic books, manga, anime and superhero movies. Hard core pop culture enthusiasts cosplayed, while others participated in engaging contests and activities. There was a hall dedicated exclusively to gaming and technology.
Gaurav Sawant, a Mumbai-based cosplayer, describes cosplay as “having fun with the character”, explaining that “cosplay is not like fancy dress in the sense that it’s not just about wearing a costume, It’s about living the character.”
A highlight of the event were the experience areas set up for the public. It included experience areas by Warner Bros. to showcase DC’s Shazam and 20th Century Studios’ Avatar: The Way of Water figurines. Prime Video had interesting games related to Jack Ryan S3, The Boys and The Lord of the Rings. Bingo Mad Angle invites the contestants to a neuro game. The meta experiential zone includes quirky 360 cameras as well as spectacular photo booths. Maruti Suzuki’s Arena enabled a simulated experience with futuristic driving through Virtual Reality.
Various publishers such as Amar Chitra Katha and Bloomsbury were present at the conference, as well as consignment shops.
Amidst live interactions, stage performances and a host of other activities, the stars of the event, however, were the comics. A lineup of creators and artists were present at the convention to interact with the public. “Comic Con is my second home. It allows me to interact with customers and understand their likes and dislikes,” said Vivek Goyal, Founder, Holy Cow Entertainment. He added that reaching out to the Indian audience is challenging because even though people Read comics, but they don’t know much about the artists.
Akshara Ashok, creator of Happy Fluff Comics, which focuses on lifestyle, feminism and body positivity, said many people still look down on female-centric content, which is why she tries to make it relevant and Uses humor to effectively get her message across.
Delhi Comic Con hosted international artists such as Rick Leonardi, creator of various popular Marvel and DC characters including Spiderman 2099, and Matt Hawkins, president of Image Comics, the third largest comic book producer in the United States after Marvel and DC. Hawkins talked about how business has changed dramatically over the past three decades. Earlier mainly 32-page books were published on a monthly basis, whereas graphic novels are now published every fortnight.