The fizz seems to have gone out of Bangalore Comic Con. The fourth edition, held at White Orchid Convention, received a lukewarm response on its opening day. The crowd was far lesser compared to the previous years, which in fact, seemed like a relief; one could atleast walk without being pushed around. The event, though, was better organised. The enthusiastic volunteers were prompt with guiding visitors and the sessions were well organised.
We have heard, often enough, that Comic Cons are less about comics, more about merchandise. Indeed, this time too, what pulled the crowds were a video console section, where people were mechanically learning hip-hop, we didn’t quite know what that had to do with comics, the Game of Throne’s special Photo-op booth and the Gaming Arena . But it was heartening to see that apart from the all the glamour, there were individual artists, illustrators and writers who showed a genuine commitment and passion toward comics and graphic novels.
Raviraj Naik, artist and filmmaker, from Goa had on display at his booth, Raviraj’s Ilustrious World, illustrations of vintage cares, digital prints, theme-based illustrations sketched by hand, using black ink and nib. The booth next to his sand art illustrations by Manisha Swarnkar, who along with a team from IIT Mumbai have set up Little Rascal’s Creations. Nikita Dasgupta’s illustrations in oils, ink, water colours and acrylic attracted quite a crowd.
Harsho Mohan Chattoraj, a graphic novelist and illustrator from Kolkata, was nominated as best artist for his stunning illustrations in three books, Hyderabad Graphic Novel , Chakrapurer Chakkare and TheAghori . His latest graphic novel, Kolkata Kaleidoscope is an incredible depiction of Kolkata. Harsho conducted an interesting session on sci-fi in Indian comics with Akshay Dhar and Kailash Iyer.
Pankaj Naik, illustrator and owner of Aayumi Productions, is working on the flagship series, Kaal . The second book, Kaal #2: Aarambh was available at Bangalore Comic Con, with the script written by Shuvorup Bhattacharjee. When asked about his observations of Comic Con, Shuvorup said: “It’s not about comics anymore. The focus is more on merchandise. And foreign publications sell more than Indian publications.”
S.M.Y Rafi, author from Hyderabad, who launched The Traverser’s Memoirs , the first of a twenty book series, added that not enough has been done for Indian comics. “The Hyderabad Comic Con is huge. We thought that Bangalore would be an even bigger event, but we were surprised to see there isn’t much of a crowd on the first day!”
If you were not a Game of Thrones fan, you might have been a little lost on the second day. With three sessions and autograph signing session, GOT, Natalie Tena and Daniel Portman, actors from the series held centre stage, alongside cosplayers and members of the comedy collective, The Viral Fever. Talking about his experience on the series, Daniel, who essays the role of Podrick Payne, a squire in the series says, “It has been great to be part of this multinational venture. I have enjoyed the series thoroughly. I have not read all the books yet since I am terrified of finding that my character will be killed soon.”
He adds, “I think with all its assorted politics, complex characters and blood and gore, offers us a mirror to society as such. This is an important factor in its success. My favourite character in the series is Jaime Lanister. He is a deeply complex character and flawed, with elements of good.”
Daniel is thrilled that his character in the series is coming into his own. “He is no longer scared. He is much more confident and ready to fight. His physical shape has also undergone changes. I am very different from him in real life.”
Natelia Tena, who plays the role of Osha the wilding is looking forward to the start of the fifth season. “It feels great to have been part of all the five seasons. I hope that I get to do more in the series. Apart from working on the series, I am also keen on working with my band. I loved my first trip to India.”
She also talked about playing Nymphadora Tonks on Harry Potter and quipped that she enjoyed playing Osha the wilding more. “I am similar in some ways to my character. However, my favourite character from the series is Brienne of Tarth. I find that the character is spunky and a true feminist. I would love to play that character as well.” You could also get a chance to stake claim on an exhibit of the Iron Throne, exhibited at the comic con.
Moving on to the rest of the show, the stalls were co-a-bloc with merchandise sales ranging from manga and star wars figurines to Harry Potter and Avenger series masks and accessories. Minion printed handbags, Football tees, coffee mugs containing quotes from popular series such as Breaking Bad and The Big Bang Theory were also popular. Indian comics such as the Indirajal series, Amar Chitra Katha and others also drew fairly big crowds.
Another stall that grabbed a great deal of attention was the one manned by Arun Prasad, who showcased his vintage comic book collection. He says, “I have always been a fan of comic books. I started collecting comic books as a passion some 15 years ago. I feel that comics give us a sense of history. I have almost 15,000 comics ranging from Mandrake, Indirajal and many others, including series featuring cinestar Amitabh Bachchan and cricketer Sunil Gavasakar.”
Arun dreams of setting up a comic book museum in the long run and quips, “Comic books are no longer what they used to be. It has become much mechanised. In earlier comics, the strokes of the pen, the work done by the artist was very visible. That is not the case any longer. Even the paper used for comic books has changed in feel and texture.”
The cosplayers, who dressed up as characters ranging from Darth Vader, to a multitude of characters from the popular Japanese Manga series, Bleach and Naruto also stole the show with fans taking pictures with them.
