Capes, masks, tattoos and stickers…comic and graphic novel aficionados came well prepared to attend the second edition of the annual Comic Con.
While some enthusiasts dressed as The Joker from Batman, others donned Guy Fawkes masks, made famous by the character V from V for Vendetta and of course, there were the lightsaber bearing fans of the Star Wars franchise.
It was one thing to dress up as their favourite characters, but it was even more exciting for these fans to meet the authors, creators, illustrators and graphic artistes of their favourite comics.
They stood in queues as they waited for autographs and posed for pictures with Dan Parent (Archie Comics), David Lloyd (V for Vendetta), Sana Amanat (Marvel Entertainment), Rob-DenBleykar (Cyanide and Happiness) and Peter Kruper (Spy vs. Spy series), among others.
Mr. Lloyd, illustrator of V for Vendetta, said it was his first time at the convention in India.
He said the convention was similar to those he had attended in other countries when it comes to the enthusiasm of fans. No doubt, as Guy Fawkes masks were a popular choice on Saturday. The convention was also a platform for many local talents to exhibit their work.
The convention, however, went beyond just comics as it promoted popular culture overall — TV series, movies, gaming and costume play. Fans rushed to buy merchandise of their favourite TV series like The Big Bang Theory, Dr. Who, and Game of Thrones, among others. Many Batman fans supported their hero by wearing T-shirts bearing the batman symbol, while a few Heisenbergs (from the well-known Breaking Bad series) could also be seen walking around suspiciously.
Ninada Kashyap and Ananya, who visited Comic Con for the first time, made sure they grabbed posters of Iron Man and Star Wars before they left.
“It was a fun experience and there is a tremendous crowd here,” they said, before pointing out that the heat was the only dampener.
Most fans, who came in the morning, had to sweat it out during the day and said they would prefer to visit the convention in the evenings.
