Returning after a two-year pandemic-induced hiatus, Delhi Comic Con hosted comic artists like Rick Leonardi (creator of numerous Marvel and DC comics) and Matt Hawkins, as well as actor Adil Hussain, comedians Zakir Khan, Ashish Solanki and Gurleen Pannu .
The three day extravaganza brought together the community of comic books, manga, anime and superhero films. Hard core pop culture enthusiasts cosplayed, while others participated in engaging contests and activities. There was a hall dedicated exclusively to gaming and tech.
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 is not just about wearing the costume, it is about living the character.”
A highlight of the event were the experience zones created for the public. This included experience zones by Warner Bros for DC’s Shazam and 20th Century Studios’ Avatar: The Way of Water figurines at display. Prime Video had engaging games related to Jack Ryan S3, The Boys and The Lord of The Rings. Bingo Mad Angle invited participants for a neuro game. The Meta experiential zone featured quirky 360 camera as well as cool photo booths. Maruti Suzuki’s Arena enabled a simulated experience with futuristic driving through Virtual Reality.
Various publishers like Amar Chitra Katha and Bloomsbury were present at the convention along with stores upon stores of merchandise.
Among a host of live interactions, stage performances and 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 the founder of Holy Cow Entertainment Vivek Goel. He added that reaching the Indian audience is challenging as even though people read comics, they don’t know much about the artists.
Happy Fluff Comics creator Akshara Ashok, who focuses on lifestyle, feminism and body positivity said a lot of people still look down upon women-centric content, which is why she uses humour to make it relatable and get her message across effectively.
Delhi Comic Con also hosted international artists like Rick Leonardi, the creator of various popular Marvel and DC characters including Spiderman 2099 and Matt Hawkins, the President of Image Comics, the third largest comic book producer in the United States, after Marvel and DC. Hawkins spoke about how the business has changed dramatically over the last three decades. Earlier, it was primarily 32 pages books that came out on a monthly basis, whereas now graphic novels come out every fortnight.
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