“We get three types of people coming to the convention,” says Jatin Verma, the man behind Comic Con India. “There are your onlookers; the ones who did read comic books once but have lost touch with them. Their curiosity is piqued and they are swept away in the excitement and enthusiasm of the event. Then there are the casual fans, people like me, who don’t have a specific type or sub-genre of comic that they are interested in, but pick up what they like and enjoy reading a range of comics. And then, of course, are the hardcore fans, the ones who are completely immersed in a particular comic or character, and know almost everything about it.”
Like any other festival looking to make its mark on the nation’s pop-culture map, Comic Con India is increasing its scope and reach every year. The second Annual Comic Con India Awards will kick off the festival and the convention will present Mario De Miranda with a posthumous Comic Con India Lifetime Achievement Award.
Comic Con India 2013 has six renowned international publishers setting up stalls and exhibiting their books, as well as conducting sessions for fans. The names include Top Cow, Drawn & Quarterly, Fantagraphics and First Second. Iranian-American journalist and human rights activist, Amir and the artist and cartoonist Khalil, co-authors of Zahra’s Paradise , will be the special guests.
For visitors yearning for the good old days, the convention offers an opportunity to interact with Pran, the familiar and well known name behind Chacha Choudhary, Pinki and Billoo. And then there is the one thing all comic conventions around the world have become famous for, the Costume Play, or as it more popularly known, the Cosplay.
Stores and stalls will sell everything from comic books to merchandise and toys. The sessions lined up look to be both enjoyable and informative, from a three-day Amar Chitra Katha session for children to in-depth interactions with international personalities like Matt Hawkins, President and COO of Top Cow Productions and Emma Hayley, Managing Director & Publisher at Self Made Hero. “Every year, there are more people attending the convention. This year, we are hoping for at least 50,000 visitors, says Verma.
Bottomline: A one-stop shop to celebrate the illustrated medium
