Thousands of fans from all over south India experienced a new level of fantasy-cum-fiction during the first Bangalore Comic Con, held at the city’s indoor stadium from June 1–2.
The city’s first independent Comic Con was a follow up to “Express” edition of Comic Con India, held annually in New Delhi, which inspired the organizers to create the special event for Bangalore city.
“The response was overwhelming,” said Suraj, a volunteer at the 2013 event. “We saw over 20,000-25,000 people come in on each of the two days, as a result of which it was decided that Bangalore get its own annual two-day event.”
Suraj said the establishment of an Indian comic convention created a platform for lesser-known Indian writers and artists, while providing the public easy access to many Indian and international companies.
During the two days fans witnessed over twenty-six exclusive events. Among many other comic and graphic novels, a graphic adaptation of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, by Campfire Graphic Novels, was also released.
“The tales of Shakespeare are just as applicable in today’s world as they were in the 16th century,” said Adithya, the novel’s editor. “We believe that through these kinds of adaptations, classic tales can be made easily accessible to a wide variety of readers.”
“We, in fact, believe that graphic novels are even better than movies in this regard, as they engage the reader as a participant in the story, rather than just a viewer,” he said while explaining how the research was done to set an appropriate graphical atmosphere, using actual locations in Rome.
A brothers’ duo from Sufi Comics, Mohammed Ali Vakil and Mohammed Arif Vakil, released their graphic novel, The Wise Fool of Baghdad, at New Delhi Comic Con India. According to Ali, the aim of their comics is to illustrate the values of Sufi culture and tradition.
Among the other highlights were Chennai based innovators, Next Wave Multimedia, who displayed their award-winning tablet-app, Comics Head, which provides an imaginative array of templates and characters for non-artists to create their own digital comics.
A sizable population also participated in cos-play, decked out as their favorite comic book, video game, and other famous characters from the world of movies and games—making it the most popular attraction during the event.
The two-day extravaganza stood out as a big success and marked the beginning of a long journey ahead. Confirming all rumors and speculations, the organizers said, “Yes, this is an annual event—we will be back next year.”
