City gets serious about comic con

Comic book and pop culture buffs are all geared up for the Mumbai Film and Comics Convention this weekend, and there’s more on offer this year than ever before

It’s the one weekend where folks across the city kiss goodbye to the drudgery of everyday life and unleash their inner superheroes. And from red capes to spidey suits, there is nothing that’s too “flashy” — at least not when you’re at the city’s very own pop culture extravaganza: The Mumbai Film and Comics Convention. From a small gathering of ‘geeks’ to a major cultural event with footfalls of more than 30,000, the journey of Comic Con in Mumbai has been nothing short of extraordinary. And as the city gears up to celebrate and pay homage to the comic and pop culture pantheon, we ask organisers and insiders from the industry the question everyone has — what’s new at the Comic Con this year.

The obvious highlight this year is that the event week also coincides with the worldwide release of the latest Star Wars movie — The Force Awakens. A franchise that has become synonymous with comic conventions the world over, the Mumbai Comic Con this year will also offer a lot for Star Wars fans. “A special feature,” says Jatin Varma, the founder of Comic Con in India, “is the Star Wars Battle Pod, which is a set-up where fans can experience the feel of being in a Star Wars movie, complete with light sabres and so on. It is a great experience and is a major highlight this year.”

But he’s quick to add that there’s more to Comic Con than just Star Wars. “We’ve got a number of iconic and major players from around the world. Among them is the seventh Dr Who, Sylvester McCoy, and also the artists behind the popular Zen Pencils and viral Web-comic Cyanide and Happiness. There are also experts and industry insiders such as Joe Harris and homegrown names such as ACK and Raj Comics.”

Apart from the international franchises, there is a lot to look forward to from the home front as well. A major highlight will be the launch of Mumbai-based comic creator Vivek Goel’s Ganga and Bheeshma. While mythology has come up in a big way in recent years as a popular genre in comics, Vivek, who is credited with re-imagining how mythological characters are seen, believes that there is a lot of room to be explored in the genre. “The now popular concept of layered characters were first introduced by mythology. There are so many shades and layers to each character that there are always ways to explore them differently. That is what we have done in Ganga and Bheeshma.”

The comic will be a one-shot graphic novel that is 76-pages long and will feature re-imagined versions of epic battles such as the 15-day long one between Bheeshma and Parashurama. A highlight of the novel will be the artwork, says Vivek. “Our artists have done a fabulous job with the project and the characters are portrayed in a fashion never before explored,” he says.

Another major Indian player, Sharad Devarajan’s Graphic India will also be presenting a number of their works at the Comic Con. Devarajan says, “A big feature that we will be launching at the convention is our exclusive comic application called the Graphic Pop. This aims to bring our customers and our content together on digital platforms. We’ve collaborated with Facebook on this and people can share, tweet and talk about their favourite series on the platform and it is going to be a big thing. The Beta version of the app will be presented at the convention.” He also shares that news and sneak peeks about his collaboration with comic giant Stan Lee for his work Chakra and his other project Astra Force (which features superstar Amitabh Bachchan) will also be something to look forward to during the convention. Another major announcement from Sharad is that his team will be conducting portfolio reviews for up and coming graphic artists and comic creators in the country to support fresh talent.

While events and big launches are an integral part of Comic Cons, another major factor that fans and creators alike are most enthused about is the community building and networking, believes Abhijeet Kini, a popular comic artist whose works include the popular comic series Angry Maushi. Telling us what he is most excited about, Abhijeet says, “For us, comic con is a time to meet our family and friends. It is sort of a once a year meet-up and we get to interact firsthand with fans as well. Over the years, Comic Con has changed drastically. Now there is an international feel to it and there are more resources available not only for fans, but also for independent comic creators. New developments in paper and printing technologies, marketing and merchandises — this is the one place where we can find it all.”

With each passing edition, the Comic Con has inched closer towards its international counterparts such as the New York and San Diego Comic Cons. And although the desi version is still far from reaching that benchmark, this year will see it taking a major leap towards it, believe its organisers. The upcoming edition is being organised in collaboration with international exhibition giant Reed Pop, which also organises the New York Comic Convention. Speaking about the association with Reed Pop, Jatin Verma says, “We were bought over by Reed Pop in 2014 and ever since then the international market and arena has really opened up for us as they’ve brought with them their vast experience and network. The number of international collaborations and guests has also grown thanks to this association. Earlier it used to take more than a few weeks to invite international guests, but now it is only a matter of days.”

While there is still a considerable distance to go to reach global benchmarks, the industry is on the right track, believes Sharad. “I have been going to big conventions such as the one in San Diego and New York for almost 20 years now and I can tell you even these events weren’t what they are now when they first started. And as I always say, the Indian fan-boy (or girl) is definitely waiting to be unleashed and there is definitely a big market here. We are on the right track and we will surely get there very soon.”

On December 19 and 20, 11 am to 8 pm At Hall No 5, Bombay Exhibition Centre, Goregaon Visit www.comicconmumbai.com