My experiments with Comic Con

Falah Faisal

I ’ve been attending the Comic Con in Bengaluru since it first started back in 2012. I had a freelance assignment from a local tabloid and walked around the place in amazement looking at all the stalls, cosplayers, and merchandise, unable to believe that this was finally happening in India.

My article then got a double-page spread and since then I became a regular reporter at Comic Con getting full access to guests and meeting renowned artist David Llyod, the man behind V for Vendetta, and actors from the show Game of Thrones.

One of the main aspects of Comic-Con is cosplaying your favourite characters and I made the habit of coming up with cheap, lazy costumes last minute by dressing up as Shaggy from Scooby Doo, Preacher, Raoul Duke from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and the one I became most known for –Wolverine.

But after having attended Comic Con for about 5 years, I got tired of wandering around interviewing people who were doing amazing things and decided that I’d only come back if I had something worth selling and get a stall. Owing to the Pandemic, Comic-Con hasn’t happened since 2019 and in that time

I created the character Musalman, a Muslim Superhero of which 21 stories and a complete graphic novel have been written. So when it was announced that Comic Con was finally coming back after a 2-year hiatus, I had to be there to sell my comics and cosplay as a character that I’ve created and nurtured instead of simply dressing up as a famous creation by other artists.

With the contents of my comic being edgy and satirical of the regime it was understandable that my publisher was skeptical of giving me space on their stall.  Despite those restrictions, I managed to sell about 60 comics over the span of two days with many picking up the entire set of 6 and the full graphic novel without hesitation.

Some even recognized me, having seen me at Indie Comix Fest a few months ago. One of the slight hiccups of the Comic-Con was the lack of internet connectivity. With not many carrying cash and not everyone having a card machine, most stalls relied on UPI payments which were hard to make owing to the large crowd and congested space.

Some business was certainly lost because of it. At times, one would have to borrow a card machine from a neighbouring stall or give the comic away to someone with a promise that they would pay you once they reached a better network, hoping they would keep their word. Luckily, no one was disappointed.

On the final day, it was time to finally don my costume and get into character for the Cosplay competition. I put on my saffron cape, and long beard and roamed around the arena with friends and took pictures with fans of the comic. As the time to go on stage drew near, you couldn’t help but get nervous about announcing your character to a room full of strangers, not knowing which way the audience would swing.

But people were super supportive, cheering every word and I walked off getting an ovation after saying my catchphrase. Jatin Varma, Founder of Comic Con India, said after the event “Our objective with Comic Con India was to bring the Indian pop culture community together and provide a platform to all enthusiasts to showcase their passion.

It is surreal that we have completed a decade and are able to continue celebrating our fandom at this enormous scale. With the success of Bengaluru Comic Con 2022 which witnessed about 45,000 attendees over both days, it gives me immense hope for our upcoming Cons at Delhi and Mumbai as well!” I had finally been able to accomplish the goal I had set for myself about half a decade ago and my journey from being a fan to a creator was finally complete.