My trip to Comic Con, Mumbai

I am a voracious reader and enjoy several genres, one of which is comic books or graphic storybooks. Titles like Tinkle, Amar Chitra Katha, The Magic Treehouse, etc. are some of my all-time favourites. I like these books because the animated illustrations make it easier for me to understand the story and bring the characters alive. I never miss a chance to lay my hands on such books.

To my delight, on a very lucky, Saturday afternoon, my mother, with glee on her face, exclaimed that she had got passes of Comic Con Mumbai. My excitement knew no bounds. I kept pinching myself to make sure it wasn’t a dream. Comic Con, also called the “Comic Book Convention,” is a fan convention with a primary focus on comic books and comic book culture, where comic book fans gather to meet creators, experts, and each other.

As we entered this world of imagination, many were ‘cosplaying’. These people were dressed up as different comic characters like Suppandi, Harry Potter, Naruto, Sherlock Holmes, etc. There was also a man called the “Burger Man” who had dressed up like a burger. I wondered how people could dress up in such elaborate costumes in such heat.

This place had several comic book and merchandise stalls dedicated to almost every anime character. We started with the Amar Chitra Katha (ACK) cum Tinkle stall. That was clearly one of my favourites.

The place was filled with new launches, wherein I managed to grab the latest edition of the magazine. There were adorable collectibles and soft toys, including famous characters like Shikari Shambu and Suppandi. The cherry on top was, that I also got to meet the creator of these characters, the celebrated cartoonist Mr. Savio Mascarenhas.

While there were popular stalls like Marvel and ACK, we also found many new Indian authors and new graphic novels penned by them. I purchased some of these books like Chahal Pahal, EndWars, and The Weather Man and I am excited to read them. The best part was meeting their authors, who personally signed the books for me.

The fun part was taking pictures with the cosplayers. Spiderman, Sherlock Holmes, and Mad Eye Moody were behaving like real characters and transported me briefly to their world. I believe anyone who likes comic books or graphic novels must visit Comic Con. If you think you have missed your chance this year, don’t worry, you can go next year, as it is usually held annually for two or three days!