All things geek: Here's all you need to know about Comic Con Delhi 2015

From comic books and superhero movies to video games and anime, Delhi Comic Con 2015 began on Friday at NSIC grounds in Okhla, with the promise to bring together all things geek under one roof.

The 5th edition of the event in a fancier format will host 250 exhibitors besides national and international icons from the world of comics, gaming, movies and television.

Kristian Nairn of the TV series Game of Thrones fame is among the star attractions at the three-day-long festival. Nairn, who plays the character of Hodor in the fantasy series, also works as a disc jockey. Fans can book tokens to get Nairn's photograph or autograph along with a photograph at Rs 800 or Rs 1000.

Disney India is setting up a Star Wars Battlepod, an arcade machine that will recreate five key battles from the Star Wars films and allow you to use different vehicles like the X-wings, a TIE fighter and even the Millenium Falcon.

Author and artist Rob Denbleyker who has created the much-loved web comic Cyanide & Happiness, will also be interacting with the audience besides Canadian book artiste and writer TY Templeton who has drawn several mainstream and TV-associated titles like the popular Batman and Spiderman series.

Dinesh Shamdasani who has to his credit the Valiant Comics Library which has created over 1500 characters including X-O Manowar, Bloodshot, Shadowman and Eternal Warrior will also be present at the event.

The first edition of Comic Con India held in 2011 was hosted with the elementary idea of "avoiding the expense of travelling abroad to a comic convention," and offer pop culture and comic fanatics a platform to celebrate their undying love and passion. The festival, however, has evolved and now aims at expanding the realms of pop culture in the country.

"Pop Culture in India is quite limited and needs to expand to include aspects that have millions of passionate fans across the country. Comic Con India is dedicated to expanding India's popular culture by creating world class events and help grow the industries involved and deliver much needed fun experiences to dedicated fans across India," Jatin Varma, Founder, Comic Con India said.

As many as 12 new comic titles will be launched at the venue he said. While the main edition is held annually in the capital, express editions are also organised in Mumbai and Bangalore every year.

Amar Bari, Tomar Bari, Naxalbari, a graphic novel by Sumit Kumar which digs deeper into the history of the Communist Movement in India, and sheds light on the Naxalbari uprising and the current maoist conflict in central India, will be launched exclusively at the convention.

Cartoonist Malik Sajad, who narrates the story of the conflicted land of Kashmir through a young boy's childhood in his graphic novel Munnu - A Boy From Kashmir (Harper Collins) will also unveil his book and speak on the making of the novel.

In a special session, artist Abhijeet Kini will teach comic enthusiasts the art of creating graphic characters and placing them into personalised comic strips.

The comic con will also host a Cosplay Contest where participants will represent characters or elements from the pop culture realm (Comic Books/ Gaming/ Anime/ Manga/ Sci-Fi/ Fantasy) and battle it out for the finals of the National Indian Championships of Cosplay to be held at a later in the year.

The event which saw over 35,000 attendees in 2014 hopes to draw in anywhere between 35,000 and 50,000 people, according to Varma. Tickets for the comic con, scheduled to continue till December 6, has this time gone up from Rs 100 to Rs 350. There are also 3-day VIP passes available at Rs. 650 on BookMyShow.

With agency inputs.