'Comic Con 2 will be bigger, better'

Stating that the second edition of the comic convention in Mumbai would be "bigger, better and much more entertaining," Comic Con India founder Jatin Varma said that there will be more booths, comics and merchandise for visitors.

With sessions and panels taking place every half hour, ten new books are set to be launched featuring everything from familiar faces like Raj Comics' Super commando Dhruva to newcomers like a machine gun weilding 'angry maushi'.

Angry Maushi's artist Abhijeet Kini, whose Uud Bilaw Manus (link http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/review_book-review-uud-bilaw-manus_1635649) was released in the previous Comic Con, was enthusiastic saying that the event was a great platform for cartoonists.

Movie frames, however, will have an almost equal footing with comic panels, with known faces of Bollywood set to drop by. Actor Aayushman Khurana of Vicky Donor fame will be launching Tere Bin Laden helmer Abhishek Sharma's brainchild Munkeeman 2. If a special session by Irock Films CEO Siddhartha Jain with actors Shazahn Padamsee, Rajat Barmecha and Jiah Khan wasn't enough, there will be a panel on the revered 30-year-old cult film Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron held by director Kundan Shah himself.

Explaining the more prominent cinematic presence, Varma said that internationally, films are a big part of conventions and with Mumbai being the hub of the entertainment industry, the idea had to be pushed. "We hope to keep building upon this relationship with each event and make it bigger and better each year," he said.

Visitors will have less cause to worry about treading on superheroes' capes with the many costume play contestants now allowed to portray film characters as well. And those dying of anticipation for The Hobbit and Man Of Steel films, will have something to whet their appetites, courtesy Warner Bros.

Is Varma confident that his baby will, down the line, end up like the 45-year-old San Diego Comic Con, the undisputed mecca for geeks? Taking a realist stance, he says he doesn't believe that with India's relatively miniscule market it is possible to dream big, as much as he would love to. Saying that there is a lot to learn from other conventions around the world, he said, "We'd like to chart out our own course and have our unique identity. This is our second year, the growth so far and the response so far has been tremendous. However, there is a very long way to go and we have a lot of work ahead of us!"

Kini shares Varma's of optimism. "The future is bright for the comics industry," says the artist, whose work regularly features in childhood favourite Tinkle.

"We get a lot of people who are our target audience coming directly to us to interact. They know us artists better when they come face to face with us. It's a great place to network too.

Mumbai Film and Comics Convention will be held on October 20-21 between 10.30 am - 8 pm at World Trade Centre, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai.