Nickelodeon To Hold Animation Session At This Years Comic Con Express At The Koramangala Stadium In Bangalore In India

From The Indian Express:

In a Comic Role

In 2011, when the country’s first ever Annual Indian Comic Con was held in the capital, it was a curious affair for both, comic lovers as well as distributors. Though the two-day event did not have the grandeur of the original Comic Con of San Diego, where movies like 'Ironman' or 'The Avengers' were announced, the novelty around the do prompted the organisers to have another two-day-long Comic Con Express (CCE), a travelling version of the Indian Comic Con in Mumbai last year and now this year in Bangalore on September 8 and 9 at Koramangala Stadium.

Held regularly in UK, USA and Canada, Comic Cons, which are also known as Comic Conferences or Comic Book Conventions are large scale gatherings of comic lovers and industry personnel that gives people a chance to purchase comics and interact with the publishers and sellers. “The response we received for the Indian Comic Con 2011 was phenomenal. Much like its international counterpart, it aims at highlighting new market trends in the industry and gives a wide platform for fans to interact with the publishers and distributors, who can sell the products directly to the fans. Besides, upcoming artistes and writers get a chance to meet up and show their works to publishers and distributors,” says Jatin Varma, organiser, Comic Con India.

This year's CCE will see the launch of the second issue of the Indian Comics Journal, comics like Aghori, The Templar, P5: Pandavas, Payback and other titles. Companies like Nickelodeon and Ubisoft will hold sessions on animation and gaming, while Campire Graphic Novels will hold their Young Writers Award ceremony during the two days. Explaining more about the wide variety of events, Varma says, “The reason of incorporating events outside comics is because the industry is closely related to the gaming and the animation industry. It broadens the perspective of the event and also gives the audiences a lot of events to choose from.”

However, this year’s highlight is the release of 20 new graphic novel titles. Also on the cards is the revival of Timpa, a comic character that was based heavily on Tintin. Originally published by Indrajaal Comics in the late 80s and a Kolkata based publisher it fell through in the early 90s. This year, Pop Culture Publishing is reviving the series with the launch of the title Timpa-The Runners of the Golden Horn.

Some of the publications that will be a part of the event include the likes of Marvel, DC, Amar Chitra Katha. Others like Chariot Comics, Holy Cow Entertainment and Campfire Graphic Novels will also be a part of the same. Even Pune will have its own representation at the CCE in the form of Krayon Pictures. The team from Krayon, which was instrumental in making the upcoming animated film ‘Delhi Safari’, will be speaking about the movie that releases on October 19. Nishith Takia, co-founder of Krayon Pictures will talk about the manner in which the project was executed, the kind of 3D modelling that went into designing the characters and also developing the content, which is on par with Hollywood. “The animation industry is changing and we will be highlighting as to what it will mean for Indian animated film makers in the future,” says Arpan Gaglani, Creative Director for Krayon Pictures.

The CCE held in Mumbai was a breakaway hit with people so much so that the management has established a Mumbai Film and Comic Con that will be held in October this year. “We are looking to expand to other tier two cities and beyond the metros. That was the reason why we chose Bangalore, as it is a hub for artists and writers who are associated with the industry.”