GETTING YOUR GEEK ON

If you're still scratching your head and trying to remember what amazingness you missed out on over the past weekend, it's possibly the Unmad-JCC Comic Con 2014. November 13-15 saw a lot of the characters that we see on the big screen, TV, computers and handheld gadgets at the National Shooting Federation grounds in Gulshan 1, Dhaka -- causing unavailability of most parking spaces; you'd know if you were around. For the ones who failed to savour the event, SHOUT had it all noted down and is now proud to present.

Even though tickets were available at many spots in the capital, the line at the venue stretched long towards the Gulshan 1 KFC. It was nice to see not-yet-toddlers, toddlers, children, teenagers, youth and the young-at-heart visit the event. This validated that the Comic Con was truly an “event for all”.

The stalls and the cosplay were separated at the event. Cosplayers took a right turn inside the hall to put on makeup and costumes as they prepared for the competition which took place every evening at 6pm. The rest didn't take a wrong turn either. They entered the venue and were greeted by a field (with occasional sandstorms, there were about 10,000 pairs of feet, all stomping) which was all carpeted and had a roof.

Upon entrance, one could see the line of food stalls on the right. From fuchka and burgers to thirst-quenchers and wasabi-flavoured Wavy chips, the stalls made a good fortune attending to the hungry youngsters. There was a food cart as well. If only they'd be more careful of the dust; next time, hopefully.

There was music, oh yes. The whole place grooved, and at times, headbanged to what came out of the strategically positioned JBL speakers. The playlist included tracks by Lenka and John Mayer to AC/DC and Black Sabbath. The crowd did not mind if the music was appropriate for the event, as long as they could hum to the tunes.

The perimeter of the ground was taken over by the numerous stalls. T-shirts, key rings, clocks, comics, notebooks, mini action figures, quiz competition based solely on your knowledge of anime – you name it, they had it. The start and end of the line of stalls were booked by JCC, to give away the free comics and posters the organisers had promised with each ticket. The queue for free comics wasn't a long one as they were given at random, but the one for free posters (which you could choose, taking as long as you wanted) was a mini version of the aforementioned ticket line. Everyone was happy nevertheless – people learning about new and unheard of comics from the random pack and some settling with a pink My Little Pony poster for his/her room, as all the rest were finished midway through the last day of Comic Con. The Frozen poster was a hot cake among the young ones; they couldn't let it go.

Back to the stalls. The SRK Hollywood stall and its featured discounted action figures gathered a lot of attention. Many swarmed near the We Draw Stuff booth to get themselves inked on paper. Superhero and TV show t-shirts, hoodies and merchandise were sold at large, along with badges and posters.

Akif Chowdhury manned the MazeCity stall and said it was a unique experience. “I expected a lot of people but this is beyond expectation. It's great to be a fan of this culture and meet so many who are like me,” he said.
We at SHOUT had our own stall. Decorated with a handmade banner and free posters designed by Fahim Anzoom Rumman and Tahmid to give away, it was a treat to watch our readers show up and help themselves to a few. We also gave free “life advice” to ones who wanted them. The best part was when readers rushed to the stalls and asked to take selfies or took autographs – proud moments for us all. Thank you, thank you very much.
The center of the ground was acquired by Intel, IFAD Group and Fun Factory for their gaming zone and Kid's Zone respectively. The bouncy castle was the centre of attention for many; the kids had a wonderful time on the train and merry-go-round. Parents joined their children in the fun as well.

Mithila Das, a mother, arrived at the event with her family and neighbours, from whom she learned about the Comic Con. “I heard about the event and decided to come in a group. I'm glad I did; my son and I are enjoying this outing very much,” she said.

An undergrad student, Tahmeed Chaudhury, visited Comic Con with his friends. Not a comic fan, he expressed mixed views about his experience. “It's pretty awesome to watch fans dress up as their favourite characters. But I was hoping for some more effort from the cosplayers. Also, this event needs a bigger venue. Hope the organisers take note of this.”

Any Comic Con is incomplete without comics. This year saw the introduction of many new comics, both national and international. The free comics familiarised us with many new characters. Many exclusive ones were on display inside the hall; so were rare editions of comics such as The Dark Knight Returns, Sandman etc.
Comics aside, let's talk about the cosplay. As expected, there was a large following of anime characters. Pop culture references were at large too. It's not every day that your path is blocked by a march of Game of Thrones characters. There was Dr. House and Sherlock, as was a superhero amalgamation of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Batman and Krrish. Yes, you missed that, didn't you? There.

The organisers were content with the turnout and how everything ran during the course of this three-day event.
As for us at SHOUT, we had a fantastic time as the English Print Media Partner of the Unmad-JCC Comic Con 2014 and we hope to see you all next year!

PHOTOS: DARSHAN CHAKMA