KOCHI: Not all heroes wear capes. The creators of non-superhero comics, or rather 'independent' superhero comics, based out of Kochi and other states gathered together at the Westend Hall, Panampilly Nagar, on December 22, for the Indie Comix Fest (ICF). The fest, a regular in cities like Delhi and Mumbai, chose Kochi for its third edition. Organised by a bunch of volunteers on a non-profit basis, the Indie Comix Fest aims to celebrate independent illustrators and comic artists.
"I had attended the ICF in Mumbai, after which I decided to bring it to Kochi," said an organiser. "The main purpose is to tell people that there exists such a way of expression. You have so many individuals expressing themselves through illustrations, zines and comics on Instagram; there has not been a forum where people could come together and network. ICF does that. You meet creators directly, share works, and receive feedbacks. The fest also encourages the community of comic artists and helps them to gain market, receive more publicity," he continued.
When questioned about the response received, he said, "Response at the ground level is quite high, which was unexpected. The crowd comprises mostly students."
Manasi Kotian, a contemperory artist, who has come all the way from Mumbai that the comic culture is still new for Kochi. Her creation, 'Are We Enough Yet', is a prose from the great Kisan March. "We actually have a lot of footfall as a lot of students have come for the Biennale. But there needs to be more exposure for comic artists in Kochi. Neverthless, we are small artists and these kind of platforms help us interact. The ICF has no theme so artists are free to do what they want," she said.
No stranger to Malayalees, Bhaghya Babu, creator of Awkwerrrd comics, cited her initial apprehensions about the comic fest in Kochi. "I was a little hesitant, as it is happening in Kochi for the first time. But it turned out to be a lot better than I expected. I've been in the industry only for a year, I feel a lot of artists have started coming up," she said.
Banking on mythological characters was Atheeth from Kochi, a student, and creator of 'Kamsa'. "This is my first book. I used to read a lot and a fascination for comics gradually developed. I was positive, however, about the turnover. I know a lot of comic fans, and we have the Comic Collective, Kerala's first library for comics and graphic novels," he said.
"The ICF can be Kochi's first exposure to comic culture, hopefully we have more in future," said Sruthi, an ardent comic fan.