Vizag Comic Con’s Maiden Edition Unites Pop

Visakhapatnam: The city of Visakhapatnam came alive with fandom celebrations as Maruti Suzuki presents Vizag Comic Con powered by Crunchyroll, successfully concluded its maiden edition on October 10–11 at the Kalam Convention Centre, AMTZ Campus.

The two-day pop-culture celebration witnessed over 12,000 footfall, bringing together comic book enthusiasts, anime lovers, gaming fans and cosplayers for a weekend filled with everything around fandom culture.

The debut edition gave fans an opportunity to discover new comics and manga, meet creators, explore merchandise, participate in engaging activities and experience the many aspects of pop culture under one roof. From the Artist Alley and creator interactions to panel discussions, cosplay and live entertainment, the venue remained abuzz with fans celebrating the characters, stories and communities they love.

Popular gaming streamer Munna Bhai Gaming also joined the fandom, experiencing the excitement and energy of the maiden edition firsthand.

Shefali Johnson, CEO, Comic Con India, said, “It was wonderful to see Vizag welcome Comic Con with such warmth and make it their own. Much like Andhra Pradesh’s rich food culture, known for its bold flavours and vibrant spirit, the city brought its own flavour to our maiden edition. From fans discovering Indian comics and artwork at Artist Alley to the crowd cheering for Telugu hip-hop artist Roll Rida, there was a lovely mix of local culture and fandom. Seeing Vizag’s young fans and families come together to celebrate their favourite stories and characters made this debut truly special. We look forward to building on this connection with the city.”

Fans were also seen engaging with India’s comics and creator community, interacting with writers, artists and publishers while discovering new comic titles, original artwork and stories from homegrown creators. The Comic Con Creators’ Jam brought together creators including Roshan from Lilorosh, Sameera Maruvada from Salt and Sambar, Ashwin Kalmane from Bullseye Press and Bijoy Raveendran from Yali Dream Creations for conversations around their creative journeys and the evolving comics landscape in India. The Comic Con Community Spotlight also celebrated local fandom communities, with The Coastal Realms Guild: The Geek Feud! bringing fans together through a showcase of their shared passion and community spirit.

Visitors also explored a range of virtual reality (VR) attractions, including the VR Fun Zone at the NODWIN Gaming Arena, X-Wall’s interactive virtual basketball and archery experiences, and Logitech’s Race For Real zone, which offered an immersive racing simulation. The experience zones further fuelled the excitement, with fans queuing up to engage with Maruti Suzuki’s interactive brand experience and take on Crunchyroll’s fun tri

Akshat Rathee, Co-founder and MD, NODWIN Gaming, said, “Bringing Comic Con to Vizag for the first time is an important step forward for NODWIN as we continue to take pop-culture experiences to diverse audiences across India. Vizag’s response reflects the growing interest in these experiences beyond the metros and reinforces our commitment to making youth entertainment more accessible to fans across the country.”

The showfloor buzzed with cosplayers transformed into their favourite characters through elaborate costumes, makeup and impressive craftsmanship. Cosplay became a celebration of creativity and self-expression, with fans admiring each other’s work, exchanging tips and tricks and posing for pictures throughout the weekend.

The celebration also welcomed children from a local NGO, offering them an opportunity to meet their favourite superheroes and experience the joy of being part of Vizag Comic Con.

For the two days, the main stage kept fans entertained with a packed line-up of music, comedy and live performances. The weekend featured performances by Telugu hip-hop artist Roll Rida, along with C-SHOR, The 9TEEN and Fluteboxers, as well as stand-up acts by Gokul Kumar, Kumar Varun and Vivek Muralidharan. The diverse programming ensured there was something for every kind of fan to enjoy.

As the maiden edition concludes, Comic Con India, a subsidiary of NODWIN Gaming, has added a new city to its calendar to support the growing pop-culture landscape, bringing together fans to celebrate their favourite stories, characters and fandoms.