Comic Con Delhi 2015

Three years ago people paid Rs 20 to attend Comic Con for free at Dilli Haat. That is still the standard fee to enter the government-run cultural events venue in south Delhi. Then Comic Con was a small affair with a handful of stalls.

Those who came to Dilli Haat to buy ethnic products - kurtas, jams, pickles and digestive condiments from India's villages - ended up walking into posters of Avenger heroes and Uncle Pai's creations.

Over three years later, people paid upwards of Rs 300 to visit Comic Con. The organisers sold a three-day "superfan pass" for 650 bucks. If money is one of the yardsticks of success, Comic Con has licked success.

The world of comics has changed a lot (at least to the not-so-old generation that journey basket belongs). Do children read comic books these days? They do, but they don't. 

One of the qualities that Comic Con has consistently shown over the years is that this event gives creators a good market to sell wares related to comic books and the characters that appear in them. The focus has slightly shifted from the books to their allied products. There are mugs, t-shirts, collectables, toys, coasters, notepads, the list is long. 

Welcome to the future.    

See: Comic Con 2013, Comic Con 2014