The debut edition of Maruti Suzuki Arena Kolkata Comic Con, powered by Crunchyroll, took over the city for its debut season, making it the best weekend ever for Kolkatans! For the first time ever, Comic Con India arrived in Kolkata, bringing the city its very own, full-scale celebration of comics, anime, manga, gaming, and next-level cosplay-all under one roof. With over 30,000+ visitors and 3000+ cosplayers bringing their A-game, the event was a visual extravaganza.
From classic comic book characters such as Wonderwoman, Harley Quinn, Joker, Batman along with a variety of Spiderman variations to anime favourites Toji and Choso from Jujutsu Kaisen Demon Slayer's Nezuko, and some quirky twists on Deadpool as Bongpool and a Bengali Groom Spiderman - fans flocked in great numbers to cosplay as their favourite characters
Kolkata Comic Con also brought some of the biggest names in the comic book world to the city of joy. Fans were thrilled to meet legendary Archie Comics writer Bill Golliher and New York Times best-selling author John Layman, who shared their journeys, creative processes, and exclusive insights during special panels and meet-and-greet sessions. The city's artistic spirit also shone brightly with the presence of celebrated Bengali artists like Harsho Mohan Chattoraj and Aniruddho Chakraborthy from Chariot Comics along with a stellar lineup of India's finest comic creators, including Abhijeet Kini Studios, Bullseye Press, Indusverse, Bakarmaxx, Art of SAVIO, Corporat, Akshara Ashok, Saumin Patel, Prasad Bhat, Sufi Comics, LILOROSH, Rajesh Nagulakonda, Yali Dream Creations, Urban Tales, and many more.
Further adding to the event's excitement, the ever-hilarious Biswa Kalyan Rath brought the house down with his sharp humour, while The Internet Said So (Varun Thakur, Kautuk Srivastav, and Aadar Malik) delivered a riot of laughter with their offline podcast. Rohan Joshi and Sapan Verma kept the humour rolling, while Azeem Banatwalla left fans in stitches with his signature style of comedy. But that wasn't all! Music lovers were treated to electrifying performances by The Geek Fruit Band and Desible, making the two-day festival the best weekend of the year for Kolkata's pop culture fans.
Kolkata based Graphic novelist and illustrator Harsho Mohan Chattoraj said, "I've been associated with Comic Con India since its inception and now Kolkata finally has its own Comic Con which has been an incredible experience! We've been
Crunchyroll
wanting to have it here for the last 13 years, and seeing this vibrant turnout is truly special. I remember Jatin asking me to do a workshop in Kolkata years ago to foster ideas and creativity, and we saw some positive signs even then. Now, witnessing the love for comics, cosplay, and storytelling come alive is amazing. I was thrilled to launch Ancient Temples of India with Amar Chitra Katha and Algebra Book 2 with Alpha Comics on day 1, celebrating our rich narratives as well as two of my own launches on day 2. This is just the beginning- Kolkata Comic Con is here to stay, and I can't wait to see it grow!"
Comedian Biswa Kalyan Rath shared "Kolkata Comic Con was an amazing experience! The crowd was full of energy, and it was incredible to see people come together over their shared interests. They were so responsive-even for a standing audience, which is rare! There was such a great mix of age groups and backgrounds, and the vibes were just fantastic. This was my first Comic Con, and I couldn't have asked for a better one. And Kolkata? I always love it-it's an emotion in itself!"
Comedian Rohan Joshi said, "The first-ever Kolkata Comic Con was an absolute blast! Visiting a new city and watching more people embrace Comic Con as their geek safe space to explore their passion is always exciting. Pop culture transcends location, and we see it here. Someone from Ahmedabad could step into Kolkata Comic Con and feel right at home. Drop a Kolkata fan into Mumbai Comic Con, and they'd thrive. No matter where they are, they're among their people-and that's what makes it so special."Adding to it further, comedian Sapan Verma continued "I feel like Comic Con just finds their audience everywhere, and when I'm on stage, I can't tell the difference whether it's Kolkata or any other city, because they're all pop culture geeks and that's fantastic to be a part of!"
The convention took fan engagement to new heights with immersive experiences presented by Maruti Suzuki Arena, Crunchyroll, DC Studios' Superman and WB's Final Destination Bloodlines. The NODWIN Gaming Arena presented attendees exciting new showcases and experiences from brands like PlayStation, Lenovo, Intel, EliteHubs, Corsair, Logitech, KlipVR along with an exclusive Chandrayan VR experience.
Reflecting on the phenomenal debut, Jatin Varma, Founder of Comic Con India, shared, "Kolkata's first-ever Comic Con was an absolute blockbuster! Every corner of the convention buzzed with jaw-dropping cosplays, electrifying performances, and unforgettable moments with Indian, international, and homegrown artists engaging
MARUTI SUZUKI ARENA
with everyone. We were confident that this city had incredible potential, and enabling the already existing geek culture here was truly exciting for us to be a part of! The overwhelming love from fans made this debut truly special, cementing Kolkata as an unmissable stop on the Comic Con India map. And this is just the beginning-Comic Con India has found a new home here, and we can't wait to be back here every year with even bigger, exhilarating experiences year on year!"
Akshat Rathee, Co-Founder and Managing Director of NODWIN Gaming
added," Kolkata truly showed us why it is known as the city of joy. The reception towards the city's inaugural edition of Comic Con and its various offerings of comics, artists, gaming, anime and cosplays was incredible to witness. The people, the culture and the enthusiasm are unmatched here. Epic cosplays were witnessed with authentic and local twists for the debut edition such as a Bengali Groom Spiderman, Bongpool that fascinated fans along with the winner of the Indian Cosplay Championship - Dahaka cosplay from Prince of Persia and more. The energy across various experiential zones, the food offerings and unforgettable performances made this edition electrifying from the get-go! With over XX visitors and XX cosplay registrations, Kolkata made this a surreal and an unforgettable pop culture experience all under one roof, just as we had envisioned. We cannot thank the fans' enough for bringing their passion to the event, and we are confident that Kolkata is a spectacle that we will retum to always!"
With Kolkata Comic Con 2025 wrapping up its debut edition on a high note, fans across India are now eagerly looking forward to the next stops as Pune Comic Con is all set to make its much-awaited arrival on March 8th and 9th, 2025.
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