Kristian Nairn, Rob Denbleyker enthrall public at Delhi Comic Con 2015

New Delhi: The fifth edition of the capital's most-loved comic and graphic novel extravaganza, the Delhi Comic Con, kicked here on a high note with internationally reputed artist Rob Denbleyker of "Cyanide and Happiness" and "Game of Thrones" actor Kristian Nairn enthralling the audience with their wit and charm.

The three-day fest, which began on Friday at the NSIC Grounds, Okhla, features around 250 participants from across the globe.

The main draw at the event, however, was undoubtedly the presence of the 6 feet 9 inches tall Nairn, who essays Hodor in the hugely popular HBO fantasy TV series "Game of Thrones". The actor will be in attendance on all three days of the event, taking part in special sessions, signings and fan interactions.

Some of the Indian publishers present at the event were Campfire Graphic Novels, Vimanika Comics, Holycow Entertainment, Scholastic India among others.

Campfire had an exclusive release of their World War II series books "World War Two: Against the Rising Sun" and "World War II: Under the Shadow of the Swastika".

"We have been wanting to do this series about the World War II. It was an urge to do this book. The first book was the approach was how the soldiers felt during the world war. We all have read the history, but how did it all happen? The condition of the soldiers, their families… the books talk about that," the book's illustrator Lalit Kumar Sharma told.

Vimanika Comics, one of the country's premier graphic novel publishers too, had something new up their sleeve. They have come up with a sub-imprint called Kalapani Comics, which they are showcasing at the ongoing Comic-Con.

Known for their mythology inspired graphic novels, Vimanika has taken a contemporary route with this sub-imprint and are ready to release the "Eldritch Chronicles," a fantasy series.

"'Eldritch' by Virat Nigam, a 15-year-old kid from Kanpur who got inspired by the likes of George R.R. Martin and he started writing these stories. When they saw our comic book store in Lucknow, they approached us and we came into a partnership," founder Karan Vir Arora told.

Bengaluru-based independent artist and photographer Ari Jayaprakash, who is exhibiting prints from his forthcoming graphic novel "The Kuru Chronicles" at the event, says that the Comic Con has helped artists and publishers to promote their work in a better manner.

One of the reasons why we keep coming here is the support, which motivates us to go on. People have expectations and there are some interesting artists doing good things out there. There would be a change as far as artwork and comics to be found are concerned,

Delhi Comic Con 2015 also features a special "Star Wars Zone" for fans of the legendary series. The Star Wars: Battle Pod made an appearance at the event to provide fans with a high-speed arcade game experience based on the series.

For tech enthusiasts, Cornea Entertainment hosted an interactive session on cinematic e-comics, where the audiences got to experience the comic reading in a completely new way on a tab.

Graphic pen tablets manufacturer Wacom also conducted a fun session with artist Abhijeet Kini on 'How To Create Your Very Own Characters & Comic Strips'.

Like every year, cos-players depicting famous characters from comic books, animated films and live-action movies mesmerized the attendees and posed for pictures.

The three-day event will conclude on December 6th, Sunday.

(Inputs from IANS)

(Picture Courtesy:www.hindustantimes.com)