Dhaka Comicon 2016

 On Thursday, December 15, Dhaka Comicon returned for the 5th time. Held on the fifth floor of Jamuna Future Park, it embodies the cultural voice of the younger generation- music, comic books, superhero merchandises, etc. The three day event started in the morning, but most of the people started coming in after 4pm.

Right in front of the entrance gate, there were many superhero memorabilia on display, showcased inside a glass box, like the ones you see in museums. Darth Vader, Stormtroopers and the Batmobile are to name a few. A few yards away from those, was a booth of cartoonists, making caricatures of the visitors. Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy was among the most notable cartoonists there. Behind the cartoonist booth, there was a narrow passage with stalls on both sides, selling comic books, t-shirts, jackets, posters, mugs, collectors' toys, etc. Among all the stalls, there was one called Mighty Punch Studios, which in particular sold comic books made by local artists. There were kids buying those instead of the old Incredible Hulk and Superman issues, and that can give both Marvel and DC, a run for their money in the foreseeable future. None of those shops ever looked empty. At the other end of the auditorium, past the stall, there was a stage for the musical performances. Also at one corner, close to the main stage, there was a replica of the Game of Thrones chair. People took pictures sitting on it throughout the day.

There was a musical performance by a rock band called, Unspecify, at around 5pm. They started with some grunge music, with the people dancing to it. Meanwhile in front of the gate, cosplayers were signing up for the competition. Harley Quinn, Kakashi Hatake and Deadpool were some of the most common cosplays. There were even some hybrids, like the Harley Quinn gender bend. Some of the cosplayers even started dancing to the music, which was a very interesting scenario. This is something no one imagined to be possible, a decade ago.

Unspecify was followed by a brief performance by the band Sins. Then the cosplay competition took place. There were around 30 participants and all of them did a ramp walk on the main stage, while the crowd reacted to their attires.

When the clock was about to hit 7pm, Nemesis, one of the most popular bands in the country, got on stage, and the audience were singing along with the band, showing their appreciation for the rockers. Within the hour and a half long performance, they sang an unreleased track called “Janalai,” which was appreciated by the audience who were present at the moment. A DJ then warmed the crowd up for the night's headliners- Uptown Lokolz. The people were delighted by the music, the rapper, Black Zang, also took a video of the audience for the Mannequin Challenge. He told the audience to cooperate, which they gladly took of.

Dhaka Comicon will have an impact on our culture; it is quite evident, given the overwhelming response. We can see more and more comic books and cosplays with Bangladeshi twists coming up these days. On the first day of Comicon, there were over a thousand people, according to the organisers. If you want to witness a cultural phenomenon that is happening now, go catch the last day of the event tomorrow at Jamuna Future Park.