Vizag Comic Con’s maiden edition unites Pop-Culture fans in epic gathering, draws over 12,000 footfall

Visakhapatnam, October 11, 2026: 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 trivia challenges.

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. 

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About Comic Con India:

Comic Con India, acquired by NODWIN Gaming, is the biggest celebration of pop culture across the subcontinent. With numerous events hosted throughout India, drawing in over 200,000 enthusiasts and amassing a collective digital reach exceeding 330 million, it unites diverse fandoms spanning comics, collectibles, merchandise, anime, cosplay, television, film, gaming, and beyond. 

Comic Con India has played a pivotal role in shaping how young India engages with both global and homegrown pop culture. It continues to celebrate a wide range of interests, including comics, anime, television, film, and gaming. By featuring iconic international brands such as DC Comics and Marvel alongside leading creators from the Indian comic book industry, Comic Con brings together diverse cultures and showcases the best of pop culture from India and around the world.

About NODWIN Gaming:

NODWIN Gaming, a leader in new-age youth entertainment, gaming, and esports, holds a significant position in the global gaming and esports industry in emerging markets. Since its inception in 2014 by Akshat Rathee and Gautam Virk, NODWIN has established a global presence in regions such as Taiwan, South Asia, Singapore, the Middle East, Central Asia. The company’s business centres around building and monetising global youth access through pop culture, gaming, esports, live events and content through IPs such as Leagues, Tournaments, Reality shows. It engages with Artists, Content creators, professional esports athletes, teams. Notable investors include Founders investment vehicle Good Game Investments, Nazara Technologies (BSE: NAZARA), KRAFTON Inc, Sony Group Corporation and JetSynthesys. A key focus for NODWIN Gaming is the expertise in the global south and the timeshare of mindshare of the global youth on mobiles. NODWIN has established a dominant position worldwide in this space. By catering to the youth demographic, NODWIN is expanding its Total Addressable Market (TAM) by becoming increasingly relevant in the rapidly evolving digital entertainment landscape. Their diverse range of intellectual properties that engages the youth spans esports, gaming, pop culture, music, and comedy. This strategic expansion and cultivation of new intellectual properties are crucial to NODWIN’s aim of maintaining a significant role in the global youth media, gaming and esports Arena​s.

For more information, visit www.nodwingaming.com