Indie comic creator Sanidh Asif Ali’s visit to the first edition Indie Comix Fest (ICF) in 2018 impressed the data analyst so much that the following year, he ended up participating in the next edition as a creator with his own comic Gustoso. Until then he was merely dabbling in comics, posting his creations on his socials, “The ICF set me on my ‘comic’ journey!” says Sanidh, who is now on the organising committee of the fourth edition of ICF, which gets underway on December 17 at Women’s Association Hall.
Indy Comix Commune, a community of Kochi-based indie comic creators, is hosting the event under the ICF umbrella. “This year we have a line-up of 50 comic creators, who have registered. It is an opportunity, as much as a platform for creators and aficionados. Visitors will get a chance to purchase and interact with the creators,” says Tony Davis, one of the founders of Indy Comix Commune. Most of the participating creators are up and coming creators from Kerala besides others from outside the State.
“The ICF will sustain the movement [indie comic] in Kochi,” he adds. Unlike Comic Con, which is a buyer, merch-oriented event, ICF is for the creators,” Tony adds.
Megha Saravanan is a first-time participant at ICF. The fashion design graduate from NIFT sees this as an opportunity for a hybrid career, which melds fashion and creating comics. “I expect to meet like-minded people, get feedback… who knows, it may even result in some collaborations!” she says. She will be launching her first comic at ICF. “I have Indy Comix Commune to thank for this. I was clueless about the direction I wanted to take but after attending their monthly meet-ups since June, the community has been a help in guiding me on how to create comics,” says Megha.
Indy Comix Commune was formed in April 2022 with a handful of members. From January, this year, they began hosting monthly meet-ups at H&C’s Edappally outlet discussing aspects of creating and publishing comics. Tony says the community is intended to create an independent space for the artists to showcase their works and learn more. Their activities include discussions related to the comics and related aspects.
“We want to create a permanent space for artists; with 60-odd members we want the community to grow and thrive. With the Comix Commune, I understood the value of community. We had creators such as Prateek Thomas of Studio Kokaachi and Roshan Kurichiyanil of Art of Roshan coming in. They shared tips on the creative aspect — the art and the story, or the technical aspects. All this helps us grow as creators, and put out better quality comics,” Sanidh adds. He will introduce his new work, Glasses, a silent comic besides his earlier works Gustoso, Hope On, Cat Needs a Friend, and Krishnavanam.
Indie Comix Fest will be held on December 17 at Women’s Association Hall from 10 am to 7pm. More details on @indiecomixfest and @indycomicscommune on Instagram
