Hyderabad Comic Con ends on a high as pop culture fans take over Hitex

By the end of a rainy weekend in Hyderabad, the Hitex Exhibition Centre was taken over by colourful cosplayers. Thousands of fans thronged the halls in wigs, cloaks, and colourful costumes, their energy as loud as the music thumping from nearby stalls. The Maruti Suzuki Arena Hyderabad Comic Con, held alongside DreamHack India from October 31 to November 2, ended its three-day run with anime and gaming fans outnumbering the classic comic book crowd by a long shot.

The floor was dominated by anime merchandise, from Naruto headbands to Jujutsu Kaisen figurines. Merch sellers barely kept up with demand as visitors queued for limited-edition collectibles. The comic side of things wasn’t entirely forgotten, though. Across all three days, a handful of DC and Marvel loyalists made their mark, with the occasional Batman or Deadpool sighting, and at least half a dozen Spider-Mans swinging about, thanks to the cheap masks flying off the stalls.

“I thought I’d see more superheroes, but everyone seems to be here for anime,” laughed Kritika Sharma, 20, cosplaying as Gojo Satoru from Jujutsu Kaisen. “It’s like the city has turned Japanese for the weekend.”

Still, Indian storytelling wasn’t overshadowed. Amar Chitra Katha and Tinkle drew steady crowds with their virtual reality experience, letting fans walk through their illustrated worlds. Nearby, Hyderabad-based illustrators and independent comic creators held their own, signing books and selling original artwork that connected nostalgia with local flavour.

The guest list had its international flair too. Lucifer writer and producer Mike Costa and artist J. Gonzo, known for his covers for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Ghost Rider, pulled in fans for panels and signings. But the real action stayed on the floor, where cosplayers were the true headliners. “Cosplay has become a culture here,” said Harish, 24, who crafted a Deadpool-inspired suit. “It’s about creativity, not perfection. Everyone here just gets that.”

DreamHack India added its own charge to the weekend, celebrating its sixth anniversary with retro gaming zones, KO Fight Night, and chess tournaments. Big names like Kaashvi, Scout, Jonathan, and Zgod kept fans glued to the Red Bull Tetris National Finals, while M.A.D. fame Harun Robert, better known as Rob, turned his meet-and-greet into a nostalgia trip for millennials.