After the success of The Avengers, it looks like comic heroes are back — and ready to rule again. They are the buzzword in the world of merchandise, from T-shirts to mugs to coasters and badges, the comic mania has hit the markets bigtime. The popularity of these cartoon characters among youth has created a new market for “cool” products that feature superheroes and other popular characters in various avatars.
Jatin Varma, founder of Comic Con India, feels that the influence of superhero movies has definitely generated a lot of interest among youngsters. He says, “We launched our cartoon-inspired merchandise series sometime back and got amazing response in Delhi and Mumbai. We came out with our own merchandise that was inspired from our mascots Super Kudi, Wolver Anna and Wonder Bai and other comic characters. It got a great response.”
“We are starting with a limited number of products, which range from mugs, posters, coasters and metal badges. We’ll be expanding to T-shirts and other accessories in the coming months. The products will be available pan India within next 12 months. Merchandise contributes over 50% of overall revenue at our conventions. For a lot of the publishing companies it is providing a lucrative revenue line,” informs Jatin.
Many youngsters feel that cartoon characters add a sense of quirk and fun quotient, so seeing them on daily products is a great way to be happy. “When I was in college I used to love wearing peppy tees with funny quotes and mostly comic characters. Now with movies like Iron Man and The Avengers, they have become popular with young adults and kids. Recently, I bought comic-inspired tees and I feel they are casual, comfy and quirky. I also bought some funny mugs for my workplace,” says Megha Bewtra, an IT professional working with Google.
Mayank Khurana, a comic fan, blogger and writer, feels that there is a rise in comic-inspired geek culture and many young people now love to flaunt their superheroes by sporting them in various forms.
He says, “Many college goers and youngsters love graphic heroes. They wear their heroes on their sleeve with pride. From local markets to gift shops, you can find so many products that take ideas from comic characters. One can find girls and boys wearing superman/woman tees or using pens, notebooks, badges that have images of superheroes.”