Photographs by Ashraf Uddin Apu
Cartoons, comics, and fairytales played a major role in shaping our personality when growing up. Our childhoods held wishes to be a Disney princess, defend the people of Gotham or even embody the villains themselves. Once again, Dhaka Pop Culture Expo has provided a grand platform for fans to amass, enjoy and delight in the things they love – comic books, movies, video games, cartoons as well as anime!
On July 31 and August 1, 2013, in Baridhara DOHS, Convention Centre, pop culture fans showed up, dressing up like their favourite characters. Yes, they were cosplaying – it’s a relatively new phenomenon in Bangladesh. However, within a short space of time, the Dhaka Pop Culture Expo has become quite popular, with events taking place twice a year.
Their main goal is to celebrate all the fantasy characters that have been inspiring us since childhood. Ardent fans prepared costumes and rehearsed for dance and drama performances weeks before the event took place. Those who weren’t part of the cosplay could join in the fun too, collecting selfies with different characters. Several stalls, such as We Draw Stuff, Postersmith and Geekaroo, were set up all around the place selling merchandise such as comic books, posters, T-shirts and action figures. To keep fans energised, there were several food stands selling fast food and beverages.
As enthusiasm for these events grows, the organisers intend to organise Pop Culture events outside Dhaka, like Chittagong, Sylhet and other places.