The Artists’ Alley at Bahrain Comic Con saw heavy foot traffic yesterday, with local comic creators and illustrators showcasing original work alongside seasoned professionals from abroad.
Many visitors said they were especially excited to discover homegrown talent.
“This is my second time at Bahrain Comic Con,” Bahraini caricature artist Salah Abuidrees told the GDN, as he drew live cartoons of couples, families and more at his booth, ‘Salah Cartoonz’.
“People love more vibrant, colourful and cute caricatures – I had one family who wanted a joint piece, but they wanted to surprise each other, so they each told me a character for each other, and they didn’t know who was who, until the piece was done!”
As the sun went down and temperatures cooled, the halls got busier and busier, with the Artist Alley being packed, shoulder-to-shoulder for much of the day.
One artist, who initially had a chair in front of her booth, had to pull it back, because of the foot traffic.
“This is my first time here and I decided to do a retro vibe photo sketch booth,” Riyah Baylon told the GDN.
“So instead of a photo, people get a sketch of themselves. I give them ‘instructions’ as they sit in front of the mirror, and within a few minutes, I create a live sketch of them.”
For many, even if it was their first time exhibiting at BCC, they had been honing their craft for years and years.
Bahraini crochet artist Abdulrahman Bucheeri has been practising his craft for the last 15 years, having learned it from his mother.
“Around Covid-19, I decided to take the next step with my art,” the 28-year-old artist, who goes by Yarn Droid on Instagram, said.
“I make all sorts of things – apparel, hats, bags, coasters and characters. I have been doing events in the UAE, but it feels nice to come home, so I decided to exhibit at Bahrain Comic Con.
“I have designed pouch bags especially for BCC, which are perfect for gifting and storage.
“Compared to UAE events, the BCC is a bit more relaxed, and I get to talk to people for a bit, so it’s not as overwhelming.”
The gaming zone featured live tournaments in Tekken 8, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Marvels Rivals, Street Fighter, Fortnite, Overwatch, Mobile Legends, FC25, Valorant and Mortal Kombat drawing a competitive crowd.
In the evening, a cosplay competition in collaboration with Middle East Cosplay Summit, with a prize pool of $3,000 (BD1,131), also took place on the open-air stage.
A number of exclusives were also launched at BCC, including special edition John Cena, Kylo Ren and Leroy (from Lilo and Stitch) Funko Pop! figures, as well as Disney artist James C Mulligan’s Bahrain-inspired piece ‘Empire In The Desert’.
“I am a classic Star Wars guy from 1970s and 1980s, so I was inspired to do a Darth Vader in the desert piece,” the American artist said.
“If you look carefully, it’s also got the World Trade Centre building from downtown Bahrain. My piece was done with pencil and watercolour, finished with digital rendering.
“The original has already been sold, though I do have one last artist render on canvas, as well as some prints.
“My time in Bahrain has been great – the food, the people and the weather have been incredibly warm!”
The Bahrain Comic Con that ends today is being held under the patronage of Supreme Council for Youth and Sports first deputy chairman, General Sports Authority chairman and Bahrain Olympic Committee president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
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