Comic legends Dan Parent and David Lloyd in Hyderabad

David Lloyd, who is known for illustrating the character V, who wears the famous Guy Fawkes mask in the movie V for Vendetta, was excited about visiting Hyderabad for the first time. The British comics’ artist has worked for many Marvel comics and has illustrated iconic characters like Night Raven and Doctor Who.

David was in the city to attend Comic Con. About the Guy Fawkes mask, he says, “I wanted to create a character that fights the system. One day, I had a crazy brain wave and drew V. I suggested it to Alan Moore (writer), and he thought it was a great idea.”

David couldn’t travel around the city and wishes to visit the Golconda Fort. “When it rains it reminds me of home. So I’ve been staying indoors so far. The food here is very spicy, I’m trying to adapt to that. But I love the people here. They are so enthusiastic and full of energy,” he admits.

He has a word of advice for budding artists. “You must work really hard. There is no easy way out. For any artist, it is important to be able to draw. Everything else comes after,” says David, who is currently running a website that has digital comic strips.

Dan Parent, who is best known for his work for Archie Comics, was also in the city to attend Comic Con. Dan has illustrated characters like Felix the Cat and Barbie. The artist is happy that there are a lot of Archie fans in India.

About his journey with Archie, he says, “They were looking for an artist, I gave them a few samples and they hired me. I’ve been working for Archie for 30 years.” The artist created the first gay character in Archie Comics. “I try and represent minority characters. Kevin Keller was a natural progression for me,” he says. Dan is currently working on an Archie Comic, a Kevin Keller book, and a brand new book called Die Kitty Die.