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Guwahati Comic Con debuts with colour, cosplay and crowds
MUMBAI: The inaugural Guwahati Comic Con closed on a high after pulling more than 15000 fans into a lively celebration of comics, anime, gaming and all things pop culture. Held on 22 and 23 November at the Arjun Bhogeswar Baruah Sports Complex, the event turned the venue into a buzzing playground for readers, creators, illustrators and costumed superfans from across the Northeast.
Presented by Maruti Suzuki Arena and powered by Crunchyroll, the festival kept the energy steady across both days. Day two brought a nostalgic highlight as Amar Chitra Katha marked 45 years of storytelling, celebrating its enduring cultural footprint. The day also featured the launch of World of Butterfingers Vol. 2 by Khyrunnisa A and Abhijeet Kini, along with the debut of Where We Left Off, an indie comic about climate reality by Nikhil Kamath and Kini. An interactive Wingstar session from Tinkle gave younger visitors a cheerful break.
Legendary Archie Comics artist Bill Golliher joined fans for an artists’ session filled with live sketches, behind the scenes stories and charming anecdotes from the world of Riverdale.
Beyond the books and art, the festival doubled as a youth centric stage for music and performance. Once Fly Rock delivered a heartfelt tribute to Zubeen Garg that struck a chord with the crowd. Stand up comedian Anirban Dasgupta kept fans laughing while rapper EPR Iyer fired up the arena with his blend of poetry, protest and pop culture references. His tribute to Chester Bennington added an emotional punch to the high voltage set.
The curtain dropped with Guwahati’s biggest cosplay face off, the Indian Championship of Cosplay 2026 Guwahati Qualifier. Fans arrived dressed as characters from every corner of fandom including Red Hood, Deadpool, Zenitsu from Demon Slayer, Amane Misa from Death Note, Mao Mao from The Apothecary Diaries, Anya from Spy Family and gaming favourites such as Aglaea from Honkai Star Rail and Capitano from Genshin Impact. Arshy Deori, dressed as Nikke, won the top prize of Rs 50000 along with the coveted qualifying spot.
Across the weekend, the grounds of the sports complex transformed into a carnival of experiences featuring creator sessions, interactive zones and photo friendly setups. Visitors explored the Crunchyroll booth with its recreated Spy x Family room and Demon Slayer themed zone, raced simulators at Logitech’s Race for Real corner, tried classic PSP games and tested their reflexes at the Maruti Suzuki Arena activation. The RedBull Gaming Ground and Nodwin Gaming Challenger Arena kept gamers busy, and a tattoo stall even offered fans the chance to ink a memory from the event.
The final day delighted gaming followers with a meet and greet by Sc0ut, the popular gaming YouTuber, at the Royal Challenge packaged drinking water booth. Fans also tried an immersive VR cricket experience at the same zone.
As the Guwahati edition wrapped up, the excitement rolled forward to the next stop: Delhi Comic Con from 5 to 7 December.
Comic Con India CEO Shefali Johnson said the Guwahati debut was filled with warmth and wonder, noting how fans, artists and families shaped a memorable first chapter for the city.
Nodwin Gaming co-founder and MD Akshat Rathee called the edition a milestone for the region, adding that the enthusiasm from fans of all ages showed how deeply pop culture already runs through the Northeast.
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Domino’s Q1 profit falls 6.6 per cent, announces $1 billion buyback
Sales rise 3.4 per cent as pizza giant balances growth and shareholder returns
NEW YORK: Domino’s reported a mixed start to 2026, with first-quarter net income slipping even as global sales and store expansion held steady. The company also announced a fresh $1 billion share buyback, underlining its continued focus on shareholder returns.
Global retail sales rose 3.4 per cent on a constant-currency basis to $4.74 billion. The US remained a key growth engine, with same-store sales inching up 0.9 per cent, supported by a 1.5 per cent rise at company-owned outlets.
International markets, however, painted a more uneven picture. While Domino’s added 161 net new stores overseas during the quarter, international same-store sales declined 0.4 per cent. Overall revenues still climbed 3.5 per cent to $1.15 billion, driven by higher supply chain revenues and a 2.6 per cent increase in food basket pricing for franchisees.
On the profitability front, net income fell 6.6 per cent to $139.8 million, compared to $149.7 million a year earlier. Diluted earnings per share dropped to $4.13 from $4.33. The decline was largely attributed to a $30 million unfavourable swing in unrealised gains linked to its investment in DPC Dash Ltd.
Despite this, operational performance showed resilience. Income from operations rose 9.6 per cent to $230.4 million, supported in part by a $7.8 million pre-tax gain from the sale of a corporate aircraft.
Domino’s footprint continued to expand, with the company ending the quarter at 22,322 stores across more than 90 markets. In the US, digital orders remained dominant, accounting for over 85 per cent of retail sales in 2025.
The company also maintained its dividend payout, declaring $1.99 per share, payable on 30 June 2026. After repurchasing $75.1 million worth of stock during the quarter, the new authorisation lifts the total available for buybacks to $1.29 billion.
Domino’s chief executive officer Russell Weiner said the company’s scale and store-level economics position it well to capture further market share in 2026, even as competition intensifies.
As Domino’s leans into expansion and capital returns, the latest results show a business managing short-term pressures while keeping its long-term growth strategy firmly in play.
