Comic Frontier, also widely known asComifuro (abbreviated as CF), is adōjinshi convention held biannually inBSD City,Tangerang Regency,Banten, Indonesia.[1][2][3][4] It has a wide range of activities and participants,[5] from thedōjin marketplace,cosplay show, corporate booth, music performance, andtalkshow discussingcreative industries (particularly comic and animation) in Indonesia.[6][7] The convention has been influenced in design and spirit by the JapaneseComiket convention.[4]
The convention was founded by several students from theUniversity of Indonesia, with the first convention held in 2012. It was then called Comic Frontier Akipa x Gelar Jepang and 35 circles participated.[4]
Originally a part of Gelar Jepang, a Japanese cultural event organised by Japanology Students' Association of the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Indonesia, Comifuro was spun-off as a standalone event since its third convention.[4]
Circle booths during Comic Frontier 11Closing performance by OTAGROOVE during Comic Frontier X
The dōjin marketplace is filled by circles of aspiring or established creators publishing their works independently, covering a wide range offandoms from the east, west, or local IPs.[9] The cosplay show is another mainstay of the event, with many cosplayers from Indonesia and abroad participating.[10] Stage music performances are usually held during and at the climax of the event, consisting ofkaraoke sessions, music instrument performances,anison, and DJ performances.[11]
Local comic publishers such asreON andCIAYO and the like would usually hold portfolio review sessions where aspiring writers and/or comic artists may submit their manuscripts.[9]
Comifuro is typically held on Saturday and Sunday, bi-annually each year. Ticket sales began in the morning before the gate opens, traditionally at 9:30, with the ticket gate closing at 17:00. The dōjin marketplace and other activities are open until closing at 18:00.[12]
In response to theCOVID-19 outbreak in Indonesia, Comifuro held a new online format for the convention beginning from 2021, aptly named asComic Frontier Virtual, orComivuro for short (also often abbreviated as CV or CFV). The online format of the convention is a separate event series from its offline counterpart, with the 15th event reserved for an offline format.
Hobby shops at Comic Frontier 18, these shops sell officially licensed products including those from Good Smile Company
For the first offline Comifuro since COVID-19, CF15, it was moved to hall 9 and 10 ofICE BSD where hall 9 was used as an eating place and hall 10 for the actual event. It attracted 17,000 visitors on the first day, crossing over 20,000 for both days combined. Because of this, many were queueing for hours to get a ticket with others were waiting since 3 am. It also was the first timeGood Smile Company products being sold at Comifuro.[13]
On 1 December 2022, Comic Frontier announced on theirTwitter that Comifuro 16 would be held on 11-12 March 2023 in halls 8, 9 and 10 of ICE BSD.[14] It has been delayed to 6-7 May 2023 however, citing security concerns surrounding the venue and its adjacent areas during the event date as cause of delay.[15][16][17]
