CAFKL!!

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A month ago, I attended the Kuala Lumpur Illustration Fair (KLIF), which showcased artists from across Malaysia and Southeast Asia and the original art they create. But they are not the only convention to do this, for there is another artist gathering that had done so for quite some time: Comic Art Festival Kuala Lumpur.

While KLIF started in 2023, Comic Art Festival (hereafter CAFKL) had been doing so since 2016, showcasing local talent and artistry in a space set apart from the usual anime or pop-culture cons. While artists can produce and sell fanart and/or merch, the majority of their work must be of their original design.

And I wanted to go and see what this year had to offer.

 

This year, the CAFKL was held at a convention all attached to a shopping mall I’ve never been before. It was about 40 minutes away by car, but still reachable. What I didn’t expect was the car park to feel labyrinthine, or the mall to be very dead. Hoardings for shops that won’t open, ice rinks with no ice or skaters, entire sections having lights switched off… it took me a while to figure out where the entrance was, and it was in a Times Square americana-themed area that was the only part of the mall that seemed alive.

Fortunately, my trepidations were washed away when I entered the hall. Booths and artists were spaced out nicely – far more than the average convention – and there were visitors already mingling throughout the space. As the hall slowly filled up over the day, I took my time looking through all the booths and enjoying all the creativity on display. It took me four hours, aching feet, and a 10-minute rest in the bathroom, but it was worth it!

I chatted with a few artists, met up with a friend over lunch, and bought a number of cool things before departing in the evening. Compared to other anime or pop-culture cons, CAFKL feels so much more interesting on account of the originality present. It’s definitely something to look out for in the artistic calendar, even for people who are mostly into fandom – you’ll never know what you’ll find.

Also, I spotted someone selling these motivated grim reaper stickers, and I had to have the entire collection!