I'll definitely BE at BotCon. There's no question about that. But other than one year a decade ago, I've never had a dealer table there. That one year I went home making more money than I'd spent, but it was a very miserable, cold experience, because I didn't get to see anybody or sit in on many panels 'cuz of the whole have-to-be-at-the-table thing.
But now that BotCon has this artist alley thing they're trying to cultivate, I'm tempted to try it out again. Mind, I would absolutely not be at that table all day, every day, like I am at every other convention. I'd have to close up shop, throw a bedsheet over everything, and buzz my way into panels I'd want to see. I'm comfortable with this. I'm selling paper goods, not MISB Overloads. But would you guys who are going to BotCon and also interested in patronizing my wares, would me not actually being there 50% of the time be worth it to you?
Basically, what I'm asking is if whether I can at least sell, say, 12 books to cover the table and shipping costs. Or 19 Dinobot posters.
Hello, everyone! I'm sitting in SFO airport, where I'll remain until 10:30 tonight. I had a really great time at Wondercon this weekend!
Yesterday (Sunday) was my birthday. I turned 32! It was a weird birthday for me, what with me being at a convention instead of lounging around at home taking it easy. Not that most of my days are grueling fights to the finish anyway, being a webcartoonist, but you know what I mean. I was a little apprehensive blowing my birthday weekend at a convention since my birthdays have a Routine. They've always had a Routine. They're not a difficult Routine, I mean, they usually involve leaving the house for Taco Bell at some point, watching a movie I like, and drawing a comic, all things I enjoy. Even back when I had a Real Job, I had a semblance of the Routine, albeit smooshed into a smaller portion of the day. But this year I wouldn't have the Routine! I would be "stuck" behind a table in a strange city far away from my home.
By Sunday, I was starting to run out of blacks. Helloooo 70% gray!
This was a good idea! It was a very different birthday. I got to spend it with a very, very different group than I would have otherwise, like the Blind Ferret folks, Kel McDonald, Becky and Frank, Matt Boyd, Alina Pete, George Rohac... the list goes on. And since this was one of a half-dozen weekends of the year in which I am inexplicably a celebrity, it was really amazing. Folks kept on throwing cookies and cakes at me. I amassed so many baked goods that I still have some stuffed inside my backpack on my way home.
The only sore spot is that my wife wasn't here! She did happily end up on the phone with me on Saturday night when I got sung "Happy Birthday" to for the first time, which was incredibly fortunate, but she wasn't with me, which bothered me. We've only lived together for a few years! She was not yet a firmly established part of the Routine. I kind of want her to be part of the Routine forever. This was a misstep.
I was asked to draw approximately 30 million Soundwaves this weekend.
But enough of my #FirstWorldProblems. Since I had an extra day to goof around (I booked my flight waaaaay too late to get out of San Francisco at a reasonable time), I made sure to walk around the city for hours and hours and take lots of photos so I can use them as reference in the strip. After doing Dumbing of Age for over half a year (is that right? Over half a year? My brain is probably fried, so please check my math), I've grown a passion for making the environments more real. So look for that. I might even put my characters outside sometimes! Oh my God!
I'll be there with Kel McDonald (Sorcery 101), and we'll be in the Small Press area, at table SP-29, I believe. I'll have books and prints and some new posters! One of my old prints, you see, has just graduated into a new poster. I keep selling out of my 8"x10? Dinobot "HONOR" print at every convention, so I decided, okay, this is a sign, and I did it up as a 11"x17" poster on glossy cardstock. I redrew the art for the bigger size, since the original graphic was kind of iffy at the smaller size already, and the final product is friggin' spiffy, if I may say so. If you aren't gonna be in SanFran this weekend, you can also find the poster in the store.
It's my first convention in the city where Shortpacked! takes place! I'm excited! It's also my birthday this weekend. On Sunday I turn 32. If you're there, feel free to drop me some extra booze money.
Phew! I've spent so much time getting over the stupid sickness ECCC injected into me that I almost forgot how damn fun it was. And it was fun! As I pack for undoubtedly another fun weekend in Chicago for C2E2, have some belated photos.
I'm going back toC2E2 for its second year this coming weekend (March 18-20), and I'm bringing some pals. You can find me sharing a table with Danielle Corsetto (Girls with Slingshots), Randy Milholland (Something Positive), and Joel Watson (Hijinks Ensue). It looks like we're in booth 862, which is a corner booth in the back of the hall facing Artists Alley and the Webcomics Pavilion.
You can still buy tickets to C2e2 online, but only for the next two days (plus eight hours as of this writing).
"Hey, you! Evil head guy!" "Yeah?"
As a sidenote, woo, apparently Mattel's booth is selling three exclusive JLU three-packs at C2E2! There's:
Goldface / Evil Star / Kyle Rayner
Angleman / Firestorm / Killer Frost
Heatwave / The Flash / Mirror Master
I've bolded the guys who are new. I'm pretty excited for Killer Frost. Oh, and Evil Star, too, I guess, if only because of his one, quick hilarious bit in "The Great Brain Robbery."
Man, I am freaking out! I've never been the Pacific Northwest before, but come Thursday, I'm hopping a plane. Hopefully my books will be there when I arrive, and not half of a blender? *cross fingers*
Please, Washington Staters, do not hurt me! I am but a humble cartoonist.
I'll be exhibiting this weekend with Blank Label Comics (duh) at booth 210. I will have things with me! You can have them. But, you know, for money.
Webcomic Rampage was friggin' awesome and one of the best times I've had. Everyone was super nice and I got to hang out with some of my favorite people! But the awesomeness isn't exactly why it will go down in infamy. Here's something I posted on the Dumbing of Age site this past weekend that I meant to post here, too:
So here's a fun Webcomic Rampage story. I'm pretty sure I'll be telling this one a lot. It's a doozy.
I mailed two boxes of books to Austin. One arrived perfectly! The other arrived, too, but in an interesting condition. It was, in fact, a completely new cardboard box, with the old, shredded cardboard box inside. The mailing address, return address, and postage had been exacto-knifed off the old box and taped onto the new box.
Inside the old box inside the new box was half a blender.
I'm gettin' on a plane to Austin, Texas (after a layover in Tampa), to Webcomics Rampage that leaves at 7:30 tomorrow morning! You Austin folks better come see me! Or, at least, come see Randy Milholland and acknowledge my presence.
I've got comics queued up on bothDumbing of Age and Shortpacked! through Tuesday, so we should be set! That includes a ToyNewsInternational strip. I'm so prepared! (Technically, Dumbing of Age is queued up through the second week of 2011, but who's counting.)
Hey, troops! (Hmmm, I like using the word "troops." Can I start addressing you as troops?) Next weekend I'm gonna be in Austin, Texas, at the Dragon's Lair Comics & Fantasy store for Webcomic Rampage, joined by all of your other favorite webcartoonists. Part of the gearing up for this special event is the Dragon's Lair's podcast, which this past week interviewed both myself and Joel Watson. You can listen to this podcast on their website!
If you're planning on attending the Webcomic Rampage panel that opens both days of the event, be sure to RSVP via Facebook or phone, as there's limited seating available! After the panel there'll be some signing and some wares snagging. You won't want to miss it!
I'll definitely BE at BotCon. There's no question about that. But other than one year a decade ago, I've never had a dealer table there. That one year I went home making more money than I'd spent, but it was a very miserable, cold experience, because I didn't get to see anybody or sit in on many panels 'cuz of the whole have-to-be-at-the-table thing.
