[dc]I[/dc] realized the other night I forgot to write a recap of last month’s local comic creator event at Red Fox Comics. Blame it on the holidays or the rain¹. I enjoy writing these recaps, as it helps to keep a history of all the events I attend.
This way, I can look back and see what worked, what didn’t, what sold well, what didn’t, or how many kids I made cry. The crying kid count for the Red Fox Comics event, I can happily say, was zero.
Wagons, West
The event itself was my first time visiting Red Fox Comics. I don’t get out to Lansing’s west side too often, so it wasn’t in my usual operating range. Red Fox Comics is a very nice shop though, with a focus on comics and related merch, but not much in the way of games (which is fine, just a FYI).
Small Events vs. Large Conventions
Small events like this are always a gamble when it comes to attendance: either being high or a total ghost town. I’ve experienced both, and when small events bring in the numbers, my earnings can rival (give or take) that of bigger shows. Yet, if no one shows, time slows to a crawl.
One of my cartoon commissions.
The advantage of a small store event can also be its disadvantage: I was part of a very small group. This meant more attention, but it also meant fewer names to bring in fans (I was one of about six creators).
Luckily, the event at Red Fox Comics ended up being one of my best appearances of the year—and it was only four-hours long.
It really isn’t fair to compare what I took in at this event to a convention though. They are very different. At Red Fox Comics, I was one of only six people—and everyone had to walk by our tables. At conventions, I could be one of dozens or hundreds of artists, and visitors could spend all day at the show and never once come near my table.
Intimate events are always worth a gamble, especially if it is in town and doesn’t cost me anything for a table—which was the case at Red Fox Comics.
What Sold?
First: I need to once again sing the praises of the Square Register app. I use the app for every sale, even cash. This way, I can easily go through my records and see what sold or how well I did at any given event.
I sold a lot of prints and ‘random’ cartoons this time around. I’m sure the event taking place so close to Christmas helped a bunch with sales. Mini-cartoons (my sketch cards) continued to sell (and help as eye-catchers).
One of the mini-cartoons I painted for the event: BB-8 from Star Wars VII.
I even sold a couple of my the postcard watercolor cartoons. This time, I didn’t focus on selling them as postcards, but would casually mention some were pre-stamped and could be mailed.
Other Thoughts
Like Free Comic Book Day, there were a lot of little kids at Red Fox Comics event. Kids like my goofy cartoons, which helped with sales, and general self-esteem. This is part of the reason I aim for ‘all ages’ material, especially with the original art I sell. The flip side however, is kids can make for challenging customers at times, mainly when it comes to explaining why X-item costs Y-amount.
Another cartoon commission. Werewolves were popular.
Still, I would rather have kids come to my table than not. Kids are some of my best customers (they buy a lot of my cartoon commissions, or rather their parents do).
Hello 2015 Convention Season
A new slate of shows in 2015 means I can experiment again, especially with how I market my items. This event gave me some ideas I will tinker with at upcoming shows: mainly how I label/describe items and what I charge.
I’m still putting together my 2015 appearance schedule, but for now I will be at the MSU Comics Forum next month and the Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo (SPACE) in April.
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¹ A Milli Vanilli joke in 2015? SURE, WHY NOT.
