[dc]T[/dc]his year’s Free Comic Book Day Event at Clem’s Comics & Games in Lansing was, in a couple of words, a huge success.
Record Numbers
Not only did the comic book shop break last year’s attendance record, but I broke my own sales record. Yes, Free Comic Book Day was my best showing so far in 2014. I sold at least one of everything: my sketch cards, mini-comics, the Chocolate Quest comic books, stickers, prints, and sketches.
All in all, I did exceptionally well for only about five hours of selling and sketching.
Compare and Contrast? Maybe
On Free Comic Book Day, I took in more than four times what I did all weekend at the Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo (SPACE) last month. More sales in five hours versus two full days.
Practicing my artist alley table layout at home.
In a black and white comparison, sure, Free Comic Book Day was ‘better.’ You cannot really compare shows so simply though.
On Free Comic Book Day at Clem’s Comics & Games, I was only one of two to three artists in a small room. At SPACE, I was one of several hundred artists in a huge convention hall.¹
Yes, I made more on Free Comic Book Day, and in less time, but it was a more concentrated experience (plus, I priced most of my items differently than they were at SPACE²). Spending two days at SPACE allowed me to practice my talking with people and selling my wares—which paid off on Free Comic Book Day.
Free Comic Book Day also gave me a bit of a home court advantage too (and some people remembered me from last year). Being only one of a few artists at Clem’s allowed visitors to spend more time chatting with me (there is A LOT to see at a big show like SPACE).
Both events were great for their own reasons. I will happily do both again.
Kids These Days
Clem’s Comics & Games does not charge artists for a table, but they do ask we offer free head sketches for kids 12 and under. Fair enough. This can mean a bit of an assembly line at times when it gets very busy, but it is a good drawing exercise.
Last year, Sonic the Hedgehog characters were The Hot Thing. This year, the Hot Thing was the Marvel Comics character Deadpool.
Deadpool. Image via Amazon.
I think I drew about five or six Deadpools.
Like Hot Cakes
Like at SPACE, my watercolor sketch cards got a lot of attention and sold well. I also noticed they act as good ‘eye catchers’ for my table: the bright colors in the binder contrast with the black and white of my comics and prints.
An example of one of my sketch cards. Now it’s a shirt!
The sketch cards also gave me something fun to talk about. I would always point out they were one of a kind, and painted, etc.
My stickers (priced differently than at SPACE) were big sellers too. Kids really liked looking through the pile and reading the word balloons aloud.
I sold four Chocolate Quest books, which made me very happy. One person bought Chocolate Quest and all of my mini-comics.
So Very Tired
Free Comic Book Day was great, but exhausting. I didn’t get this week’s comic finished until about 10 PM Sunday night, and spent most of Sunday on the couch.
I would do it all over again in a heartbeat though: listening to kids and adults read my comics aloud and laugh made Free Comic Book Day worth all the stress and exhaustion, and it is a hell of a confidence booster.
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¹ The fact I sold anything at SPACE makes it a successful weekend.
² Each item I priced differently than it was at SPACE sold better on Free Comic Book Day.
