Clattertron

[dc]I[/dc] appeared in artist alley at GRASP Comic Expo over the weekend. This was the first GRASP Comic Expo, and took place in the Deltaplex in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

GRASP Expectations

I really did not know what to expect with GRASP because it was a first year show, and a spin-off, of sorts, of the Grand Rapids Comic Con. The crowd at last year’s Grand Rapids Comic Con blew away expectations, and many artists, myself included, hoped lightning would strike twice at GRASP.

The attendance was nowhere near Grand Rapids Comic Con numbers, however.

Each show is different, even separate shows organized by the same folks. I wrote in the past on how not every comic convention is created equal. Many factors can influence the success of a show (the time of year, the weather, guests, proximity to other events, etc.).

Differences

GRASP had a different focus than Grand Rapids Comic Con. GRASP stayed away from media guests and wanted to showcase comic artists and writers (both indie and pro).

If you look at GRASP in a vacuum, and take away its connection to the larger Grand Rapids Comic Con, I felt it did well for a first year show of this kind.

I never fault a show for wanting to showcase indie creators, even if it means smaller attendance (see also Appleseed and SPACE).¹

GRASP By the Numbers

I took in $76 at GRASP, and my table cost $52. It was also an hour away, so counting money for gas I probably broke even, give or take. I spent Saturday night with friends, so I didn’t have to pay for a hotel (and I got to the Deltaplex early enough to avoid paying for parking).

But, what I can’t enter in a spreadsheet are the new connections I made, and the existing connections I strengthened while attending GRASP. Selling stuff at comic shows is great, but making connections, and seeing old friends, is even better.

This the big difference between this season, my second, and my first last year: I’m seeing the same people and building connections (it also makes shows more fun).

Another Big Sunday

Interestingly enough though, I made more on Sunday than Saturday: $42 on Sunday, $34 on Saturday. Not a huge difference, but still nice (based on my data from last comic con season, my average on Sunday was around half, give or take, of Saturday). The same thing (selling more on Sunday than Saturday) happened at Cherry Capital Comic Con last month too.

If I break down the numbers further though, one might say I did better on Saturday, because I had more individual sales: four on Saturday, three on Sunday (again, this is why I use the Square Register app to track everything). To compare, this was also the trend at Cherry Capital Comic Con in May: more individual sales on Saturday (13) than Sunday (10), but the total amount I took on Sunday was more.

However, this was not the case with Appleseed: 10 sales on Saturday, compared to three on Sunday, with the most amount taken in on Saturday.

The Crowd

The GRASP crowd wasn’t huge, but I engaged in many nice conversations and heard many nice compliments. There were a lot of first timer comic show attendees too. One gentleman told me he bought a mini-comic of mine at last year’s C4, and said “one of the jokes had me laughing for two days.” Huzzah! (it was this comic)

What Sold at GRASP Comic Expo?

I sold two mini-buttons, two small black and white prints (both How to Make a Cat Bed), two watercolor Random cartoons, one black and white Random Cartoon, and one 4×6 watercolor cartoon.

I’m always happy when I sell original art, but selling those two black and white prints made me very happy. I haven’t sold many prints this season, but Stephanie suggested a new method:

Stephanie’s suggested I put bagged small prints in a box so people could flip through them all.² Another perk, which led to one of the sales, was I could pull a print out and show it to someone while talking.

Next up: SPACE in July!

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¹ I also don’t have issues with media guests. It gets people in the door.

² When your wife has over 20 years of retail experience, you listen to her advice.