Appleseed Comic Con Recap

by on May 19, 2015 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Blog, News

[dc]T[/dc]his past weekend, I drove down to Fort Wayne, Indiana for Appleseed Comic Con. This was my first time attending the show, and I really enjoyed myself.

appleseed artist alley table

My table at Appleseed Comic Con.

Comic pal Dean Stahl joined me on the trek to Appleseed, keeping me from talking to myself on the long drive (too much). Fellow comic buddy Jay Jacot planned to come as well, but was sadly unable to attend at the last-minute. Drat! Next time, Jacot. Next time.

A Focus On Creators

Appleseed Comic Con puts a focus on creators over pop culture media guests, granting creators a free table after passing a jury process. I don’t have anything against shows with a pop culture focus, as they can bring in a lot of people. I do like it when shows go out of their way to focus on creators though (see also: MSU Comics Forum and SPACE). And yes, actors are creators too—you can’t have an on-screen character without an actor.

The Crowd

Since this was my first year at Appleseed, I didn’t know what to expect in terms of the crowd. I also don’t know how this year compared to earlier shows in terms of attendance. The crowd was steady though, and plenty of people stopped to look at my comics and art, and chatted with me—always good!

I keep a lucky cat (aka a maneki neko in Japanese) on my table, which I bought at EPCOT’s Japan Pavilion while on our Disney World honeymoon. My lucky cat works as an eye-catcher, as lots of attendees stopped to look, pet, or pick-up it up. I had so many people wanting to buy it, I ended up painting this cartoon to sell.

lucky cat appleseed

That darn lucky cat.

Making Connections

After the show on Saturday, Dean and I enjoyed dinner, drinks, and chats with fellow creators Bruce Worden (Goodnight Keith Moon, Woodstalk) and Travis Horseman (writer/creator of Amiculus: A Secret History).

I spotted a familiar print on my way into the hall on Sunday and met Greg Schmidt, who I’ve followed on Etsy for a while now (his shop is the brilliantly named Schmidt n’ Giggle). Greg and I talked Etsy shop for a bit. I didn’t even know Greg was attending Appleseed, so it was a nice random surprise to meet him in person.

I need to get better at leaving my table to meet folks during show hours, but it is difficult when I’m at a show by myself.

Still, even a few new connections are better than zero new connections and make the trip worthwhile.

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See Me at Appleseed Comic Con This Weekend

by on May 13, 2015 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Blog, News

[dc]L[/dc]ook out, Indiana. I’m heading your way. I’m one of the artists at Appleseed Comic Con this weekend in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

appleseed logo

Appleseed!

Joining me on the voyage to Appleseed are comic pals Dean Stahl and Jay Jacot. Beard Squadron will launch in the wee hours of Saturday morning, so if anyone wants to bring me a coffee at Appleseed, I’ll be very happy.

This is my first time attending Appleseed, and I’m excited to get my comics in front of a different crowd. Don’t worry my fellow Michigremlins, you can see me next weekend at Cherry Capital Comic Con in Traverse City. Back to back shows, and five events total in May. LET’S DO THIS

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My Interview with MI Geek Scene

by on May 12, 2015 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Blog, News

[dc]D[/dc]uring my time at Capital City Comic Con, Joe from MI Geek Scene stopped by my table and recorded a video interview. As the name suggests, MI Geek Scene showcases comic cons and the like around Michigan. Joe attends events to shoot photos and record interviews, and puts them all on MI Geek Scene for fans to check out. It’s a handy one-stop place to check out Michigan’s fandom scene. There’s also an ever-growing list of comic and fandom events in Michigan.

Here’s my interview.

I actually first met Joe at GrandCon last September, back when he was just getting things started with MI Geek Scene. I was happy to see how far he had come since then. Having done a stretch as a talk-show host, and working in media, I know how much work MI Geek Scene is each week. Nice job, Joe!

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Capital City Comic Con 2015 Recap

by on May 6, 2015 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Blog, News

[dc]L[/dc]ast weekend, a new comic convention debuted here in Lansing: Capital City Comic Con. I attended as a guest artist, but only on Sunday.

capital city comic con table

My table at Capital City Comic Con. Two tables! Via my Instagram.

Hard Lessons

First year shows have it hard, and Capital City Comic Con, for reasons I’ll get into, had it harder than most—but, still made a show happen, which is a big accomplishment. While the first Capital City Comic Con was not the well attended show the planners hoped for, I still had one of my best Sundays ever, in terms of sales, and really enjoyed myself.

Full disclosure: As an invited guest, Capital City Comic Con gave me a free table.

Did a free table influence my experience? Yes, because I would not have gone otherwise.

Capital City Comic Con unfortunately fell on Free Comic Book Day weekend. This kept myself, and other artists, away as most of us had free tables at local Free Comic Book Day events. Saturday is the biggest day of every convention I’ve attended, which I would miss because I already committed to my Free Comic Book Day events. 

But, what’s done is done. I don’t want to focus on the negative here, but instead the good things and potential I saw.

I talked to the Capital City Comic Con planners on Sunday, and they owned up to the poor choice of the date and made the most of the situation. They learned their lesson, and are actively asking for feedback and advice after this year’s show. Capital City Comic Con won’t be held on Free Comic Book Day weekend next year.

That’s right–next year. Capital City Comic Con is coming back.

random cartoon

A random cartoon I did at Capital City Comic Con. Via my Instagram.

Potential and Growth

I saw good things at Capital City Comic Con. A lot of good things.

random cartoon

Random watercolor cartoon at Capital City Comic Con. A favorite.

  • After chatting with the planners on Sunday, I learned they have a multi-year plan for the show. One goal is to eventually move Capital City Comic Con out of Haslett High School, and perhaps to downtown Lansing.
  • While the sign outside said high school gym, the look and feel was 100% comic con. Seriously. The gym looked like any other big comic con I’ve attended. The familiar black partition curtains on rails lined the aisles. Tables dotted the spaces, ready for artists and vendors. It was the real deal.
  • As expected, attendance on Sunday was low. But, I could see the excitement in the guests as they engaged myself and others. People talked me—and better still, bought my art.
  • Sunday at Capital City Comic Con was one of my best Sundays at a show—typically the slowest day of any convention–and one of my better days overall.
  • The crowd, although small, was great. People wanted to be there, that much was clear. Cosplayers made the rounds. Kids and parents chatted with me. MI Geek Scene even recorded a video interview with me (I’ll post a link when it is online). I met vendors and artists when I had the chance, including AFK Games from Holt.
  • I chatted with comic pals Adam Talley and Sherief AbouElSeoud, also guests, and they felt the same: a small crowd, but an excited and fun crowd.

In short, I’m really looking forward to next year’s Capital City Comic Con.

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