Tag Archives: anime convention

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PhilCon 2018

This update might be a two-for-one because on my last post (November 15), I did another test run with new subscription client settings, but the test might not have worked; I received an email with a link to the post, but I’m not sure anyone else did. Have a look at the newest Pandagram pandas: www.drawstheeventide.com/newpandas/

I am happy & relieved to report that PhilCon (Nov. 16-18) went better than the previous convention (Nov. 2-4 & noted in the above post). The drive was much easier (less than an hour, easy navigating, & no tolls) and business better–still on the slow side, but I sold a record 8 books! Additionally, my table neighbor was very friendly. Since it was a literary convention, the audience was notably different from the anime & comic con crowds–generally quieter & more mature, but this is not to say people did not get excited about their dragons, Star Wars, Tamora Pierce books, or how to shelve & preserve their hardback collections. Also, people seemed to be especially appreciative of others’ creative endeavors & would often ask about works in progress, ways to market, etc. This was probably in part due to the fact that PhilCon is hosted by an active, long-established science fiction society, so many people already knew each other, & there is already a dedicated fan base. One fellow said this year was his 50th PhilCon! 

I didn’t sketch so much as at anime conventions because “draw this character” commissions weren’t part of the convention culture, but I did do some sketching for me. (Below is an idea that began in South Australia & ended up with Scottish corsairs or explorers somewhere between the Hebrides and Scandinavia.) I also scribbled down a few pages of notes for a writing project.

Because the PhilCon dealers room hours ended earlier than other events I did this fall and the drive was shorter, I stuck around for some evening panels & events (costume contest, concert, recitation of “The Hunting of the Snark,” to name a few) before heading home. It’s a nice bonus to be able to enjoy events in addition to vending, and it’s been a while since I’ve been able to do that.

Last but not least, I hope you each had a restful, joyful Thanksgiving & will carry some of the spirit of gratitude into every day hence.

 

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Happy October

Happy October, everyone. Hard to believe it’s autumn — partly because it’s still fairly green here, but also because time seems to fly. Where did June, July, & August go, let alone September? 

On Friday, some friends and I went to New York Comic Con. It’s was pretty big; the artist alley and show/dealer floors were gigantic. I don’t know the square footage of the convention center, but the rows of art and swag seemed endless. Although there was a lot of similar-styled American superhero comic style (of course), and the mass of big muscles and “grr” faces started to wear on me, that wasn’t the whole of it. Other styles were represented, too, and seeing hundreds of people selling their published comics and other books has given me a little inspirational boost to resume working on some of my book projects.

Also, I heard back regarding one of the pending conventions and am pleased to announce that I’ve been accepted for the artist alley at Philcon 2018, November 16-18, in Cherry Hill, NJ. Philcon is hosted by the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society and is a little different in that it has both an artist alley (part of the dealers room) and an art show. I’ll just participate in the alley this year, but perhaps if it goes well, I’ll do both another year.

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Convention Reflections: J1 Con 2018

My first convention of the season has come & gone. Although business was rather slow the whole weekend and the event itself could have been better organized as far as artists & vendors are concerned, it was not without good elements. Pandagrams certainly made a lot of people smile and laugh, and I got to walk along the beach. (Yippee!) That is because the hotel where the event took place is on the Atlantic Ocean. This was extra fun because a month ago, I visited the Pacific Ocean–I’ve gone coast to coast in a month!

I drew quite a little throughout the event, too. Here are some of my favorite character drawings from the weekend.

 

L to R (click to enlarge): Rey, Star Wars, Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist; Makimachi Misao, Rurouni Kenshin

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Convention Season Begins

‘Tis the autumn of artist alleys. September is here, and that means my season of selling at anime/pop culture conventions begins. What’s more, this year I can actually call it a season since I’ll attend more than 1 convention in closer succession than spring & fall. It begins this weekend.

  • Sept. 14-16, J1 Con, NJ
  • October 5, New York Comic Con, NY (I won’t actually have a booth here, & it lasts 4 days, but a couple friends & I will attend—in costume—for fun and maybe just a bit of learning.)
  • November 2-4, Thy Geekdom Con, PA

I was scheduled to do Shikkari Con, PA, at the end of October, but the convention has been postponed to 2019. The convention staff let accepted artists stay on the list for next year.

There are 2 other conventions in November I hope to attend – 1 will send acceptance notices October 1, and I have been wait-listed for the other (DerpyCon, NJ). I was wait-listed for it last year but got to go at the last minute and did quite well; I hope the same will play out this year.

On another note, you might have noticed I’ve been fiddling with making the email notifications you receive more interesting visually; I’m using 2 different programs since I’m not sure the two separately do everything I would like them to. You might see 2 versions of the notification now & then as I train myself to turn off one before I hit “Publish.” =)

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Convention Reflections: Nov. 2017

Here’s a detailed update of the 3-day anime convention (Derpycon) I attended a week and a half ago. As said last time, business-wise, the convention went astoundingly well, better than I had imagined. Even though there were slow times, I sold enough on the first night to pay off the table! This was the first time I “made table” on the first day. Pleasantly surprised & very grateful. Also, the convention staff I interacted with was very helpful; they interacted with the artists more than the other 2 cons I’ve done.

At some anime conventions, the artist alley (for independent artists & crafters) and the vendor/dealers room (for licensed merchandise, eg. official Pikachu stuffed animals, anime soundtracks) are located in the same room; at other conventions, the artists & dealers are separate. Dealers & artists were separate at Derpycon, and artists were further separated into room space & hall space. The waitlisted space I filled was a hall space–the last table at the far end. Three tables between the rest of the artist mall and my table were empty (no-shows), so that evening, members of the con staff invited me to move closer to everyone else Saturday. Several people (con staff, other artists, & con-goers alike) came over and commented about my solitude, whether it would affect sales, etc. I don’t think it made a difference since, as said, I made table first night; as for all the people who came over to ask “Is it lonely over here?” — no, it wasn’t since they came over! It was also a good opportunity to make Hobbit references (mainly the Lonely Mountain).

Here is the Lonely Mountain, a.k.a. my booth.

Saturday morning, just as I was beginning to set up, the head of artist alley asked whether I would like to move into the artist alley proper (from the mall to the room). Free upgrade! There were some no-shows in the room, so 2 other booths and I moved in. From the ends of the earth to prime real estate–not bad! The main benefit is that the room, unlike the hall, is locked at night, so people can leave their booths set up overnight; they don’t have to take down & set up every day.

I adjusted commission prices (for drawings done for people at the convention) for Derpycon to see whether lower prices would increase the number of commissions requested, and wow! They did, by a lot, but I think the prices were too low. Next time I’ll try a happy medium.

Here are some character drawings I did during the event.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of hosting a booth at anime conventions (along with seeing the creative cosplay/costumes) is interacting with the people who connect with the art I have to share. In particular, there was a dad with three girls (and a son who wasn’t able to attend, but they purchased art for him); the dad didn’t know much about anime, but he was very supportive of the girls’ interests. He even dressed up! He works in a hotel kitchen, so he wore his cook clothes and said he was from Food Wars!, a fairly recent, popular show about (you guessed it) cooking. The family came by several times and were good patrons. There was another father with his daughter and her friend; the girls each commissioned a drawing and were incredibly excited to receive them! The dad then took a photo of me and the girls holding their drawings. There was also a young guy (probably in high school or college) who had come to buy something special to hang in his room, probably a big poster. Out of curiosity, he perused some of my art, turned to the last painting, and then he was totally engrossed! For several minutes, he just looked and kept looking at the painting. And that was it! Sold! He told me he wasn’t really into “art” art (which I take to mean anything resembling traditional art), but this was the first time he had ever looked at a painting for four minutes straight. (It was a painting I had painted for an English project in high school & hadn’t previously brought to any conventions–only decided to bring it Thursday night before the con.) He really loved it. It was very special to see someone connect so strongly and quickly with art.

Needless to say, it was a good experience. I’m glad I had the opportunity. Since my posts aren’t usually this long, I’ll also say “thank you” for reading!