WARNING: I will not be showing pictures of Cosplay, reporting on Hollywood’s big releases or interviews with actors, creators or directors. You can find all of that just about everywhere, so if you want to read about MY thoughts and experiences, then read on True Believers!
This year at SDCC was very different than previous years for me. I’ve been to comic-con about seven times, each time with a wife, brother or good friend. This is also the sixth comic convention I have attended THIS YEAR as a comic book creator, selling my books at a booth. Unfortunately for SDCC in 2014 I did not have a booth nor a companion, and I decided that I was not going to attend and I would spend the week focusing on finishing book 2, that was until I found out that I could not get out of my hotel room fees and at 10pm on Tuesday I was offered some free passes into the convention. After some minor mental anguish I decided I would attend, packed my car to the brim with my booth merchandise and hopefully get a booth.
Let me be clear, I specifically went to SDCC as a work trip. Everything I did or planned to do was to further my career, so there was some pressure to get a lot done, and make the costs of the trip worth it. I was still praying that I got the call that my spot on the wait list was high enough that I could get a booth.
Here are some videos of Wednesday and what was happening.
Thanks to the great friends I have, I was able to get some day passes for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
After walking around the floor I saw that there were some empty booths in all the areas, Small Press, Exhibitors, Artist Alley. So I had hopes. And I also had a Plan B!
I stayed up until midnight on Tuesday making some new postcards to hand out for my Kickstarter for Aug 11 and had them shipped to my hotel. The idea was that by Friday they would arrive and I could pass them along.
After that great first day of Wednesday, things were looking up, it was appearing that this would be worth the gas and hotel, and I could even make a few bucks if I continued to sell on the street, that is until the SD police shut me down the next day.
Thursday morning:
A couple of things:
1. I didn’t buy anything. Not one thing was purchased by me at con. It was freeing, and honestly even if I did have money I was not drawn to anything that I wanted, except for some highly priced artwork from some of the great illustrators like Austin Briggs, Noel Sickles and Robert Faucett. I will most likely never own originals of those.
A few years ago the artist portfolio area was a happening spot, you’d see a bevy of artists there, each with their portfolios ready to show their art. This year was lacking, both from the number of companies doing interviews and a small amount of artists in line. Now I only went to Thursday and Friday, so it could have been a different story on Saturday, but I do not think so. Many of these companies are young and do not actually hire from the con and for that matter most of the artists are not at the professional level yet. Still I went to hope to find someone that I could work a project with. I found a few very talented guys, so maybe we can get something going. I also had a very positive meeting with a large publisher so maybe something will become of that.
Best food at the con = FISH TACOS. I can’t tell you were they are, but it’s outside.
By the end of Thursday I was a bit wasted, physically and mentally from the running around and disappointment of not getting my booth and seeing others selling on the street when the police shut me down. I could have went back at it but my heart wasn’t into it.
After walking around some more and checking out the gaming areas, indie films, anime and the cool free snack room at 10pm (best kept secret) I got my energy and positivity back.
I decided that I would take a different approach to Friday. It would be my last day, because I couldn’t justify the additional $180 for the hotel room to stay for Saturday and without a booth and having seen all the editors, creators and publishers I wanted to I had my fill. My goal was to just have fun and enjoy the geekiness of it all. I mean that was the whole point of this in the first place, I LOVE COMICS! So friday, along with passing out flyers for the new Pariah, Missouri Kickstarter on August 11, I checked out some more original art, saw some outside displays/presentations and enjoyed the day. I also took in some learning and went some some panels on Photoshop, comic book and entertainment law and copyright.
2. I shook hands with DMC, of Run DMC fame. Nice guy.
3. I chatted with Al Snow and Mr. Kennedy, some former WWF guys. I heard that Hulk Hogan and Daniel Byran were at the convention, but I did not see them.
4. Handing out 170 flyers was not an easy task for me.
5. The parking at SDCC is extremely crappy. Even if I got offered a booth, I would have had to haul my merch from 8 blocks away. you MUST pre-register/pay for all your parking or you are hosed.
6. Comic-Con for me is not a solo-act. I like to separate and do my activities, but to be around all those people for days and not have a friend for me was very lonely. I will not go again unless I have a companion. Friends make it better!
7. Selling on the street was extremely difficult and humbling in the beginning, but once I got a rhythm and groove, I was able to sling those puppies, the work speaks for itself, it’s that good.
In the End: It was a good trip. I look back on something very memorable, and I have stories to tell from it. Being there 2.5 days was perfect for me and I got a lot done and it was worth it.
TEASER FOR BOOK 2