September 30th was the day of Parkersburg Pop Con, yet another in the line of conventions I went to this year that I had NEVER been to before. This time the venue was in West Virginia.
To be honest, I almost considered not taking some things that are normally in my product line-up: specifically, these watercolor pieces.
They’re not the only LGBTQ themed things on the table but they are the most obvious. And I wasn’t sure how well-received I would be, considering that Parkersburg earlier this summer voted to NOT pass an anti-discrimination bill to protect LGBTQ folks.
But I decided to take these things down anyway. Because if anybody wants/need these pieces, it’s the LGBTQ folks in that area whose rights were just denied to them.
Yes, I’m making this “political.” Deal with it.
To my surprise, I was well-received at the show! And my work sold fairly well there. It was a one-day show, and as far as one-day shows go, it was one of my better ones: $146 by the end of the day. (I actually made more at the YWCA Mini-Con with $180, but still, not bad for just one day!)
I realize that it may be in bad taste to say how much I made in sales, but wanted to share this information for those of you fellow comics creators who have never sold at a convention before (but are interested in doing so in the future). Just to give you a ball-park idea of how well one can do. I know peeps who sell more than me. I also know peeps who sell less, or who sold nothing at all.
However, it’s not a competition to see who can sell more stuff – every exhibitor’s goals are different. Since making and selling comics at conventions is my living, I keep careful inventory of this stuff. For lots of creators, just having a table is a goal, and for some just making your work known (no matter the sales) is a goal. You decide your goal post!
Ok, back to the convention.
Big shout-out to the staff, because they did a great job – there was even free coffee and donuts for exhibitors, which is the FASTEST way to get to my heart. They also did great in letting me know which table I was set to display at, though I noticed that there were some exhibitors that got moved around or just didn’t show.
(Quick note: there is a special level of hell for people who book a table at a convention and don’t show, and don’t let the staff know they can’t show. Specifically it’s in the eighth ring with all the liers and deceivers).
One of the best things about the show though? The guy next to my booth. Stephen Hines.
Writer, zine enthusiast, punk rocker, and one of the coolest dudes I’ve ever met. We got to chill and chat about Black Flag and zines during the down time in the show.
We actually gelled so well that he requested to be next to me again for next year’s show, to which I say JEFF YEAH!
Other best thing about the show? Kampie Starz. I got two chances to talk with her, once before (during the VIP hour) and once after. I THINK we had a chat in between but I don’t remember.
What I DO remember is the idea Kampie, Stephen, and I got – a mockumentary about the life and times of indie creators at comic conventions…with the movie ending with Kampie knocking EVERYTHING off the table and screaming “CON’S OVER!”
Stephen, Kampie, if you’re reading this now, WE GOTTA MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
So…yeah! It was a blast! I’m glad I went and I can’t wait for next year. The show was small – somewhere between 700 and 800 attendees came this year. But as far as small shows go, it was well-organized and worth the trip. If you’re a local creator (like, takes you less than five hours to drive down), I recommend you table here.
That’s all for now. Thanks for reading!
You. Are. Awesome.
I just stumbled across this and…WOW! Thanks so much for the kind words! It was an honor to have you as a table neighbor.
And, yes, we absolutely need to make that mockumentary happen! We should collaborate on the script.
Heck yeah we should! The only problem is…
CON’S OVER! *smashes displays*
No seriously we should collaborate on a script. :D We’re Facebook friends, I think, so feel free to send me a message and we can get started!