Please excuse my absence on the blog. I’ve been working extra hard on KickStarter rewards and comic strips.
However, I wanted to share a little story with you.
You see, Christian (my collaborator on Validation) stopped by Wheeling on her way across the country. We got lunch at Later Alligator, a little local crepe restaurant in downtown, and if you haven’t been there, you REALLY need to go. Their crepes are delicious and have punny little names (like the Crepes of Wrath, Pesto Change-o, or the Crepe Escape. I had the Alligator Rock, and it’s delectable). They also have dessert crepes, like the S’mores Crepe. It’s as awesome as it sounds.
Anyway, after lunch, Christian and I saw some more sites, including a little bridge that will make an appearance in Charlie & Clow: The Case of the Wendigo.
When I told people at the convention where I was based, a lot of folks were like, “But that’s so far away from Youngstown!”
But after driving from Ohio to Georgia for Swarm Con, and driving from Ohio to Arizona to move – and driving back again – I can handle a two-hour ride, no problem.
The trip was totally worth it, too.
First commission of the day. Thanks, Nate!
The Youngstown Indie Comic Expo started out slow but steadily got more people coming during the afternoon. It was a one-day event (kind of like Animarathon based in my old college town of Bowling Green, OH… only Animarathon is for anime, and YO-ICE is for independent comics).
I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect out of the show, especially since this is the first year that it’s ever existed.
Honestly… it was a great show! I would 110 percent go back there again next year.
No much nerd talk was had with these two lovely ladies. (Especially Lord of the Rings)
It’s small but you get a chance to talk to everybody. This is totally different from my experience with Phoenix Comic-Con, which is huge and had a lot of people just walk past the table because there were already so many more exhibitors to check out.
The more cons I do, the more I discover that I really like local shows. The selection of artists is smaller, sure, but you get to know the people there, both the artists and the attendees walking around.
That, and the commissions I get to make for people are a lot more fun to do.
Chris Pratt Commission! What a bae.
Local shows are where it’s at! The atmosphere is more relaxed, the people are awesome…
And I don’t have to pay for a hotel room. Win-win.
So far this year, I’ve only had two local shows – RathaCon, and YO-ICE. But I would definitely do both again for next year!
I don’t have any other shows planned for the rest of the year. The exception is Youmacon, but I go there to attend, have fun, and hang out with friends. I don’t go there to sell stuff. The place is too big, and big cons have expensive table space.
However, I DO have to start planning for next year. If you want me to make an appearance at a convention or expo close to you, please drop a comment and let me know!
Chloe and I were also extra prepared – we brought a large package of bottled waters, scissors, and tape, which are absolute must-haves if you intend on having a table at a convention.
It also helps if you have business cards, which I FORGOT the first day of the convention. Because I’m a derp.
However, I did meet a ton of cool people at the con, and I even snagged a TON of new comics to read. (Expect the return of Review Day Tuesday to cover all these awesome works!)
The first day, Saturday, was even busier than I expected, but that was because of 2 things:
There was a thunderstorm outside, which led to,
The Sidewalk Arts Festival being cancelled and making everyone who WOULD go to the festival, come inside for the con.
Since it was my first time in Georgia, I didn’t realize that thunderstorms in the area were as common as fleas on a dog. But hey, you live and you learn.
So because of the thunderstorm, Saturday was the busiest day. But Sunday still went well, too.
In fact, both days, I was busy making commissions for folks (which I wasn’t expecting. So…thank you!).
In fact, here are some pictures of the commissions I made for attendees, along with the attendees posing with their new works.
I missed a few pictures, like I forgot to take closer pictures of Brienne from Game of Thrones, Grandpa JoeStar from Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure (an anime I REALLY want to get back into because it has all the things I love in an anime, like muscles), and Figaro from Pinocchio (he was a sketch card commission).
Still, it was a lot of fun to be at this convention, and I hope I get to come back next year!
Last weekend I went to Savannah for Swarm Con and had a blast!
I had never been to Savannah before, so my pal Chloe showed me around the town. She’s currently going to the Savannah College of Art and Design, so I got to see a few of their buildings. Mostly we explored along the boardwalk and the shops that were there.
It reminded me a bit of Marietta, OH since almost all the historic roads are brick or stone. The standout difference?
THE STUPIDLY STEEP HISTORIC STEPS.
SERIOUSLY.
Dotted here and there throughout the alleyways are steps that are almost two feet high each step. It’s ri-goddamn-diculous.
At least the architecture was cool to look at. The boardwalk had buildings and stores stacked on top of each other like layer cakes.
This one is a road that cuts through the Hyatt Hotel.
We also had dinner at the River House. Their shrimp and grits are absolutely delicious and pairs really well with sweet tea.
Oh man I hadn’t had genuine southern sweet tea in such a long time. It was SO refreshing to get it in Savannah.
I also tried oysters, which was…interesting.
The first one made me go, “Ugh, what a weird texture. But let me try another one just to see if it gets better.”
The second one? “AUGH, too much vinegar on that one! Let me try one more.”
The third one? “…Yeah, oysters are not for me.”
I was expecting something rubbery, and…it was, but it was also slimy and cold. Not my thing. But I gave it a try!
Next time I’ll actually talk about Swarm Con, because there are some commissions I did while I was there that I think you would enjoy seeing.
