A Lull in the Con Schedule

May and September are my busiest months of the year when it comes to conventions and shows.

So imagine my surprise when I discovered I have only one show in June, and one show in July.

If this were me of last year, I would be doing my best to get more conventions lined up. But this year, between working a side hustle at a local gas station, having freelance gigs, and making The Legend of Jamie Roberts, I’m actually not too keen on trying to book as many conventions as possible.

This year, I want to try to save my convention energy for September.

Of course, I have shows before and after September, but that month has my biggest show on my roster: Small Press Expo.

YES, I FINALLY got a table at SPX! It’s been a goal of mine to have a table there ever since I learned about it, and I can’t wait to go!

I’ve been warned by some fellow indie comics creators to bring as much stock as I can, because other vendors had sold out of books on their first day. To that end, I want to build up as much stock as I can in the lead up to the show.

Now, I won’t have a full table at SPX. So I won’t be bringing my usual six-foot or even eight-foot set-up. I’ll just be bringing my books, my zines, and one or two large prints. That’s it.

That said, I’ll be working on freelance gigs and making The Legend of Jamie Roberts in the time between shows. The funds raised through those endeavors will be saved back for SPX and its related costs.

So if you don’t see me online a whole lot, it’s because I’m working to get backlogs in all the right avenues in order to be prepared.

Before I go into complete work mode, though, there is ONE thing to do…

Come back tomorrow for a special announcement.

That’s all for now. Thank you for reading!

You. Are. Awesome.

Big Changes Are A-Coming

Holy banana pants, I have so many announcements! So let’s break it up into parts.

SLEEP-OUT

This Friday I will be with Mel, co-founder of our local LGBT advocacy group, Beyond the Rainbow, to participate in the Wheeling Sleep-Out.

The Wheeling Sleep-Out is a charity event where groups of people compete to build the best cardboard fort, and then they must spend the night in the cardboard forts. The event is to raise money for Youth Services Systems, a Wheeling, WV-based non-profit working to end homelessness in the community.

Here’s where you can donate! Be sure to use this link, because teams who raise the most money get recognition.

PITTSBURGH WITCHES BALL

Literally the day after the Wheeling Sleep-Out, I’ll be at the Pittsburgh Witches Ball to sell my wares. Find the ball at the American Serbian Club.

Unlike most events, the Witches Ball runs from 5 pm until 10 pm. I hope you can make it – I won’t hold it against you if you’re only there for a short time.

Also, one of my pieces will be available at auction. Wink wink.

ONLINE STORE

Storenvy, the platform I used for my online shop, is going to get re-purposed. Because I’m moving all my comics, prints, and other convention products to my own little store!

The new store is still a work in progress, but you can find it at shop.kelcidcrawford.com. Some of my patrons from Patreon have tested it and it’s working well.

So the comics and art are moving to shop.kelcidcrawford.com, which means Storenvy is getting retooled – it will now be home to handmade crafts and one-off products, like the paper bead bracelets, handmade journals, and (coming soon) watercolor greeting cards.

KICKSTARTER

Now that the Validation’s Final Push campaign has wrapped up, it’s time for a new campaign.

This time, we’re looking to get Gods & Spirits: A Sketchbook to print! This book collects all the sketches done during Inktober this year, PLUS includes new illustrations and never-before-seen sketches.

Expect it to launch this coming Monday, November 5 – email newsletter peeps and patrons on Patreon will be the first ones to hear the news. So sign up for one or the other to jump on those early-bird tiers (because there will be at least one early-bird reward level) (Also Patreon peeps get bonus goodies).

COMMISSIONS

Well, I’m now making comics full-time – I WAS working at my local comic shop. NOT ANYMORE. (Long story.)

So now I have time to make commissions. These will make great gifts for the holidays (hint hint, wink wink). Rates start at $20 for a black-and-white character sketch, and varies from there.

Here’s a link to the full listing.

BLOG POSTS

Expect Review Day Tuesdays and Featured Artist Fridays to come back soon…

THAT’S IT.

Thank you for reading!

You. Are. Awesome.

The Online Store is Getting a Makeover

It’s that time of year – time to look at old designs of things and think, “Hot dang this needs a makeover.”

And that was what crossed my mind when I looked at my Storenvy shop. I mean, look at this screencap:

It’s SO OLD.

The photos need redone. So do the product listings, the link sidebar, the colors of the shop, and…well, the entire thing needs redone in my eyes.

So here’s the deal:

You have until September 30 to get anything from my online shop.

The shop will be taken down from Sept 30 until October 6 – one whole week.

That week is when I overhaul the whole thing.

So you have until then to take advantage of any deals, or get any of these comics, prints, or miniprints or minicomics (outside of conventions).

As an extra, if you buy something from the online shop, I’ll throw in an extra piece of art from my art-bin that will fit in the package. The art piece can be anything from a sketch from my sketchbook, to the original art for a print.

So yeah! Buy something from the online shop before Sept 30, and get a piece of art included for free.

That’s all for now. Thank you for reading!

You. Are. Awesome.

Coming Up Next: Marietta Comic and Creator Convention

marietta comic and creator con announcement graphic

The Marietta Comic and Creator Convention sprang up (at least partially) as a result of River City Comic Con getting canceled this year – the organizer of River City fell ill. This is, in fact, the first year that the Marietta Comic and Creator Convention even exists!

The show will be at the Lafayette Hotel on August 12. The show will run from 10 am to 5 pm. And I’ll be there showcasing my work! (Here’s the link to the Facebook event page for more info.)

There’s some new things to keep an eye out for:

  • There’s a new Mr. Dino & Friends print! (It’s also available on Storenvy)
  • Sketch cards are marked down to $1 – I’m trying to clear these babies out!
  • The Box of Clearance Original Art debuted at the Pop Culture Buy Sell Trade Show in Vienna, WV, and will make another appearance at this Marietta Show. Everything in the box is marked to $5.
  • There will be crafts on the table – wrist cuffs, a tablet case, and paper bead bracelets are included. The tablet case is $10, the other crafts are $7.
  • I will draw caricatures (if you ask) – they’re $5 for each person and take less than 5 minutes to do. (Due to space, I cannot offer group caricatures.)

Usually this is where I offer free sketch cards to those who attend the show, but I’m not going to this time. The reason I have sketch cards marked down to $1 is because there were folks who didn’t show up to claim their card at previous shows. These cards need new homes.

Oh! The Case of the Wendigo is back in stock. Huzzah!

However, for the next few days, Charlie & Clow is out of stock.

Why? Well, I made a consignment deal with New Dimension Comics and they cleared out my current stock of Charlie & Clow. I placed the rush-order in to get more copies, so hopefully they’ll arrive before Marietta Comic and Creator Con happens.

And before I forget, I updated the Shop list – there’s new stores carrying my comics and zines!

That’s all for now. Thank you for reading!

You. Are. Awesome.