[Image: A photo of some of the signs on Alex’s artist alley table that read: “Hey you! Do you have a dollar? Do you have a face? Draw your face for a dollar!”]
OHAYOCON.
Come find me in the artist alley.
I’M ALSO DRAWING PONIES, YO.
Tag: conventions
Convention Planning
Earlier today, I got the notice from the C2E2 organizers that I’m on the list to get a table this year. Though not in the Artist Alley; apparently they have a new thing called the Webcomics Pavillion, so if I accept and throw my money at them, that’s where I’ll be.
I haven’t really decided if I’m going at all, but I have until January 11th to decide. It’s $425 for the table and two badges, which is a LOT. That’s about twice the amount I pay to exhibit at the most expensive cons on my schedule. I’ve heard positive things about C2E2, but it may not be in the cards.
I’m also curious if there’s a price difference between Webcomics Pavillion and the Artist Alley proper, but I can’t seem to find a cached version of the 2010 Artist Alley application. If I don’t go to C2E2, I will hopefully get to that part of the country for Wiscon in Madison, WI over Memorial Day weekend. I’m very interested in checking them out, and we’ve got friends who live there, so it would be pretty affordable.
On Not Being OK | Geek Feminism Blog
On Not Being OK | Geek Feminism Blog
During the first game we all put junk food on the table, and I am in hell. I eat way more than everyone else (or maybe I just think I do) and sit, squirming, till the end of the three hour session. Then I make a break for it. Up to the floor being prepared for the LARP, so no one will be in the toilets. I make myself throw up over and over until I can’t get anything else out.
I’m a geek, and I’m bulimic.
I sit weekly among stacks of corn chips and M&Ms, pizza and Pepsi when I roleplay. My mind is NEVER totally on the game. Depending on my mood, a part of it is always there, calculating how much to eat, and how to purge.
I get this idea that we, as geeks, are expected to rise above the common herd that are influenced by advertising and self-hate. We’re so much cleverer than that, so much more accepting! We were the fat kids in high school!
But we’re not.
Untitled
Three of the ponies I drew for my fellow webcomics at Otakon last weekend! It’s Jennie Breeden, Darren “Dern” Gendron, and Rosscott!
Crosspost from Formspring
This was such a great question, and my response ended up being so long, that I thought I should share it here, too. ^_^
Ginpu asked:
As a convention-ee (one behind the table at a convention) what items do you find necessary to bring to a convention? (Display items, merchandise & freebies) As a con-goer, what items do you want to see from convention-ees?
Displays: Wire cube grids are just about the best things you can buy for your table if you’re on a budget. They’re infinitely customizable if you buy multiple sets, and they’ve served me well over the years. You can get them just about anywhere for $15-30. Target has them on sale for closer to $15 a couple times a year.
Merchandise: Having things in all three tiers of pricing (cheap-moderate-pricy) is a good idea. I have little things like buttons and Dollar Drawings in the cheap tier, prints and short comics in the middle range, and graphic novels, originals, commissions, etc. in the big range. What dollar amounts those ranges cover is an individual matter; I tend to think of them as “Under $5,” “$5-$20,” and “Over $20” but some peoples ranges start the big ticket range at more like $50 or more. Also, have some stuff that doesn’t relate to your comic so you can take money from teenagers and casual passersby. My Pokemon gym badge buttons sell very well in this regard, but have all hell to do with my artwork.
Freebies: Usually, my only freebies are business cards and flyers, but I’ve also got a supply of stickers that I got from Glass City Con, the convention I do artwork for, which I give away for free, since it’s difficult to sell a fat, balding, bearded man in a sailor school uniform. Many people mistake him for Sailor Bubba; I stopped correcting them awhile ago. ^_^;; One year at ConnectiCon, I also made temorary tattoos of Garanos’ symbol using special tattoo printer paper I found at the craft store, and those went over pretty well.
I so rarely go to conventions as just an attendee anymore, so I don’t tend to go looking for anything specific, unless a creator I love is going to have a new book there or something. If something unusual and awesome catches my eye, though, I will buy it; for example, I once had neighbors at a convention that sold glassware with vinyl decals in the shapes of Sailor Moon and other figures like that, so I bought a Sailor Moon shotglass from them.
la la la…
My post with one of the pictures from The Athlete totally went viral! That’s pretty awesome, and I’m really glad that the picture resonated with so many other people. ^_^ Getting reblogged by some of the bigger fat-positive tumblrs probably didn’t hurt, either.
Though I kind of wish I’d said something a little more profound, what with all the reblogs… Oh well!
I’ve been quite busy working on Alex’s Guide, as well as starting concepts for a potential new longform comic based on the stories I made when I was an early teenager. More fatshion art will come when I’ve had opportunity to put together and wear some more fabulous outfits… :D
If you’re in the Columbus area this weekend, I’ll be in the Artist Alley at Ohayocon, Ohio’s largest anime convention!