I have finally caught up on things enough to gather and record my thoughts on Cincy Comic Con. To begin with, I feel I must thank Tony Moore and the organizers for providing me with a free table for the show. As you may know I drew a one page comic for a Facebook contest that earned me a table. It was well received enough that I was placed at a table of honor across from Fables creator Bill Willingham, iZombie writer Chris Roberson, and within a short distance of Action Girl writer/artist Sarah Dyer and her husband Evan Dorkin of Milk and Cheese fame. Having a free table in a prime location at a busy show would lead one to believe that I have zero reason to complain but I do have a few. I also have a lot of good things to say about the con so bear with me.
To start with the good, I got a free table. The con itself was also nice, for a fan of comics but not so much for a relatively unknown creator. The con is creator oriented, no b-list sci-fi celebrities or internet personalities, just a gathering of some of the best and brightest artists and writers in the comic book industry. It hosts the biggest artists alley I have ever been part of and as a fan I think it's awesome but as a salesperson not so much. As a fan I could walk around and talk to amazing creators with very little muss or fuss, no big lines or hoops to jump through to meet them. When you can walk up to Goon creator Eric Powell and have a nice chat about his latest book or get the inside scoop from Steve Leiber on his next project at leisure it's a good day. As a salesperson I hated it because not only was there competition but big league competition and a lot of it. I guess if I think about the con as a fan who got in for free it was excellent. I bought some good books and talked to some great creators. I bought Beast of Burden by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson (beautifully drawn by the way), Battlepug by Mike Norton, Chimichanga by Eric Powell, and many more. I also want to throw in as a major good that the crew (overlords and henchmen) were fantastic and super helpful. As an exhibitor you could not have asked for a more attentive and considerate group. They made constant laps around the con offering water, aspirins, and help. Thank you guys for that.
As for the bad, I didn't make any money or at least not enough to cover gas, food, and lodging. I was also sick all weekend which, of course, was of no fault to the con but still it made me miserable. I had two major issues with the con and they both pertain to the DJ at the event. To begin with, not a good DJ and I know from good DJ's because I once made a living as a DJ. Why does there need to be constant music playing anyway? It made it hard to have a good conversation at times. The selection of music was hard to take as well, mostly mash ups and Michael Jackson but not as hard to take as the annoying announcements where he overindulged himself with in jokes and smugness. But I may not have noticed how truly annoying the guy was if he had not pissed me off at the start of the con. The table I had was a corner table with a table behind me and one next to me. Both tables had taken up more than their fair share of space and some of mine. I had no problem with this and attempted to adapt to the situation. I set up my table and put my stand up banner next to my table. As there was a table behind me, the banner sat in a small square made from my table end and the other table's end. This square was dead space where no one could have walked or bumped into the banner. As I continued to set the rest of my table up the DJ came to me and said, "They may ask you to move your banner." Okay, MAY or WILL? I explained that space was limited and the banner was in no danger of impeding traffic but he was already yelling at the people at the table next to me to make room for my banner which I did not ask for. I went back to working on my table while he upset my neighbors. He comes back over and starts telling me to move my banner. I didn't immediately look up as I was working and he gruffly tells m e to, "look at me when I'm looking at you!" I slowly raised my head and said, "pardon me?" "I'm trying to help you, the least you can do is acknowledge me." , he replied. I'm sorry, trying to help me by alienating my neighbors or helping me by making me move a banner that I MAY be asked to move? Why are you worrying yourself over this? Then he TOLD me to move the banner and walked off. It really shows how much I've matured because twenty years ago I would have popped him for talking to me that way. It did put me in a sour mood for the rest of the day and cast a cloud over the rest of the weekend. It just made his voice that much more annoying.....
Yet, despite the one jackass, the con was indeed a good one as a fan and a bit disappointing as a small time creator in a room full of big time creators. I would attend this con again as a fan perhaps but I don't know if I would have a table again.
To start with the good, I got a free table. The con itself was also nice, for a fan of comics but not so much for a relatively unknown creator. The con is creator oriented, no b-list sci-fi celebrities or internet personalities, just a gathering of some of the best and brightest artists and writers in the comic book industry. It hosts the biggest artists alley I have ever been part of and as a fan I think it's awesome but as a salesperson not so much. As a fan I could walk around and talk to amazing creators with very little muss or fuss, no big lines or hoops to jump through to meet them. When you can walk up to Goon creator Eric Powell and have a nice chat about his latest book or get the inside scoop from Steve Leiber on his next project at leisure it's a good day. As a salesperson I hated it because not only was there competition but big league competition and a lot of it. I guess if I think about the con as a fan who got in for free it was excellent. I bought some good books and talked to some great creators. I bought Beast of Burden by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson (beautifully drawn by the way), Battlepug by Mike Norton, Chimichanga by Eric Powell, and many more. I also want to throw in as a major good that the crew (overlords and henchmen) were fantastic and super helpful. As an exhibitor you could not have asked for a more attentive and considerate group. They made constant laps around the con offering water, aspirins, and help. Thank you guys for that.
As for the bad, I didn't make any money or at least not enough to cover gas, food, and lodging. I was also sick all weekend which, of course, was of no fault to the con but still it made me miserable. I had two major issues with the con and they both pertain to the DJ at the event. To begin with, not a good DJ and I know from good DJ's because I once made a living as a DJ. Why does there need to be constant music playing anyway? It made it hard to have a good conversation at times. The selection of music was hard to take as well, mostly mash ups and Michael Jackson but not as hard to take as the annoying announcements where he overindulged himself with in jokes and smugness. But I may not have noticed how truly annoying the guy was if he had not pissed me off at the start of the con. The table I had was a corner table with a table behind me and one next to me. Both tables had taken up more than their fair share of space and some of mine. I had no problem with this and attempted to adapt to the situation. I set up my table and put my stand up banner next to my table. As there was a table behind me, the banner sat in a small square made from my table end and the other table's end. This square was dead space where no one could have walked or bumped into the banner. As I continued to set the rest of my table up the DJ came to me and said, "They may ask you to move your banner." Okay, MAY or WILL? I explained that space was limited and the banner was in no danger of impeding traffic but he was already yelling at the people at the table next to me to make room for my banner which I did not ask for. I went back to working on my table while he upset my neighbors. He comes back over and starts telling me to move my banner. I didn't immediately look up as I was working and he gruffly tells m e to, "look at me when I'm looking at you!" I slowly raised my head and said, "pardon me?" "I'm trying to help you, the least you can do is acknowledge me." , he replied. I'm sorry, trying to help me by alienating my neighbors or helping me by making me move a banner that I MAY be asked to move? Why are you worrying yourself over this? Then he TOLD me to move the banner and walked off. It really shows how much I've matured because twenty years ago I would have popped him for talking to me that way. It did put me in a sour mood for the rest of the day and cast a cloud over the rest of the weekend. It just made his voice that much more annoying.....
Yet, despite the one jackass, the con was indeed a good one as a fan and a bit disappointing as a small time creator in a room full of big time creators. I would attend this con again as a fan perhaps but I don't know if I would have a table again.
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