Post: Detroit Fanfare 2011

 Hello!  Now that almost a full week has gone by and I have come off my con high I can talk about the weekend that was Detroit Fanfare!

It was a long drive but not as long as the haul to Iowa the weekend before.  Nic and I had the great pleasure of staying with Mike Roll during the Fanfare.  Miker and Tina were great hosts and we had a blast hanging out with them. 

As far as the Fanfare goes,  I had a great time at the show.  However, mostly half of the Saturday was spent with Nic and I taking turns standing in line to meet and greet with the great Kevin Eastman, creator (with Peter Laird) of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles...or TMNT if you're fancy.

I got to say that made the whole convention for me.  It was a blast getting to meet and talk Turtles with him.  He was very kind and professional.  I read that he changed his flight on Sunday so he can keep sketching and signing for the fans. (seriously who does that? AWESOME)

On my sketch blog I've talked about a TMNT book that I am eventually going to fill with different artists' renditions of the Turtle-verse.  Like a dummy, I FLIPPIN' forgot the book and was super bummed as I wanted him to be the last page when it was all said and done. (and sketched)  BUT I did have some sketch cards with me and asked him to sketch a Casey Jones and a Krang which I will just frame in the book.  I also gave him a copy of my turtle's print which he loved!  It was seriously one of my highlights of...anything, EVER.

Ok, now back to the con.  From what I heard from other creators, it was a slow show and the attendance was pretty small from the previous year.  I would agree, I didn't have that many people stopping by the table (maybe because I was gone for half the day).  I think they might have moved the convention to a bigger venue prematurely and they should have kept it at the hotel for at least one more year.  That way it would give the show time to grow and really find its audience and then expand it.  The Cobo Hall center itself was massive and had the space to command a large crowd, it's just that the people weren't there which was unfortunate for the artists and programmers. 

Sunday was a busier day for me.  I did quite a few sketches and sold some prints.  I got to visit with some comic creators and my good friends Jeff and Aireen came out to support me and take in the show.  I know they had a blast!

There were highlights to the show for me and I did tweet them earlier in the week:

 

@DetroitFanfare #1 #highlight She is my bestest friend and I love her @nfsolis

@DetroitFanfare #1 #highlight is having the best time with @nfsolis. Letting me geek at these shows, encouraging, motivating, being there.

@DetroitFanfare #highlight @nfsolis starting her Mulan themes sketchbook with @artbaltazar

@DetroitFanfare #highlight table chat with @katiecandraw about Gronk, Halloween, and poverty! lol

@DetroitFanfare #highlight Meeting @AXECOP and @Bearmageddon's Ethan Nicolle, great artist very humbled! Scored some sketchbooks and a TPB!

@DetroitFanfare #highlight the talented super cute designer @aerialardour and her super cool hubby going out the way to visit @nfsolis and I 

@DetroitFanfare #highlight drawing a special tmnt bag n board sketch for real life April O'Neal @RachFromOH! 

@DetroitFanfare #highlight great table time with @JoeFoo22 @mikerroll

@DetroitFanfare #highlight: Meeting Kevin Eastman, creator of TMNT. Holy Cowabunga!

  

It was a great networking and really talking to other creators about collaborations, upcoming shows, and their respective projects.  If you made use of your time rather than complain about the low attendance and not selling anything than you had a good show. Oh! This is cool:  One of our table neighbors was Ethan Nicolle of Axe Cop fame and my favorite web comic of the moment, Bearmageddon.  He was such a cool guy and very humbled to talk about his projects and all around awesomeness.  I also loved the evenings spent hanging out with Joe Foo, Mike Roll and their significant others.  We went to a sushi buffet and I ate til I couldn't move.  GREAT TIMES.