Ohio Con 2013

I will be at the Ohio Comic Con this weekend! Come see me at table B9!

OHIO COMIC CON
SEPTEMBER 20-21-22, 2013
FRI-SAT-SUN

LOCATION
Greater Columbus Convention Center
500 North High Street
Columbus, OH 43215

Post: Ohio Con 2012

Hello everyone! I am back from Columbus and what an amazing weekend it was! This year I brought Mike Roll and his adorable little zombie girl, Apooka, with me.

FRIDAY: I was able to come in Friday for preview night which was a little evening pre-con con. I was able to get some sketch requests that night and a lot of the VIP'ers purchased prints from me which was nice because I had restocked with the new 11x14s. I also got a lovely note from Drew Blank who knows about my utter love and affection for How I Met Your Mother.

It's always a pleasure chatting with that guy.  I like it so much I asked him to write the foreword to HEART. Speaking of, when I went to check in the hotel, there was a package there waiting for me containing the first shipment of 72 books!  I couldn't be more excited.

SATURDAY: This was the MEGA SUPER…and I really do mean SUPER. I was technically flying solo this weekend.  My better and way prettier half of the crime fighting duo, was spending time with her family at EIU this very same weekend. So I had to handle the business side of things too: keeping track of inventory and sketch list, money handling, learning how to add, square transactions. It was pretty chaotic but I felt I had a good handle on it. 

This was only the second con I offered up the cardBORED sketches and the appeal is really building. People like how different it is and really dig the way the inks pull a lot of texture from them. The amount of sketches vary through out conventions but I am noticing as I produce more work for the table  that the sketches are starting to even out with the amount of business I get from my books.  That's a good thing as I am getting more people flipping through the books.  Don't get me wrong I love drawing for people and it's something I will favor over doing the sales pitch over and over again.  It's nice to see them finding their level and it made it a lot easier for me running the one man show.

It was also a big print show.  I sold out of all my TMNT prints that I made for the Fanfare last year and the Avengers one selling well. I didn't bring that many WIWL books with me because I really wanted to push HEART and Playing the Alphabet so by the time Saturday had come to an end, I was already down to my last When I Was Little Too. It was a good feeling.

The lovely Lora Innes stopped by to say hi and congratulate me on HEART which she got to scope out the night before with Trevor Mueller's copy. She also brought a fellow Paper Winger with her, Scott Hoffman, who was interested in talking children's book shop with me. He was a nice guy and even picked up a set of the WIWL books before he left. I didn't bring that many WIWL books with me because I really wanted to push HEART and Playing the Alphabet so by the time Saturday had come to an end, I was already down to my last When I Was Little Too thanks to Scott. It was a good feeling.

Yay! Paperwings' connections being made at conventions. Before Lora left I gave her Nicole's Mulan sketchbook and asked her to do a li'l something something with it.  She gladly took the book and looked wide eyed when I told her it was about Mulan. Later on Lora sent me a tweet to come by and pick up the sketchbook and she presented me with this: 

 *photo courtesy of Lora's twitter

It was incredible! When I showed Nic she loved it, laughed cause she knew the scene that she drew.

It picked up quite a bit by mid-afternoon but I elected to dive out for a few minutes to meet my favorite Superman ever, Dean Cain. As I was walking back from the restroom I noticed he had just sat down at his booth and the line didn't start forming yet. So I rushed back to the table and grabbed my Season 1 dvd of Lois and Clark. I walked right up there, shook his hand and chatted about his new show, Stars and Stripes. Just enough time to soak it all in before the next group of people came his way.  As I made my way back to the table I went straight for the Photo-Ops booth and purchased a ticket for a photo.  I was totally geeking out and it's something I never really do at conventions any more.  I'm so numb to it seeing all these celebrities walking by amongst the comic crowd. But this was Dean Cain and growing up he was my Superman. How could I not geek out about this. I thought as a token of my appreciation for all the work he did on the show I would give him a World's Finest print.

Later on when I walked up to him to get my picture taken. I handed him the print whilst at the same time trying to form words that sounded awkward and mumbled but to the tone of, "Hey I got this print for you." He felt humbled by it and he really dug it.  He said so. He's Superman. He doesn't lie. The whole experience was a blur but it was really cool to meet him and he was very gracious about the whole thing. The cherry on top of the cake was that after he was done and I was long gone back at my table working on another sketch request, he walked by my table to tell me again how great the print was. Then we did the most epic of handshakes and we both went about our business. Superman acknowledged me, he called me by  my first name and said he liked something that I had done. Right then and there, I felt like the coolest kid on the planet.

I didn't need to sell anything else that day, but I did and I was riding that high.

I still am.

SUNDAY: Miker and I got an early start because we needed to get into the good parking lot across the street so it wouldn't be such a haul for us later carrying all our things. We got in early and scoped out some of the artist alley and table booths. Got to snap some sweet photos of the Ecto-1 and some Dr. Who stuff. When the show opened it was pretty slow in the beginning.  (My theory is that everyone was watching the new TMNT show on Nickelodeon.)

Anyway, the show picked up right around noon and I got a lot more cardBORED sketch requests in.  I also sold the last WIWL2 which made table room for more copies of HEART.

Rachel, another con buddy I met at my first MOC, stopped by my table and dropped off some mini cupcakes, another convention highlight.  It's always great to see her and her family at the show. They stopped by again later in the day and picked up some more coloring books for their son, Jonathan, as well as a copy of Heart. It got really slow the last two hours so I used that time to walk around and I spotted Humberto Ramos deep into a Spiderman sketch cover. I ended up getting his new Art N' Out: Sabotage book and told him how much of a fan I was and that I donated to his Fairy Quest Kickstarter. I was pretty tired towards the end but managed the 6 hour drive by myself without any real long stops.

This show has always been a favorite of mine and I was glad I got to bring Miker with me.  Hopefully next year, the great Joe Foo will come with us and dominate.  Thanks for having me Columbus we will see you next year!

Ohio Con 2012

Just a quick reminder Miker Roll and I will be at Wizard World's Ohio Con:

 

Table 1322

Post: Mid Ohio Con 2011

Hi friends!

Mid Ohio Con has come and gone.  This was the first MOC run by the Wizard World group.  I think a lot of artists and comic creators had some doubts but the show was excellent.  The presence of the convention was on a much grander scale yet it still maintained that independent spirit that Mid Ohio Con is famous for.  I was surprised and impressed with this year's turn out.

Another change on our part was that Nicole and I took Friday off and we took our time driving down there.  The road to MOC is usually a unforgiving six hours and the past two years we've attended we would leave after I got off of work which would be around 6-7pm and arrive at 1am.  Having the day off really made a difference. The six hour drive became tolerable and it was smooth sailing.

We arrived Friday night and went to the Kroger around the corner to grab dinner and food for tomorrow morning's breakfast. 

Woke up Saturday morning and I was nervous about the Artist Alley being split on two levels, something I learned about days prior.  However, when we got to the con Saturday morning, we realized that decided to keep everyone on the same level.  I was relieved but a bit saddened to find my location in the back corner which I felt was apart from the actual convention.

That sadness didn't stay for long.  The people traffic was so congested in the middle with artist interaction and on-lookers that they eventually flowed into the the sides and corners making the convention quite a busy affair on Saturday.

I got a lot of unique sketch requests that day which made for some of the best sketching I've done at a con.  You can check those out over here.  The steady flow of traffic made for a comfortable pace of book selling, interaction with the crowd, and sketch requests.  I never felt overwhelmed but I was never bored or sitting around either.  It was a great pace and a great first day.

Last year Nicole and I went to Dirty Frank's Hotdog Palace for dinner and we decided to make a return trip and start a Post Mid Ohio Day 1 dinner tradition.  We stuffed our faces and I had chili mac for the 1st time since I decided to give up meat.  Four years and counting!  Slept on full stomachs.

We woke up a bit earlier on Sunday to make breakfast and pack the car for our drive back.  We bought some meatless breakfast patties and made sausage, egg, and cheese, biscuits.  They were awesome!

Sunday was a slower day at the convention but I still had a large number of families come by and pick up sketches and books.  Nic and I were able to walk around more and look for potential birthday/christmas presents for people. 

Sunday was also a good networking day.  I talked with some familiar faces and comic creators such as Lora Innes, Trevor Mueller, Dustin Carson, Ryan Claytor, and the creative team of Mutant Cactus and Victor Dandridge. 

I also met some new comic creators like Steve Harpster and Barry Deutsch.  Nic and I picked up a few things and tried really hard not to spend all of the earnings. 

The convention came to a close and I wrapped up the last few sketch requests and said goodbye to my Ohio friends.  On the drive home, Nicole and I talked about potential projects for the future and we mapped out my convention season for 2012.

At the halfway mark we stopped for dinner at Red Robin, recharged our batteries, and made it home just as the rain started to fall.

It was a great way to end the season and as I go into the "off" months.  I am going to be busy working on the next few WIWL projects (that's right…plural) and some newer book ideas that I've been wanting to complete.

I hope to do a smaller amount of shows next year so that I can focus on these other books all the while evolving the When I Was Little series.

Until next time, friends!

Mid Ohio Con 2011

This weekend I will be attending the Wizard World Mid Ohio Con!  I will be at table 1324 in Artist Alley!  UPDATE:  Here's the new map,  Artist Alley is set up on two floors this year? anyhoo I got top bunk ...apparently #1324

I will also be debuting a new 8x10 print.  I actually had a lot of requests for Thor so I thought to end the year with the God of Thunder.  Enjoy!

Mid Ohio Con 2010

Mid Ohio Con marks the end of my convention run for the year. Wow, I thought I had a good show last weekend, MOC was just great fun all around and a terrific way to wrap up the year.

This year's show marked the 30th Anniversary of Mid Ohio Con and they really made it worthwhile for the artists. There weren't a lot of Media Guests and dealer shops but a big focus on artists, writers, independents, and comic superstars.

Saturday was a huge success. I probably ended up leaving my table once or twice to go to the bathroom and the rest of the time I was glued to my seat responding to sketch requests.

I think by the end of the day I did about 25+ sketches with another 10 carrying over into Sunday. It flew by so fast! I think posting some of the unique character sketches (at least to me) on the blog, I gotten a lot more of those requests from people at the shows.



I've also noticed that whoever I make my sketch sign of for the weekend, that is usually the most requested character. Hence the army of Iron Men:




Big win for the Pixar prints I framed as within the first two hours, [I think, I have no concept of time, the day was a huge blur of amazing-tude] I was able to sell it.

I seriously thought I'd be taking it home after Sunday.

The only thing that stunk about the show which isn't a real huge complaint, was that I missed 75 percent of the artists/creators who were there. Nic was a real trooper scouting the tables for me and keeping me in the know with what was going on with the show. I was way too focused into drawing to even pick my head up. I tried my very best to meet and greet with all the folks who stopped by the table.

Sunday was nice and light but I was consistently busy. I was able to take some time to meet with some new creators but not really a chance to talk shop. I did get some things signed and met with friends I've made at the show last year.

With the spending spree Nic and I went on last weekend, we decided to put a limit on purchases and instead we focused on getting stuff for other people.

Sunday worked out perfect for me, heck the WHOLE SHOW worked out for me. I am always surprised by the amount of people who dig my work and have a really affection towards the book series. So to all those who got a sketch, prints, or books from me, a big thank you goes out to all.

It was a great time and I hope to do it again, I'll see ya next year. ;-)

Mid Ohio Con 2010

This has got to be one of my favorite cons and I will be attending again this year. The Mid Ohio Con goes from Nov.6-7 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus,OH. I will be at table CC22! I'll be selling my books, a variety of prints, and doing sketches for the weekend. I hope to see you there!!




Click on the banner to find out more!

Process: Green Lantern Print

Hello all. It's been a while.

I finished a new print that I'll be having for the Mid-Ohio-Con this November. I've been doing these special When I Was Little limited prints this year for my 2010 con tour. I thought it'd be a cute way to put my own personal spin on well known comic characters and incorporating the idea of my children's book. The response to them have been great.

I have two new ones I want to do for the end of the year which I'll be selling well into my 2011 con tour. One of them is Green Lantern and the other I'm working on is Bat-Girl.

I thought I'd share you my process. I've seen other artist do this and found it interesting to see the layers that go into a finished piece. Here's my take on it.

Whatdya guys think? Click for big!



Starting with top left: rough, inks, flats, shades, highlights, glows, and the Final.

Save the date! On a side note, don't forget I'll be at the 57th St. Book Fair this year on September the 19th. I'll be selling my books and other goodies too (more details to come).

Mid Ohio Con Nov. 6-7 2010

Hello,

Sorry for the lack of updates but my freelance and commission work has kept me occupado, as well as principal concepts and character designs for my new book. (what?! new book!)

And on to even more awesome news, I'll be attending the Mid Ohio Con's Creator's Common again this year. Click on the icon for more info:

Interview from the Mid-Ohio-Con brought to you by Comic Related.

I had a great time recording an audio interview for Comic Related @ The Mid-Ohio-Con. My interview starts at minute 13.

Mid Ohio Con 2009: The Swag

Here's some of the stuff I picked up by some of the best people in comics. Take a look!

Our Superman and Lois sketches, as well as the Giant Size Collection of Patrick The Wolf Boy by the insanely great Art Balthazar


The Dreamer by the very talented Lora Innes


Custom buttons by the good folks over @ Mutant Cactus


Once Upon A Time... by the awesome Eric Rampson


The Machinist by Ryan Claytor of Elephant Eater Comics


Selected prints and The Chase: A Twist of Fate by Jay Jacot of Comics Obscura.


Jay Brant of headsupstudios.com

Mid Ohio Con 2009: Wrap Up

Well I'm back from my trip to the Mid Ohio Con. It was my first time there and only my second convention. Nic and I had such a great time and the convention was a success. I nearly sold out of my book stock, networked with a lot of great creative people, and did some really great commission work for people. I am definitely coming back next year and hope to attend S.P.A.C.E.D. as well. A lot of people I talked to, especially the good folks @ Comic Related told me that I'd fit right into the atmosphere of the S.P.A.C.E.D. convention, so I look forward to doing that too. Well here are some pics of the con! I plan on posting what I ended up walking away with as well as links to all the talented people's sites. Enjoy!

Mid-Ohio-Con 2009 Creators' Common

Hi! The list for this weekend's Mid-Ohio Con 2009 Creators' Common is up. It's on Oct. 3rd and 4th. The show is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

I'll be making an appearance there. Stop by table CC20 and say hi!