Haslett Community Yard Sale & Perryfest '12

It's easier to lump the Haslett Community Yard Sale and Perryfest together into one blog post, especially since they're both local shows and the only outdoor events that I've attended as an artist. Similar, to be sure, but different in certain respects.

For starters, let's talk about the weather. Haslett's Yard Sale is during the month of July, more often than not allowing for a sunny and warm – although occasionally hot – day. If Perryfest could take a lesson, here, that would be welcome, as there is an unwanted chance of colder, rainy weather during the September month. Fortunately, though, the rain that we were expecting on Saturday was postponed until around 4 PM that afternoon, and even then it was neither heavy nor lasted for very long. I was very rather grateful for that. When you're selling paper-based merchandise, water is one of your worst enemies.

Generally, business was better for me at Haslett than Perry this year, but it was rather close. Caricatures are always the big sellers, specifically with the parents or grandparents and their kids. A few other items sold at the former event (a sketchbook here, a print there), but at the latter it was only the caricatures. Some of this, again, could very well be attributed to the weather, which affects the turnout at these. One of the potential downsides to having it held outdoors.

Perhaps my first caricature of a kid as a superhero, and my personal favorite hero to boot. (Haslett Community Yard Sale)

Cute as it was, their parents decided to not include the animal face paintings. (Haslett Community Yard Sale)

But rain or shine, the kids are almost always cheery when they come by the table. If nothing else, I at least get to enjoy watching their faces light up when they see their finished caricatures or when looking over the colorful selection of sketch cards, which seem to be a particular attraction for them. It was for that reason, really, that gave me the idea of offering 11x17" prints of these, as they themselves simply can't afford the sketch cards (and parents aren't all that willing to shell that kind of cash out, either). Maybe not twenty-five dollars, but six dollars, and for art that's larger and not as apt to get lost? Sure, that seems reasonable.

Dun-nah-nah-nah-nah-nah, Spider-man! He's like a little Ben Reilly. (Perryfest)

No glasses and wearing a mask? This disguise would be foolproof in the world of superhero comics. (Perryfest)

Another pleasure that I had at both the Haslett Community Yard Sale and Perryfest was having unexpected company that came by and staying for most of the duration of these events. At Haslett's Yard Sale, there were two boys in particular (I wish that I remembered their names) that took a seat at my table and we just talked for the longest time. Seems like we covered everything from our favorite movies to video games to comics. And the thing was that they came freely. There wasn't any coercion on the part of a busy parent to make me an impromptu babysitter while they wandered about; they were genuinely interested. These are the kind of kids that give me confidence that I could be at least a somewhat cool dad or uncle.

At Perryfest, it was my lifelong friend Blake who came by and made the colder, overcast Saturday much more pleasant. And although they wouldn't stay as long, a number of other familiar faces took a little time, here and there, to say hello from our Perry Public school days. And man, I tell you, you feel rather self-conscious about your age when you see your peers married and with children of their own. Doesn't seem like high school was that long ago. But then again, in just less than a couple years it will be time for our ten-year reunion, come 2014. Hoo, boy.

But I digress. Blake certainly knew how to make the day more interesting when he put a curious challenge before me: drawing on a miniature pumpkin. There was a vendor selling pumpkins and other gourds, which undoubtedly gave him the idea, so he bought a few and handed one off to me. It wouldn't have occurred to me on my own, but it was rather appropriate, what with the autumn season. And as luck had it, he had a color set of Sharpie permanent markers. Given the texture of the thing, I doubt anything else short of paint would have effectively worked. And indeed it did.

This Iron Man mini-pumpkin is currently at Blake's home, sitting proudly atop his display cabinet, and the envy of the other decorative gourds. (Perryfest)

So with that, this concludes the outdoor events, leaving Detroit FanFare as the last show to come this Fall. I'll be looking forward to the latter, and if you missed me at the Haslett Community Yard Sale or Perryfest then be sure to stop by! And since it's during the weekend before Halloween, I'll also be handing out candy. (Added incentive, sweet tooth fans.) If not, not to worry. There's always next year.

Reminder about PerryFest

Just a little reminder about PerryFest, which I'll be attending again this year. Expect to seem me that particular weekend on Saturday the 22nd only, from 10 AM -5 PM, where I'll be selling my wares and available for commissioned drawings. (Caricatures seem to be especially popular at this sort of event.) So if you're in town during the festivities, be sure to stop by!

And for those curious about how the Haslett Community Yard Sale fared, I'll make sure to write more on that in a combined post alongside PerryFest, when the latter comes and goes.

Detroit FanFare '11, pt.I: Friday

Two weekends past marked Detroit FanFare's second show, and subsequently my second appearance there in Artist Alley. As with any convention, especially one that is still so young, it was a mixed bag of sorts. Moving the show from the Hyatt to Cobo Hall, the conference center contained easily four times the convention floorspace. Considering the size of last year's attendee turnout, it was certainly a move in the right direction to find a larger location. However, it is a fair statement to say that they had overcompensated, ballooning itself too rapidly. (This was, however, the result of a remodeling in Cobo Hall. The originally reserved space was about half the size.) There was a steady stream of attendees, but not nearly enough in number as was hoped.

But understand that a fair amount of this was not the fault of FanFare's organizers. Between the city of Detroit's lack of communication regarding that Saturday's Bike Tour of Detroit, significantly blocking off traffic to Cobo Hall, to being in the middle of a Red Wings and Tigers game, respectively, the convention had a fair amount of carpet pulled out from underneath it. And of course when certain special guests cancelled, whether completely or in the middle of the weekend, like Peter Weller (Robocop) or Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead) respectively, it doesn't reflect well on the show. But again, those are turn of events that are beyond the control of any convention planner.

There are always personal criticisms that can be given with any convention. But it's in my opinion that any shortcomings that Detroit FanFare may have had were easily outweighed by its successes. Everything that I liked about last year's show was still there and it had more to offer this time around, as you'll read on.

Working a full-time job has definitely had an impact on my time as a freelance illustrator, whether for better or for ill. I'll at least say that you find yourself rather tired when working a forty-hour week, attend a weekend-long convention with after-show events, then return to the regular grind right after. But the regular job provides where the illustrating does not, at least until it starts to bring in enough of an income. And I genuinely like the place where I'm currently employed, which was very understanding in letting me leave an hour early that Friday afternoon to begin the drive towards FanFare.

The first stop along the way towards Detroit FanFare was actually more of a detour, really, to the home of a couple that I consider both good friends and mentors, Adam Withers and Comfort Love. Having packed the previous night and loaded into my vehicle in the morning before work, it made for relative ease to place their displays, merchandise, and the like inside. While Flint is certainly not along the route from Brighton to Detroit, the carpooling offers three upsides: splitting the cost of gas and parking, but more importantly having good company and conversation during the drive down. When we did arrive, it also helped to have three pairs of hands to carry everything in to Cobo Hall instead of just mine, or in their case just two.

We briefly parted ways to set up that evening, where I rendezvoused with my former Kendall classmate and regular table-mate Jason Westlake. We kept in touch during the months and especially weeks leading up to the convention, planning accordingly what details needed to be addressed. But it was very good to see him again in person as it always is. There I also met Joshua Werner for the first time, a friend of Jason's. Up until that point, Joshua had been simply a name to me, a kind of second cousin to Harvey the rabbit to quote 'The Shawshank Redemption'. So it was good to put a face to the name at last. The first meeting was brief, since he also was setting up his table, but knew we would have another chance to get better acquainted.

Then a funny thing happens while we began set-up. One of the FanFare organizers, whose name regretfully alludes me (Gary Reed, perhaps?), approached us. He pleasantly asked how we were, if we were looking forward to the show, and a few other like inquiries. Of course we both were, having anticipated this show since last year, and nodded in agreement. Then he asks, perhaps a little coyly, "You see this table, here?" motioning to the one next to ours. We in turn nod again. "How would you like to have it?" As it turned out, there were some cancellations in Artist Alley and were kind enough to freely give us another table.

This worked well to our advantage as we began setting up at separate tables, since we could cover each completely on our own. And it dawned on me then: we had reached the point where we needed our own tables from now on. Jason saw this as well, and as Adam later said that evening it is all a part of growing. Regardless, we still plan on going together to more conventions down the road, which will be just fine. As with Adam and Comfort, we'll likely share hotel rooms again and of course hang out both between and after the shows.

About this time they began to shut off the lights in the Cobo Hall convention center, which was our cue to cut out for the night. There was the standard intermission of checking in at the nearby Marriott Hotel, then trafficking and unpacking our more personal items from the vehicle to our room. This was shortly followed by the five of us (Adam, Comfort, Jason, Josh, and myself) heading down to the basement level, where we had our pick of Burger King and Subway. By this hour, the rest of the food court restaurants had closed up for the evening. It wasn't that late, but apparently they run a different operation working out of the Marriott.

Here we enjoyed our evening meal together and conversed as nerds often do on topics ranging from comic-movie adaptations such as 'Thor' and 'Green Lantern' to the more nit-and-grit business aspects of comic conventions, including a slightly humorous subject that Adam aptly named "the idiot brain." I would elaborate, but Adam would give a much better explanation than what I could. And this continued on until it came time for the VIP Creators Party, held in a bar back at the Cobo Hall. Admittedly, the setting wasn't particularly ideal: too dark to draw well (though Adam and Comfort managed, being the troopers that they are) and too many background conversations to hold one well, unless you were standing right next to the other person. On the plus side, there was a free buffet table. Dinner had for the most part filled me up, but why snub free grub? So I ate again, albeit more skimpily.

The night wore on, and after a respectable amount of time had passed attending this party we retired back to our room. As the conversation in the food court had been pleasant, so too was our talk whilst walking the dusky sidewalks with their copper-glow streetlamps to the Marriott. These particular memories of fellowship with good friends of like pursuits I already reminisce about in rosy fondness. (My apologies, that little part of the poet felt the need to chime in.) This comforting lull lasted the rest of the night, until we went to bed with the white sound of a rainfall recording play. With the morning would come our first official day at Detroit FanFare, and we gladly anticipated its arrival.

Haslett Community Yard Sale '11

talking to Greg Spencer at my table - photo taken by a "lady in pink"

This Saturday marked the second run for the Haslett Community Yard Sale, and what a day it was. As far as the weather goes (aside from an uncomfortable heat) it was a picturesque, sunny summer morning and afternoon. Like Mother would always remind you: stay in the shade, wear your sunblock, and keep hydrated, which is exactly what I did. Although I still managed to get burned slightly in a few, smaller patches. Such is my lot.

After last year's downpour during Perryfest, I had invested in a canopy tent meant more-so for tailgating parties. Not only did it serve well this time around to keep me in the shade, but it fit perfectly in the parking space where my table and displays were set up. As some of you may recall, the yard sale was held in the Haslett High School parking lot and each person, or group, is given two parking spaces: one for their vehicle, one for their wares. If you're at all familiar with the comic convention scene, tables are so tightly packed together. It's such a stark contrast, but I've begun to feel a little more accustomed to the extra space.

the table spread, which included: sketch books and cards, mini zombie prints, the watercolor female cardinal, and a copy of The Uniques Tales

I'll admit that this year's Haslett Community Yard Sale was a little disappointing in certain respects. None of the prints nor sketch cards sold. Though this came as no real shock, given that this isn't the same sort of crowd found typically in comic conventions. But I had hoped that I might find a customer to purchase my more recent watercolor painting of a female cardinal. However, no such luck. Ah, well.

Despite this, I was pleased with the response in regards to caricatures, though not without some patience on my part. The first pair of customers hadn't approached until towards early afternoon, which was well into the second half of the yard sale's hours. When an event only lasts for a single day, you tend to compulsively check your watch, wondering if you'll even get any business as hours pass by. Not so much pessimism, you understand, but more anxiety. It's fair to assume this is a common feeling. In the end the patience paid off, and that's what's important.

Andrea and Kara, holding their respective caricatures

As it happened, I was also visited later on by a nice, older lady named Lynne. It turned out that she worked as an aide in the same elementary school which I had attended for over twenty years, having recently retired. (And that was her in the elementary school for the twenty some-odd years, not me you wiserackers out there on the web.) She came back later with her daughter and three younger grandchildren, commissioning caricatures of each. Their time was limited, so I arranged to illustrate each child sometime thereafter and mail them out to her. So expect to see three more caricatures coming in the near future on this site.

The rest of the yard sale went without a hitch. Well, nearly without a hitch. A stronger gust of wind did cause some mischief and blew my canopy and displays over. Fortunately, nothing was lost or broken, though the same couldn't be said to my neighbor to the right (the shattered glass of a frame made for them a nice little mess). And speaking of my neighbors, a number of them came right to my assistance when it happened, helping catch and shift my wares and displays. For that I thank you, should any of you happen to read this.

My thanks also to the "ladies in pink," who helped coordinate this event and to Greg Spencer, a pleasant gentleman who discussed with me some interesting points concerning eidetic memory and artists. I'll definitely plan on attending the Haslett Community Yard Sale again next year.

Detroit FanFare '10

Last weekend marked something of a small milestone in regards to my personal experience as an artist, case in point being my first convention as a true business trip. Granted, I've attended Motor City Comic Con over the past few years, but I could always drive back and forth between home and the show. And the one occasion when I did happen to stay at a hotel was only for one night, if my memory serves right. This time around, my stay remained in Detroit for the weekend and in addition served as the carpool driver, between Flint and Detroit with couple extraordinaire Adam Withers and Comfort Love, then again between Detroit and Dearborn (still technically Detroit) with former classmate Jason Westlake. As much as I wish that we all could have attended the same convention, sadly it was not meant to be. However, since we shared a room together at the Detroit Mariott at the Renaissance Center, Jason and myself managed to get a taste of what Youmacon was like. Needless to say it was a mixed bag, but I'll extrapolate more on that a little later.

Born with no natural sense of direction, I have five words to say: Thank God for Garmin GPS. Comfort can attest to this fact when I tried to lead us to our parking space in the opposite direction. It's almost scary that they would entrust me to navigate us to Detroit, but I digress. The drive down went very smoothly last Friday morning and we checked ourselves into the hotel on schedule. Now, you must bear in mind that I'm more accustomed to small town living, having grown up and still residing in my hometown of Perry. So to enter a building the size of the Marriott was, needless to say, a little daunting. That, and when you add in a crowd of hundreds, if not thousands, of Youmacon attendees it was at times almost suffocating. (Especially the elevators. Good Lord, those elevators...) Feeling halfway lost, the claustrophobic confines only exasperated the situation. As I understand it, the volunteer workers were severely understaffed to handle this convention.

POV from our Detroit Marriott hotel room

I spent a good deal of that Friday afternoon with the crowd, waiting in the registration line for over three hours. That isn't to say it was without its own rewards. While my patience eventually buckled, unfortunately denying myself the real anime convention experience that I hoped to have that Friday, just looking at the elaborate costumes that the cosplayers wore around me was in of itself a treat. Not every day you witness a silent dance-off between The Nightmare Before Christmas's Jack Skellington and a Mario Brothers' "Shy Guy," which was a hilarious spectacle. Really wish that I had taken a picture of that, now. Oh, well. Moving on, after a nap in the hotel room and a few phone calls to my girlfriend and family, I drove out to Dearborn and met with Jason at the Hyatt Regency. We set up our displays that evening and afterward had a late dinner at the Fairlane Town Center. Word of advice, don't take the chairs down from the tables in the food court. The gals working there don't like that.

Arriving back at the Marriott, we met up with Adam, Comfort, and a friend of theirs, whose name eludes me, in the hotel's own small food court to chat. Even at that hour of the evening, there were lots of anime con attendees around, which I'm sure was due in no small part to Youmacon's twenty-four hour-long activities that weekend. So I was very thankful when Adam and Comfort shared that they had brought along a "white noise" background soundtrack, which helped to mask the hallway ruckus that ensued into the early hours of the morning. Something that I'll have to keep in mind, should I go on another convention business trip like this. I tend to be a light sleeper as it is.

Jason at our convention table, sorting through sketch cards

The next morning, Jason and myself drove out to Dearborn for the first day of Detroit FanFare. We didn't arrive early enough to witness the pre-show "Zombie Walk", which was shortened due to the colder weather, but did see plenty of zed heads there during the show that Saturday. Having registered and set up our displays the previous evening, it made for a very pleasant and convenient transition. That's the best way to summarize the whole convention, really: very pleasant and convenient. This isn't to say that I dislike Motor City Comic Con, but there were plenty of perks that came with Detroit FanFare. Aside from the Hyatt Regency's free parking, the artists were set up all across the showroom floor. As the coordinators of this event put it:

"The design of our convention center is one that has all the creators interspersed with each other. In other words, there is NO artist alley as all the creators will be blended together. That means that a creator self publishing Bob’s Comics may be next to Jim Starlin or across from somebody like Patrick Zircher."

I also appreciated that this was strictly a comic convention, meaning no wrestlers, former Playmates, or other obscure "celebrities," though in defense of Motor City there have been some excellent guest stars, like Doug Jones (Abe Sapien, Hellboy and Hellboy II: The Golden Army), Julie Newmaar (Catwoman, Batman 60's television series), or John Schneider (Jonathan Kent, Smallville). And of course Detroit FanFare had its claim to fame, featuring Stan "The Man" Lee, but I'll touch more on that in a bit.

In addition to the convenient parking, integrated layout, and trimming the fat, the volunteer workers were fantastic and friendly to boot. Making regular rounds, they offered bottled water, snack-sized bags of Oreos and chips (all of which were free of charge), and would sit at your table should you need to leave. Just incredible service. Regrettably, the only downside to Detroit FanFare was how little business we actually had, which wouldn't have been so bad were it not for the additional costs of a hotel, gas, parking, and dining out. Still, we're grateful for the business that we did get and for the comic con attendees, who took the time to talk and look over our artwork. Also, a personal thanks to Shawn Amberger, who neighbored us on my side of the table, for the friendly chats we had occasionally during the show. A real nice guy, who I'll hopefully run into again at future conventions. I'm sure that Jason feels the same way about the artist who was sitting on his side, though I didn't have the pleasure to chat so much with him.

As I mentioned earlier, the special guest star of Detroit FanFare was Stan Lee. Having Spider-man as one of my childhood heroes, I would've liked to have met with him. Given that the tickets were thirty dollars apiece (forty if you weren't an exhibitor at the convention, who had paid in advance) and already hemorrhaging money, however, it was an opportunity I begrudgingly declined. Stan Lee was also kept away in another room for signings, so to add insult to injury I never got the chance to even see him in person. From what the artist sitting to Jason's side attested, Stan Lee was accompanied by two bodyguards who acted as middlemen, taking whatever article was intended for autographing and passed it between themselves before going to him. Couldn't help finding that mental image of the elderly Stan Lee with a pair of imposing men both odd and amusing, like one of those diminutive mobsters bookshelved between two rectangular thugs in The Triplets of Belleville.

an excellent animation, by the by -- I highly recommend it

Not much to my surprise, there were many attendees who I've seen frequent the Motor City Comic Con. As I understand it, many of the exhibitors there were pulled off of the Motor City guest list and sent invitations. That might explain why after years of retaining to a springtime show they suddenly decided to revive their autumn show, which conveniently happened to fall on the same weekend as Detroit FanFare. Guess they didn't take too kindly to the competition. However, this convention was pushed to a later date, then altogether canceled. But I'm veering off onto another rabbit trail again. It was nice seeing a handful of familiar faces and even nicer when they recognize you. Among those attendees was Paul Maiellaro, who recruited Jason and myself last year for The Treasure Chest of Art, which auctions original sketch cards to benefit their pediatric charity. Especially since the "Shots 4 Sketches" after-show charity event fell through, I was more than happy to accommodate Paul with another sketch card.

Thor sketch card for The Treasure Chest of Art

caricature of Cajsa, whose bottom teeth made this all the more adorable

Given past experience, Sundays tend to be more casual but scant on attendees. That, and given this was also Halloween, neither of us expected a big draw. But it was a very pleasant surprise to see a pretty decent turnout. With the children's costume contest that morning, perhaps that helped. Either way, it was cute to see the kids in costume trick-or-treating from table to table. Afraid that I didn't take any pictures again of that, but I did manage to snap a few shots of some adult attendees in costume. The people are generally friendly, so I still don't understand why I have to work up the courage to ask. Slight case of social anxiety, I suppose. But I was very pleased with the pictures that I did take while we were there. A good way to preserve some of those memories, especially for someone whose memory isn't always so good.

Spider-man (left), Skrull Wolverine and Storm (center), and a zombie hunter duo (right)

The real highlight for myself on Sunday was meeting artist Guy Davis again, whom I've made a point of seeing since the past couple Motor City Comic Cons. A personal favorite, Davis does some amazing work for titles such as B.P.R.D., a sister series to Mike Mignola's Hellboy, and his self-created The Marquis. With each visit I've requested a sketch card of a Marquis character, and to show some of my gratitude made Davis one of the series' namesake. And I have to say, having him thank me for the personal token was rather euphoric. Getting that feeling of approval from a professional that you admire is one of a kind. And as if to put a little extra spring in my already spry step, Davis said that he would post the sketch card on his Marquis blog. So to return the kind gesture, I'll also post his sketch card. (Heck, I was already going to. Who am I trying to fool?)

Marquis character, "The Misery"

All too soon, Detroit Fanfare came to a close early evening that Sunday. Really, though, Jason and I were ready to be done. Lugging our luggage down thirty-eight flights of stairs twice, just to avoid using the congested elevators at the Marriott, had taken its due toll on us earlier that day. After saying our goodbyes in the parking lot we parted ways, myself driving back to the Marriott to pick up Adam and Comfort. Having worked it out over the phone, the couple were already packed and waiting at the entryway by the time of my arrival. Soon, all was loaded onto the van and we were off toward Flint. And let me tell you, having Adam and Comfort along for the ride made the time go by. Seemed like the trip was almost over as soon as it had begun, and truth be told I would've liked to have driven for a few hours more, just to continue our delightful banter over those delicious Quizno's sandwiches. Having dropped them off, it was a tranquil evening ride back home.

Will I be attending Detroit FanFare, or perhaps Youmacon, next year? Well, unless my current financial situation should change considerably within the time before either show, I'm afraid that I doubt it, as much as I would like to. But fear not. I'll still plan on Motor City Comic Con again, come next spring, and possibly JAFAX near my college romping grounds in Grand Rapids. Hopefully I can persuade Jason into attending the latter as well, since the Youmacon crowd left a rather sour taste in his mouth. But as I've been told, anime conventions can be very lucrative and the attendees have an unparalleled exuberance not seen at most comic conventions. We shall see.

Detroit FanFare: Mark your calendars!

As you may have noticed, there's been a recent appearance of sketch cards in the gallery. This is in part due to the upcoming Detroit FanFare, which is fast approaching. Be sure to mark this October 30th and 31st in your calendars, especially those who live nearby or within the Dearborn, Michigan area.

True, this convention falls on Halloween weekend, however there should be plenty to see and do for those who attend, including a "pre-show" zombie walk that Saturday morning. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the artists and vendors handed out candy to the kids, either. Might do a little of that, myself. And I would be remiss if I failed to mention special guest Stan "The Man" Lee. Even if you aren't especially a Marvel fan, you've got to admit he's established one heckuva legacy in the comic industry.

If visiting yours truly for a little one-on-one time at the table isn't enough, I'll be attending the "Shots 4 Sketches" after-hours event on Saturday night. I'm not much of a drinker and Jason has given it up all together, but then again the artists don't actually have to drink the shots. (Working the following day with a nasty hangover is not my idea of fun.) A portion of the proceeds also goes to charity, and I'm usually inclined to help a good cause. In relation to that, the American Red Cross Detroit Chapter will be there that Saturday to take blood and money donations as part of the "Blood 4 Comics" event -- pretty self-explanatory.

So stay tuned for further posts, and if you can come visit the table that would be great! Expect to see more sketch cards and at least another zombie mini-print or two. Maybe another special addition as well, but for now that's my little secret.

On a side note, I'll be wandering about Youmacon for a time Friday, October 30th, as a visitor rather than an exhibitor. Adam Withers and Comfort Love, husband and wife duo extraordinaire, were kind enough to offer a carpool down to Detroit. Adam and Comfort will be attending that particular convention during the same weekend as Detroit FanFare, so it should be interesting to compare notes of our first-time experiences at our respective conventions.

Perry Fest '10

Two weekends ago, September 17th-19th, marked our annual fall celebration in my hometown, known as Perry Fest. As of last year's festival, I've been attending among a handful of other guests as part of Edna Bentley Memorial Library's Literary Alley. Literary Alley, unfortunately, is a Saturday-only event. However, seeing as they've offered the table space to me for free, I really can't complain.

The weather, on the other hand, I can complain about. Despite forecasts the evening before that called for a pleasant Saturday, it was, needless to say, less than pleasant -- typical Michigan weather. There was a light shower that turned into a downpour during the morning, and personally owning no space covering posed a serious problem. So instead of setting up and ready to go by 10 AM, as was scheduled, I had to take a drive out into Okemos to purchase an instant canopy. Not a particularly cheap purchase, either. At any rate, the rain had cleared up when I returned to City Hall and set up my tent, table, and displays around noon.

As luck would have it, though, another downpour came around 3 PM that afternoon and essentially ended the rest of the day's festivities. Fortunately, Saturday was not all for naught. Two little girls posed for caricatures, Maddie and Ella, while attending Perry Fest with their parents and eldest sister. Natalie, a teenage girl, also posed even as the second downpour came, sitting underneath an umbrella and I under my canopy. I'm sure that anyone else watching would agree that this sight was somewhat surreal.

camera shy, and needing a nap, poor lil' Maddie was less than happy in this picture

Ella must be short for elephant -- she sported pachyderms in her hair and around her neck

sitting amidst the rain, just for a drawing -- very flattering for an artist

Regardless of the rain, Perry Fest still had its high points. And in spite of losing a few prints to water damage, much more artwork would have been lost if not for the instant canopy. I'll just keep my fingers crossed that next year will fare better.

Haslett Community Yard Sale

Hosted by the Friends of the Haslett Library, the Haslett Community Yard Sale was created in an effort to help raise funds for the Haslett Library's upcoming move. Applicants, such as myself, reserved a parking space at the town high school for a nominal fee, which went to the charitable cause, and there set up shop to sell goods and services. Talk about convenience. It doesn't get much easier than arranging a table and displays directly out of your own vehicle.

I must confess, I wasn't expecting to have a parking space for my van and an additional one for my wares. My thought was that I would have a single space, which would be filled by my van with the table and displays set up right behind. Compared to the tightly-fit comic conventions that I've attended in the past few years, this was an excessive amount of space that I honestly wasn't prepared to fill.

first time having all three display panels for myself

note the distance between the table and the displays

table covered with my wares, namely: prints, sketchbooks, and monochromatic drawings from last spring's Motor City Comic Con

Yesterday's forecast predicted rain, which would have put a significant dampener on the entire event. (No pun intended.) However, the high school was fortunate enough to not see even a slight shower for the duration of the yard sale. Overcast and cooler, the weather actually made for a very comfortable summer day. But as I've learned this can be awfully deceptive. Being sensitive to sunlight, I had turned a nice shade of medium-well pink by the end of the event. Curse my melanin-deficient heritage.

Business wasn't particularly booming, speaking solely for myself, but a few folks came by to have their caricatures drawn and a handful more took business cards. Potential clients are still good, regardless. Plus, afterward I spoke briefly with one of the "ladies in pink" who helped to coordinate the event. This summer was the first community yard sale that Haslett had put together, and next year they plan to publicize any attending specialties, such as artists like myself. So should I attend the second Haslett Community Yard Sale, it promises to have better potential for vendors with artwork. Sunburn aside, I had a pleasant time and hope to do this again next year.

penciling out my first caricature of the yard sale

regular patrons should recognize librarian Joe

awwwww -- two and too cute

"Better than the one I got at Cedar Point." -- I'll take that as a compliment

MC '10 caricature - Gina

Gina Verdoni, a friend and former Kendall College classmate of mine, was kind enough to scan and send me this digital image of the caricature portrait that I drew of her during the Motor City Comic Convention. Gina's was one of my favorites drawn that weekend, so the gesture was very much appreciated.

Motor City Comic Con '10

This makes my third year attending the Motor City Comic Con, and I have to say that it feels good having another one under my belt. Again, I had the pleasure of sharing a table with Jason Westlake for a second time, as well as Brandon Cox, a first-timer to the comic convention scene. Both are former Kendall College classmates of mine and all-around real good guys, too, so it made for a very comfortable visit of drawing and chatting during the show. Sadly, while Adam Withers and Comfort Love (creators of the self-published series, 'The Uniques') were unable to attend, we were able to see some other familiar faces from the Grand Rapids area, including Gina Verdoni, Scott Wygmans, and Damian Goidich. It was very encouraging to visit with each of them for a bit.

convention table setup, early Friday

Jason with his spread of sketch cards

As has been the case from personal experience in past shows, Friday was an expectantly low-key day. Business was slow, but Jason and I did manage to drum up a little for ourselves. As for Brandon, he wouldn't be joining us until Saturday due to work obligations. Even with just the two of us, the table and display boards were pretty well covered with our artwork, a good sign in this artist's opinion. During our downtime between the occasional sale or visit from passerbys, I kept myself busy hammering out some drawings of my own to sell. If I've learned anything, it seems that original artwork tends to sell better than prints. Jason did rather well for himself last year doing this, and likewise this year with the sketch cards, so I try to follow by example. Figuring out what works and what doesn't was a big part of why this year was more profitable for myself.

The Joker - $15 USD (plus $3 for S&H)

Captain America - $15 USD (plus $3 for S&H)

Doctor Octopus - $20 USD (plus $3 for S&H)

Thor - $30 USD (plus $3 for S&H)

Granted, none of these particular drawings sold at the show, but they are available for purchase through this site. What was fun about this was trying my hand at monochromatic markers, which gave the 9x12"inked drawings a very distinct look. Definitely going to get my hands on a set before next year comes around. Jason was kind enough to lend me his set during the convention.























What turned out to be a smart addition to my goods and services was offering caricatures, which was a big success. I've done a few children's art classes on caricatures and worked as a caricature artist at a graduation open house before, so I know firsthand that they tend to go over pretty well with people. As it turned out, caricatures made up over half of my sales this year. Those aside, the Fast Food Mafia prints were well received and it was interesting talking to some of the individuals who came by and commented on it. You can wager that I will explore further into both of these venues.


















Saturday was drastically different from Friday, with patrons of comics and pop culture alike filling the aisles. While I did not wander about the previous day, deciding to spend my free time sitting and drawing, Saturday was one where I couldn't afford to leave my seat. Indeed, Saturdays have always been the busiest day during the Motor City Comic Con weekends. And as such, it is always the most lucrative. Compared to last year, you could see that people were much more willing to shell out for artwork. Given the situation with the economy in recent years, it would seem that we're finally starting to turn the corner on this depression. Good news, especially for us freelance artists.

Sunday, surprisingly, actually turned out to be busier than I had anticipated. The first year that I had set up table at Motor City, Sunday was all but a ghost town in regards to attendees. Last year, my second, was better but about on par with the Friday trend. This time around it had an even better turnout with more attendees, and business, than Friday. I can only hope that this Sunday crowd will remain constant or continue to incline. So while I was kept occupied off and on with occasional sales, I managed to spend the last hour of the show wandering about, visiting a couple other artists of particular interest to myself, namely Scott Wygmans and Guy Davis, and browsing through the discounted graphic novels. Aside from the two graphic novels that I purchased, the rest of my Motor City goodies were free.

'High Roads', 'The Marquis' pin and convention sketch, 'High Moon', and a pair of stickers by Scott

See also: Motor City Comic Con '09

Motor City Comic Con '09

Yesterday was the last day of the weekend-long Motor City Comic Con held in Novi, a suburb of Detroit in Oakland county. This was my second year as a guest artist, setting up a table and displaying my work. Last year I shared a table with Jason Heuser and Matt Geerling, both classmates at Kendall College. Plans were made to do the same this time around, but ultimately Jason wound up at a different table with some friends of his while Matt was unable to attend. However, I was fortunate to share my table with Jason Westlake, also a former Kendall colleague, whose company I enjoyed immensely. And speaking of good company, I was able to see some other familiar faces, including: freelance artist couple Adam Withers and Comfort Love, Image Comics' The Astounding Wolfman artist Jason Howard, fellow Kendall alumni Scott Wygman, and Mouse Guard writer/artist David Petersen. While I've only met David Petersen briefly when he spoke as a guest at my college, the others I consider friends of mine or at the very least acquaintances.

Here's my table on Sunday near the convention's end.
Jason worked that day, so I spread out my material.

Fridays are always slow at the convention, as I've seen firsthand last year and heard from Adam and Comfort, so business was slim but not unexpected. I managed to sell one print, which I spent the pay on the latest issue of The Uniques, a comic written and illustrated by the a fore mentioned couple. While the goal of attending the convention is ultimately to earn money, it's hard not to spend a little of it. Besides, it's a personal belief of mine to support fellow artists, especially those that are your friends.

The Uniques, issue six

On Saturday it was like the floodgates had opened and the people just poured in. Still, business wasn't much better for Jason and myself, though we did sell some work and do a couple convention drawings. With the economy as it is, it's no real surprise. Even Adam and Comfort, who have been attending as guests for years at this convention and developed a following of regulars, have felt the pinch. Instead of buying a large print, someone buys a sketchbook. Instead of commissioning a full body drawing, someone commissions a portrait drawing. There was a noticeable pattern of people downgrading their purchases, Adam explained, and if they themselves didn't meet a bottom line quota of earnings, they might not come to Novi next year. I certainly hope that won't be the case.

To encourage my own sales I took a lesson from Jason, who did pretty well for himself by selling original artwork. Many of the comic dealers sell trade back graphic novels for half-price, which is a real steal, so I purchased Alan Moore's The Watchmen and did a few character drawings to add to the table. With the popularity of the recent movie, it seemed like a smart move. As luck would have it, however, none of them sold.

While this may be discouraging, I still enjoyed myself. There were plenty of good points that highlighted my time there that Saturday. For instance, my parents visited and took a look around. Before I started coming as a guest artist, my father had taken me, along with one or two friends, to the Motor City Comic Con a couple of times, so he was familiar with the convention scene. However, this was my mother's first time ever coming to one, so I can imagine how unusual some of the sights were, especially the cosplayers. But there were sights and people she did enjoy, like meeting actress Julie Newmar, who she grew up watching as a girl.

Julie Newmar -1960's tv series Batman

Eric Avari - tv series Heroes, The Mummy, Stargate, ...

John Schneider - tv series The Dukes of Hazzard, tv series Smallville, ...

No Motor City Comic Con is complete without a few Star Wars cosplayers.
Jason joked that it would make a good drinking game if we could take
a shot for every stormtrooper we saw.

That Saturday I also met for the first time artist Guy Davis, who is especially known for his on-going work in Dark Horse Comics' B.P.R.D., a spin-off series to Hellboy. Despite being anxious, I knew I shouldn't pass up the opportunity to meet him. Intending initially to get his autograph on my copy of The Marquis: Danse Macabre, I expressed my admiration for his Marquis series. But when I saw him doing miniature convention drawings for free, I knew I had to have one of the Marquis. After Mike Wieringo's passing, who I never got the pleasure of meeting but had wanted to for some time, I've compelled myself to at least see these artists I admire if I'm able. You never know if the opportunity will come again.

Finally there was Sunday, the last day of the convention, which felt very much like a repeat of Friday with it's thinned attendance. However, comparatively, my sales were slightly better than those of the first day. Regardless of the the humdrum, the atmosphere was even more casual than before, which was pleasant. And as things wrapped up near the end, I was given a couple of prints: one from Adam and Comfort, the other from Alan Schell, who I first met that weekend. I didn't know of Alan or his work, but being a stranger didn't stop him from coming over to my table occasionally to make friendly conversation. He was a nice enough guy, who I hope I'll see again next year. After all, profits aside, part of going to the conventions is to make connections.