As you’re reading this, I will be on the train coming into DC. Because DC Zine Fest is tomorrow!
If you’re in the area, I hope to see you there! It’s at the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Library from 11 am to 4 pm – also it’s free and accessible to attend.
This Zine Fest will be the in-person debut of New Punk Signal and Fwishi’shi, as well! So if you missed the KickStarter for these books, DC Zine Fest will be a good place to get copies. I will also have copies of my new zines, “Purrmaids,” “The Himbo’s Guide to Cooking Chicken,” and “Witchy Kitties.”
Can’t make it? Missed the KickStarters? That’s ok, there’s a third option for you…
I have not sent out minicomics and mini-prints yet for Ko-fi Club members. If you would like to get these mailed to you, become a member on Ko-fi! Members get minicomice, zines, stickers, and mini-prints mailed to them each month. Even if you can only do one month, that’s ok – cancel at any time, no questions asked.
Ko-fi rewards will be mailed out around Halloween, so you have until then to sign up.
I just came back from the Ann Arbor Comic Arts Festival, or A2CAF for short. And I had an AWESOME time!
Now, for clarity, two A2CAF events happen in a year: first is the A2CAF in June, which is for all ages and kids comics. The next is A2CAF: Small + Indie Press, which takes place in October.
It’s funny. I posted in last week’s update (about the Be Excellent Festival) that I thought of taking a break from cons. But I loved my time at A2CAF SO MUCH that I’m going to apply for their October show!
What made A2CAF so special? It’s hard to say in a broad or general sense. But here’s what made it magical for me.
First, there were only indie comics makers.
It felt like a compact, Midwest version of Small Press Expo or even a smaller Genghis Con Cleveland. The focus was only on comics creators. No toy dealers, anime shops, or comic collectors here. Everyone focused on the craft of making great stories with comics. And the panels focused on the creators and the craft of making great comics.
Second, the artists’ showcasing was curated – because the floor space was small.
Considering the size of the event floor, there could be no more than 50 tables. So the organizers had to be choosy about who could showcase and who needed to wait. (For context, the average artist alley of a comic con is a minimum of 100 tables. Often they go as high as 500. Awesome Con had about 500 to 700 tables in their artist alley.)
The size of the space did not hurt the show. I feel like it curated a more cozy atmosphere because patrons could take their time and wonder. It helps that it took place in the Ann Arbor District Library, which added to the cozy vibes.
Third, I got to meet FANTASTIC indie comics creators!
Many of them I knew through Discord servers, like Neil Brideau, Britt Monday, and Brandon Hawkins. Some I knew through their online work, like Lucy Bellwood. (I low-key geeked she mentioned telling folks my comic also had boats. Because it does!)
I even got autographs from two of my favorite comics creators: Vera Brosgol, who signed my copy of Anya’s Ghost. And Jen Wang, who signed my copy of The Prince and the Dressmaker! In truth, I’ve loved her work since Koko Be Good, but this book is now out of print. Which is sad because it’s SO DAMN GOOD.
Also, I got to see Jessi Zabarsky, an old classmate of mine from my college alum! I got her graphic novel, Coming Back, while I was there. If you haven’t read her work before, read Witchlight and her Instagram bunny comics.
During the show, I even got to meet artists with cool work whom I never read before! Folks like Narciso Espiritu, Sean Peacock (aka All Sorrows), Angie Coe, and Kaylee Rowena. There were also a lot of folks I didn’t get the chance to see, but I could tell the work had quality to it. It’s unlike walking down an artist alley at a pop culture con, I can tell you that much.
So if I liked A2CAF so much, does this mean I’m not quitting the convention circuit?
No.
I’m quitting pop culture and comic cons – except for RathaCon, because the staff are fantastic there and they support indie voices. But I’m done going to comic cons. They overcharge their table fees, focus too much on celebrities, are too expensive to lodge at and treat comics as a collectible novelty, not an art form or storytelling medium.
So instead of beating my head against the comicon wall, I’m sticking to zine fests, art fests, and expos for the time being. Also, these sorts of venues are a lot more friendly to queer people like me.
My next in-person appearance is at Dragon’s Roost Coffee and Games for Free RPG Day! It’s in Holland, OH on June 22. I’m hoping to debut a new one-page RPG at this event, so I hope to see you there.
So the Be Excellent Festival of Games happened on Saturday. How did it go?
Well…it was quiet for the first half of the day. It didn’t pick up until the second half. In talking with the other vendors, it made me wonder what the staff’s strategy was to get the word out about this event. This wasn’t the first show I visited that lacked attendees but charged $80 per vendor table.
For context, Genghis Con in Cleveland opened for applications and happens in December this year. They’re charging $70 for a full table and regularly turn out 4 to 5 times the attendance that Be Excellent Does.
Now, I know this is Be Excellent’s second year as a convention. And this is “post-pandemic.” But it does make me wonder about the longevity of some shows, especially local ones.
So there’s the issue of smaller attendance numbers. But there’s also my body.
The day after Be Excellent, I lost my voice for half of the day and was too worn out to do much of anything. This is very different from before. I used to be able to do three or four conventions in a month and, while rough, I still was ok.
Now? I’m pooped after one event that had no customers until 3 hours into the show.
I think it’s time I start to phase out of doing conventions.
Whether that means taking up a “day job,” or putting more eggs in online sales, commissions, gallery shows, etc – I need to stop doing conventions. It’s funny because pre-pandemic, I had serious thoughts of retiring from cons. Now, I think it’s time to start acting on that plan.
I’m going to be sad about this for a bit. Because conventions were a big part of how I made an income pre-pandemic. But the world has changed, so I need to do the same.
I’m still going to the Ann Arbor Comic Arts Fest and the Free RPG Day event. And if I get into Genghis Con, I will honor that. But I need to respect my body more.
Speaking of Ann Arbor, you can find me this upcoming weekend – June 15 and 16 – at the Ann Arbor Comic Arts Festival! I still have Caticorn prints and lots of stickers and books available, so be sure to stop by my table.
I still had fun at the Be Excellent Festival! It helped that my roommate and buddy Alex was with me. And also I saw a lot of friends and hung out with some very cool neighboring vendors. Would I do it again next year? Probably not. I need to be kinder to my energy.
Also, it was good to see some familiar faces again! Shout-out to my table neighbors, by the way! One at a time, here are…
Lucky Gauntlet Art Club!
Electromagnetic Press!
Shawn Langley!
Ben Wright-Heuman and Canonwrite Productions!
Chloe Rose!
Gary, aka Black Swamp Artistries!
Junior Vigorito!
And Joseph Wiehe!
Also, shout out to the fans who stopped by my table, including Jossie, the best Coraline cosplayer ever.
What’s Next?
Keep an eye on this blog – I’m adding a widget on the sidebar soon to list my upcoming convention appearances.
I also took the time on Sunday night to update the Spring Cleaning Sale. If you haven’t seen it yet, check it out! There’s original art and a ton of stuff that didn’t fit on the table at RathaCon. The sale is running until May 6.
By the way, I had a few people ask about this at RathaCon – I’m available for commissions! Just click the “Commissions” tab up top for more info.
Broke? Then you can do two things. Thing 1: share the Spring Cleaning Sale link with your friends who love fantasy comics and art! (It’s crowdfundr.com/springcleaning ) Thing 2: tune in to my free live streams this week!
Find me at Small Press Expo this weekend! Sept 9 and 10, at the Bethesda North Mariott in Bethesda, MD. They have a TON of events, artists, and more (all listed on their site), and I’m one of those artists!
What will I have there? What won’t fit in the suitcase? Well, you can watch the replay of my livestream below for some clues!
Can you make it? I hope to see you at the show! To repeat, find me at table D8, side B.
