Showing off More Random Artwork...

Just because showing you guys awesome artwork is half the reason for this blog being here.

I decided to catch up on a few of the commissions I've been accepting -- this one's of Bacent the Blue Tiger. Expect more to show up within the next few weeks.

Something's a little early... [AWA Details!]

Shh. I know better than to count on internet access at a convention. Enjoy your early, longer-lasting anticipation. ;)

For those going to / at the con, I'll be at Table #32 in the Artist's Alley Marketplace. There will be commissions and other goodies available.

Come say hi!

#98 Was a Triumph.

Okay, that's enough Portal jokes.

Just to remind people: if you're coming to Anime Weekend Atlanta, I'll be in the Artist's Alley Marketplace (Near the Dealer's!) selling various pieces of comic merch, so come on by, say hi, and buy something. ;)

#97 is here...

... and I am so glad I'm working off a buffer because I've been knocked flat the past couple of days from a nasty case of con crud.

Of course, I've not had a great chance to catch up on said buffer because I've also been working on stuff for Anime Weekend Atlanta -- only a couple weeks away -- and trying very hard to look like I actually know what I'm doing. In theory (note that word!) I'm on track, but until I have everything I want printed out and on that table when I get there I'm still a nervous wreck.

Oh, and at some point schoolwork is involved. More on that as it happens.

In the meantime, enjoy this weeks new page, and hey -- if you liked the sharpie art that was featured last entry, speak up! I'm making plenty more and I have no problem showing it off before AWA (which is when I assume most of it will be sold off, so . . .)

CONTEST - Free Art For Dragon*Con Folk!

Dragon*Con is dead as a dog, and I've barely got time to recover from it (including a mild but annoying cold -- blegh!) before getting ready for Anime Weekend Atlanta, which means one thing -- I need to make a LOT of stuff to fill up a big table, like the quick Sharpie sketch of Arikos up there.

I also need to make some examples of commissions that I can offer, and that's where you come in: I'm offering MORE free commissions for you!

The catch is, it's only available to "certain" Dragon*Con goers...

• If you picked up one of the Last Resort Stickers for your badge (or heck, if you have any clue what I'm referring to when I mention the "Elevator Game"), send me a picture / scan of the badge with its sticker and you win!
• Parade Watchers: Anyone take pictures of a short mad scientist with curly hair and carrying a Geiger counter / radiation detector? If so, I need the picture(s), and I'm offering prizes for 'em!

Don't worry so much about WHAT your commission prize will be; I want to see how many people respond first before I say what the actual commissions will look like. Rest assured though, everyone who turns in something will get a prize (and maybe even featured on the blog if I get them done fast enough!)

Oh, and if someone on staff picked up a dark grey / yellow shoulder bag with a ham radio in it at the Dead Dog staff party... my friend wants his stuff back. I'll give you a commission in return for it and we'll reimburse you for the shipping. Honest.

#95!

And now we see why Cypress was willing to wear that haircut.

For those who'll be doing convention-hopping in Atlanta soon:

• I'll be working at Dragon*Con in Atlanta next weekend -- literally, I'm on staff. Don't expect much if you find me, but if you're hanging around the Space/Science tracks anyway, say hello -- I'm bound to have something on hand, after all, and I doubt you're the type to pass up frozen liquid nitrogen ice cream* anyway.
  
• However, my working at Anime Weekend Atlanta is all for the comic. Still putting together what I can to make the table awesome, but as I said before, speak up and you'll be rewarded.
• Hope to see you there!

* Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream is made WITH liquid nitrogen, not made FROM liquid nitrogen. Never consume liquid nitrogen. (Seriously.) Available whenever the schedule says it's available -- my best guess is Sunday -- and while supplies and sanity Last.

THIS JUST IN: Last Resort At Anime Weekend Atlanta!

Last Resort's movin' on up, folks!

Just yesterday, I secured a table in the Artist's Alley Marketplace for Anime Weekend Atlanta (Sept. 19-21, 2008), which is pretty much exactly what it says on the tin -- except it's not only filled with plenty more artists, it's also a good bit larger than MomoCon (and if my success from the spring is any indication, this is a VERY good thing!)

For those that'll be there, now's the best time to sway my opinions on what ought to be offered at the table, (or suggest something you want me to make especially for you!), so if you've got a great idea, send me an e-mail -- and even if it's something that I won't be able to get done in time for AWA, a good idea could still end up being something I make and offer later!

The Convention Checklist - Artists

Running tables at a convention may very well be an artist's dream, but it's not easy! There's a lt of merchandise to deal with, convention stress, the whole "You're sitting out here to make a spectacle of yourself" kind of problem... To say the least, artists (and wannabe-artists) have a special checklist the average congoer doesn't!

Only yesterday I managed to get my ducks in a row enough to feel like I can take on FWA, so in an attempt to assure myself I'm doing it right, Here's a good rudimentary checklist for anyone planning to work conventions who wants to know how to run an artist's table:

• Do you have multiple works to display?
  Not only does having more than one piece of work available make sense (in case any one work sells out), but multiple works allows people to develop a better sense of your style so in the case of commissions, they can go ahead and try to imagine what a piece done by you will turn out like!
  
  • Know what your table allows! If all your work is on the internet, you're going to be high and dry if the artist's alley doesn't allow for continuous power consumption, let alone an internet connection! Likewise, there may be restrictions on the rating of works visbile, so if you're drawing adult work, you better censor it before someone else censors it for you!
    
  • Is there a theme in your work? Theming helps create a cohesive identity to your work, which may be important if you're attempting to appeal to a particular segment (comic readers, anime fans, etc.). More importantly, it helps hook passersby into viewing more and more of your work. If you're doing a webcomic, you've already got this in spades - just print out a short storyline (or an excerpt of a longer one, as long as it's all contained) and you're good to go!
    
• Are you going to be able to create any art at the convention itself?
  This is a BIG thing to remember. Customers like Instant Gratification. You'll like not having to ship shit after the fact.
  
  • If you're going to make art on-site... have all your tools available for working. Your convention art shouldn't be lower quality just because you left your nice drawing paper at home.
    
  • If you plan on shipping commissions out later... have a form available before you even leave home for customers to fill out later so they can receive your work! Ideally you should have forms available for ALL your different commission types just to make sure you produce the right work, but make sure you have them especially for those that require shipping.
    
• Do you have a CONCRETE price list for your works?
  Even if you're willing to create a variety of work, people appreciate having a pricing list to look at so they can figure out which actions are worth what. Also, if you have a special commission type (such as conbadges or comic pages), specifying that you can do those things in addition to ordinary commissions may attract more business!
  
  • Are you making sure to specify what each commission type involves? Saying "Color Commissions $30" is fine, but you need to have the reader assume a certain level of complexity so you don't end up getting only $30 for drawing some 50-character 30-inch poster.
    
  • Do you have general 'add-ons' for the different commission types, so customers can mix and match for their specific orders?
    
• Do you have a contract / terms-of-service available for customers?
  Absolutely Important! You need this so when customers complain (and they will!) you have a concrete position you can negotiate / argue from. The more detailed and professional you are with this, the less likely protracted arguments will occur (not to mention if your unhappy customer decides to try and "summon the internet" against you, you can make your case all the more convincingly).
  
  • It doesn't have to be complicated. Obviously the more ironclad ones protect you better, but if you're afraid of scaring off potential customers, even a few disclaimers such as "I won't draw pornographic materials" can go a long way to dealing with pesky customers.
  • Make sure you have a general refund system available; if all else fails, you don't want to be accused of keeping people's money for nothing!
    

Now, even with all of this done (or at least in mind), you'd think we'd be done and dusted. But we're not, because we haven't even started talking about running the actual table yet!

Unfortunately, that one I can't talk so much about yet, because it's still before the convention. But if you're willing to find out how that turns out (and the advice therein), go ahead and subscribe to the feed to keep up a little better.

Have I forgotten anything that I need to know before I go to this convention? Comment, quick, before I take off for the weekend and make an ass of myself!

Page 33 - Yes, this page gave me fits. It's pretty obvious to see why.

At least it makes a good color reference page for future pages.

The next few months of pages are going to be reasonably self-contained just by the sheer number of people we have to follow in this particular storyline. Fortunately, it also means that when we get around to the conventions soon, we'll have plenty of action and fun for them to see.

I keep bringing this up, but it's important: if you're going to be here for one of the two Atlanta conventions and you plan on saying hello, send an email. There's no official panel for either convention or even a table set up in Artist's Alley, so if you're looking for me you might have a hard time of it.

Page 31: Meet the Contestants

Finally, we get to see all that the galaxy's got to offer, and you can tell somebody put diversity on the menu. They've all got names, but whether or not they all live long enough to tell their stories is another matter.

Still having a little trouble getting back into the swing of things, which may be just as well since school'll be starting up again soon. I still want to try and finish things up so the first semester's worth of comics is done before I return.

As for Dragon*Con and Anime Weekend Atlanta, the button order's been sent off and the pamphlet was finished midday yesterday, which means everything's good to go for it. The pamphlet won't be posted until at least October, so if you want it sooner, a little donation to paypal for "shipping and handling" is appreciated. So for your money, you get not only the new Daisy Archanis wallpaper, you also get a never-before-seen pamphlet sent to you.

And hey, if you're heading to Atlanta for either convention and get to see me, so much the better!

A Painful Lesson in Hesitation

Yesterday I signed onto the Anime Weekend Atlanta Website to discover that tables in Artist's Alley had all filled up. I'd only found out about them opening on the 10th, so at some point between the three days it took me to decide to go for it, they'd sold out; a rather gut-wrenching reality check about how dangerous doubt actually is.

'Doubt' is fear. Fear causes good ideas to get tempered down into mediocre, presumably more palatable ones, and in the process changes the idea and turns it into garbage. Fear is what people go for in trying to hit a 'good' market, in second guessing themselves, in trying to listen to everyone when they tell you "Nobody likes [your genre], get a new one".

In short, I'm sick of fear.