Another Suitcase in Another Hall
Where am I going to?
Greetings,
Wrapping up one show getting ready for the next … the life of a comic book creator is one that seems to always be on the move. From day one, I knew comic cons would be part of this life that I chose for myself. My very first convention was MegaCon (Orlando) 2009 and I haven’t stopped since. The convention scene has changed so much over the last 17+ years, comic creators went from being rockstars to playing second fiddle to the cast of Gilmore Girls. Saying that, I’m not bitter, I came to terms with this change years ago and still continue down this lonely road. I know I’ll never see sales like we had back in 2012 or 2013, at least not in this current environment, I go now more for the fellowship. I will sometimes agree to do a show, because of WHO is going to be there and less about what the expected attendance is. That’s not to say I don’t try to cover my costs with comic book sales, it’s just not the only factor at play.
Let’s talk about the last event we attended …
Tampa Bay Toy & Comic Expo
The Tampa Bay Toy & Comic Expo was a one day shindig (obviously) in Tampa, Florida. It was a tight room packed with vendors, cosplayers, and guests … along with a pretty cool Transformers display. When I was younger a drive to Tampa would have been an easy-peasy drive across the state … now it’s a little more of a chore. Keeping this in mind my wife Bethany came along to help with the show, that also constituted booking a hotel room … not something I would normally do for a one-day in state show. Staying the night however, allowed me to be rested and ready for a full day of comic con goodness.
The show had a decent turnout (especially early in the day), I checked with Barry Mazzoni (the man behind this event) and he felt good about the numbers. Next to me was a fellow who I often find myself partnered with at these shows - Roland Mann (representing SilverLine). We had several good chats at the show and my wife even picked up his latest novel The Interns. Also around us were fellow creators Marcus Roberts & good buddy Javier Lugo. Other notable names were Jeff Whiting, Pat Broderick, Joe Doyle, and Maria DeVivo. Barry setup a pretty cool looking display of Transformers (directly across from us) and no convention would be complete without seeing the Confather (Tom Raupp) who finally tracked down an elusive comic for me … the Marvel comics adaption of the musical Xanadu.
The show wrapped early allowing us to go out to Five Guys burgers for a post-convention meal with Roland, his wife BJ, and Javier. Many laughs were had (at the constant chirping) and many deep conversations were delved into. It was the perfect way to wrap up the day before heading our separate ways.
Now let’s talk about THIS weekend …
Mandel Fan Fest
No moss on this rolling stone … this Saturday May 23rd, I’ll be at it again (this time closer to home) at the Mandel Fan Fest - another fully packed one-day event. This is a FREE to attend event hosted by the Mandel Public Library in downtown West Palm Beach, Florida. The driving force behind the Fan Fest is long time friend (and talented artist) Erick Adrian Marquez and he has put together a packed day!
From panels to events to giveaways, this show has everything you could want. Also he has invited some pretty cool special guests … Andrea Molinari - creator of The Shepard, Paul Eza - a pretty cool indie creator, Heidi Hess - an author with three books under her belt and more on the way, Matt Knowles - one half of Insymmetry Creations, and may, many more!
If you are in the area, stop by … like I said admission is 100% FREE.
If I don’t see you at the Fan Fest this weekend, hopefully I’ll see you at a future event!
Stay Cosmic,
Martin