2011

NYCC 2011 Recap

Sunday, October 16th, 2011

New York Comic Con 2011 was a ton of fun. I tabled in the Podcast Arena as the AudioShocker, but I also took advantage of the opportunity to display a full spread of my self-published comics.

Considering my sales are typically very modest, I had a great showing. I sold out of Zombie Palin, as well as Stick Cats Act I and Act III. Also, thx to the AudioShocker Trivia Challenge, I got rid of a ton of other comics. 

I had the chance to talk to lots of other indie creators, podcasters, and media producers. I learned a lot from these talks -- not just from the words exchanged, but from tracking trends in the topics we covered.

But my favorite part was experiencing the vest enthusiasm that fans had at the show. I caught some of this in the process of the Trivia Challenge, and that was great. I caught even more in the process of casual conversation.

For example, on Saturday I met a guy who recounted some of his favorite Wonder Woman moments. His passion for the topic and the way he described the comics kept me captivated for what felt like hours. I could have listened to him for the entire day.

Being a passionate person myself, I appreciate similar passion in others. Whether it's passion for comics knowledge, characters, stories, or the medium, I find it all very gratifying. That made NYCC a great way to spend a long weekend, if you ask me.

Would I table at NYCC again? HELL YES with one condition -- a reasonable table price. None of that $400 stuff. That's too much. And I'd also make sure to print up 300 or so free minicomics to give away to attendees (maybe even more).

I'll be doing podcast recaps of NYCC on the AudioShocker over the next couple of weeks, so keep a watch on that site for more about my NYCC 2011 experience.

EDIT: Here's my first podcast recap of NYCC.

Catch me at NYCC 2011!

Saturday, October 15th, 2011

This weekend, I'm at New York Comic Con at the Javits Center (34th and 11th) in Manhattan at table D15 in Artist Alley.

I'm repping the AudioShocker in the Podcast Arena. I'm selling curated collections of our best podcasts, along with a lot of the comics I had at PIX last weekend.

I'm also running an AudioShocker Trivia Challenge, quizzing people on their comic book and superhero knowledge both new and old. The challenge was a hit yesterday, and I'm almost out of my first batch of prizes. When I officially run out of mainstream comic book sets to give away, don't worry -- you can still play for copies of my self-published comics! (Even better prizes, if you ask me.)

Anyway, if you're at NYCC, stop by and say hi. My table is in the waaaaay back of Artist Alley (right underneath the Podcast Arena sign hanging from the ceiling). See you there!!!

PIX Mini Recap Day 2

Sunday, October 9th, 2011

I skateboarded to the show this morning. It was both a good and bad idea... Good because the streets were practically empty and it felt great to be out in the cool-but-not-cold air. Bad because Pittsburgh roads are in awful condition. Even the quality of the blacktop sucks!

But I digress. Let's talk about the Pittsburgh Indy Comics Expo itself. It was a solid day. I'd say my sales were probably about the same as they were yesterday. Honestly, I don't keep super close track of my sales anymore. I don't sell enough to warrant thinking about it very much. I'm sure I made back my table, and probably a few bucks on top of that.


(Photo by Seth Fronzoli)

This was a small show, and that meant there were fantastic opportunities to make new friends and learn from professionals. For example, the one panel of the day was a great discussion about networking, building comics communities, reaching out to other creators, and finding a publisher. 

The panelists were Bill Boichel, Jason Little, Tom Scioli, John Porcellino, Jim Rugg, and Ed Piskor. Even though I see most of them on a regular basis and we sometimes talk about this type of stuff, it was great to hear them address the topics head on.

Like yesterday, I gave away a ton of books. Friends, acquaintances, other creators... I'm sure I gave away more books than I ever have before at a show.

I couldn't even tell you what my top seller was today. It's a blur. However, I do remember selling two of my AudioShocker Comics Archives v1 digital comic cards, which warms my heart because that product is a true labor of love for me. I see a future in selling downloads and digital content, and this is my effort to push forward that vision.

I enjoyed this year's show more than 2010, and I'll definitely be back in 2012 (health and my location permitting, of course). You can check out more of my thoughts about PIX 2011 on Tuesday's AudioShocker Podcast and on the next episode of Sequential Underground (sometime on or after the 19th).