One of the larger Comic Book conventions in the U.S. is in Chicago, which is only a hour and a half drive from my house. I am a comic book illustrator. You would think that I'd be at this show every year. That would be smart, right?
I've missed it like 5 years in a row, because it's in March...meaning you have to be contacting them about attending in like June of the previous year. June is very busy for me, as is July. and once July is over I'm really trying NOT to think about comic book conventions for awhile, even though I usually have three more to go....and then by the time I remember I need to contact C2E2 it's like November and it's all filled up.
This years I JUUUUST missed it, but got on the waiting list super early and they had a cancellation just this week! Meaning I'm IN!
Meaning....oh crap I have to exhibit at a major comic book convention in three days.
Here is how I left my supplies, gear and comic con inventory after I did the last show of 2019
That is a mess...and it's in a garage...and it's Zero degrees out side and currently snowing.
I'll just deal with the cold while trying to sort out what I need for this show and get it loaded...it's not like cold weather ruins books or anything. The display banner is kind of a plastic canvas, hopefully it won't crack into pieces like a 20 year old fruit roll-up.
Have to decide on a display also. I have a 6ft wide banner
and an 8ft wide banner
Somewhere in the garage I also have a inflatable balloon of one of my main characters...
( the big red one is the inflatable balloon, the woman is not in the garage...I don't think, I didn't look very hard, it's cold)
This show is big and crowded and chaotic. Here's an example. this shot is about 25% of the show floor-
So generally I'd go with the biggest and most conspicuous display I have. But C2E2 has regulations and what not about size and height. This means different things for different show, these regulations. Some of the don't actually GAF or police anything, if the height limit is 10ft and yours is 13ft...they don't bother to check and don't really care. I think it's more to keep themselves out of a lawsuit in case your display falls over and kills someone.
I'm not sure what level of strictness C2E2 is...I could follow the letter of the law on size and height and be surrounded by people who didn't. Seeing as how I'm just driving to the show each day, I'll just use the 6ft banner that fits into their regulations and if no one else is following the rules, i'll just bring the bigger banner with me the next day.
The quality of the work is what matters when it comes right down to it, and I have that covered...I know where the books and prints are...
I expect it'll be a good show...
and it's always nice to meet the public,
Like this fine young man...
who is REALLY too young to be reading my books...where da fuq is his parents? OH...there...
I really got to get this Harrod Howard book done...it's at least PG enough to not have parents completely mortified, and kids can't seem to stay away from my work.
It's adorable...but also really a problem...Arsenic Lullaby ain't for kids. It's not even for most adults, when you get right down to it.
IN any case...that's where I'll be this weekend. If you're going to the show, come by the booth, I'll give you a 25% steemit discount!
Here's their website
Here's my website