SDCC 2013 re-cap.

Hard to believe it's only been two weeks since Comic-con ended. While you're there it's all encompassing. Renewing friendships, making new friends, seeing new and amazing things. It's basically summer camp for 120,000 geeks.

The table move to an outside corner of Small Press Alley has put my artwork in front of a lot more people. That's been good for sales but not so good for getting out and exploring (which I'm fine with, it's an expensive show to do!).

The newest posters seem to do well. Genesis 101 was a surprise hit with fans and I think I might have reached the limit of what I can reasonably display on a 6 foot table. I might take a step back and only do 4 or 5 new prints for next year and not the 9 or more I've done each of the last two years. Give some recent posters a chance to rise to the surface.

Oh, 3 of my scratchboard illustrations made it into the souvenir book this year... so that happened!

This was the second year I drove cross country from Vermont to San Diego and back. As awesome as it is, that's a long time on the road. I made sure to see the Grand Canyon and Metropolis Il. this year, completing two more Geek bucket list locals.

So, great fun as always and I'll definitely be back again next year. Hopefully I can get out from behind my table for a bit and see what ll the fuss is about! ;)

Mark

Just a geek at Surtex.

It's now been roughly two weeks since I exhibited at Surtex for the first time. While it's impossible to say what the long term results will be I am fairly optimistic given the feedback I received. I heard words like unique, cool and different. All good words, time will tell.

This was my first show where I was selling me as much as my art. Not always something I've been very comfortable with but after 10 years of exhibiting at comic-cons around the country I've gotten better. Although at cons I'm selling actual product the principle is the same. I explain what I love about design. How I learn news things every time I create something new. I don't talk about how great the art is (or isn't) or the mistakes I made with it along the way. Show your enthusiasm, keep positive, ask your own questions and listen.

Smiling doesn't hurt either.

I learned a lot from this first Surtex I'll use to make the next one even better. Things like... when in doubt, use more tape.

Exhibiting on my own I didn't get the chance to wander as much as I would have liked to but I did stretch my legs a little. So many really great artists and art represented, I look forward to reconnecting again next year!

Mark