Artist Alley Help!

[Erkhart]

[Edit]

[Bocasean]

I'll start by saying that I am a veteran of conventions from the vending side, but NOT in this field/genre. So I'll give you my best advice about being a part of a large convention, even though it's not direct experience in Comic Cons.

That said, I AM a veteran of Comic Cons as a fanboy. I've been to over a dozen major cons and I hope that some of what I said helps out.

I wish I could answer all of these questions but I'm not that familiar with the copyright issues that artists face. I've never EVER had an artist refuse a sketch for me on the grounds of copyright issues, but beyond that I don't know the legalities.

As for your prints, that's entirely up to your budget. Do you HAVE a print(s) that you're absolutely in love with? Is it your own creation or another character? Keep in mind that if you do have a print that you think is great, you'll be proud of it for a long time after the show....so if you don't sell out at that one show, you'll always have more for the next show. In my opinion, it's better to have too many than too few.

As for reasonable pricing.....honestly, I have gotten free sketches from big names like Jim Lee, Erik Larsen, Darwyn Cooke, Tim Sale, etc.....so it's hard for me to pay for a sketch from a still-unknown artist. I know that I'm not alone in that regard. Your main goal is to build a fan base and generate some goodwill in name recognition.

When you set the table up, the best advice I can give you is: Invest in a good banner, have some stand-up displays (The clear kind from Office Max work fine) for your artwork, and keep the area uncluttered. When people walk through a convention, it's sensory overload. You might make a great display with tons of awesome artwork, but it often gets lost in the jumble with every other table. I've found uncluttered, simple tables to be an oasis in the sea of overkill.

Find out when you can set-up; it'll likely be the day or two before the show starts. In that case, you'll be able to bring your stuff in your own car. It's better that way since you'll be able to control it....you don't want some anonymous volunteer handling your stuff because, quite frankly, he or she doesn't really care about it. Definitely not like you do.

Congrats on winning the contest, man! That's great! You should be proud of that fact.

[Bocasean]

Oh, and to be clear, I wasn't saying that you need to give sketches away for free.....I'm saying that SIMPLE sketches are a great way to generate good will, while upselling to a more-complicated and detailed commission drawing is where you can make money. That's just my opinion.
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If you're a creator, help me make the world a better place through our love for comic books....I can't do it alone.
www.charitablepress.com (coming soon)

- Sean@CharitablePress

[Erkhart]

Thanks, man! Really appreciate the reply! All very good advice for sure!

[Bocasean]

I hope it's a great experience, bud
_________________
If you're a creator, help me make the world a better place through our love for comic books....I can't do it alone.
www.charitablepress.com (coming soon)

- Sean@CharitablePress