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This was their third con and based on what I was told, it's been getting bigger, every year.
I admit, I hadn't heard of them before a few months ago, when I came across a notice on Facebook. Finally, Facebook is useful for something. Took them long enough.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ark-La-Tex-Comic-Con/450896871590585
http://arklatexcomiccon.org/
I was able to get a table at the last minute, when someone else canceled and drove out Saturday morning. I like to drive, so that part was fun for me. I wasn't expecting much, when I got there. The schedule said the doors open at 9am and I thought, "nobody opens up at 9am," but they obviously know their stuff, because there were people already lining up when I rolled in about 8:30.
The Texarkana convention center is pretty new. I noticed when I was mapping my route that the aerial photo shows a construction site. They have one large room and a couple of smaller rooms and the con had the whole place. As a convention destination, I'd have to say that this is one of the better locations I've seen. For a town with approximately 68,000 people, between the Texas and Arkansas sides, they have so many hotels, you'd think it was the crossroads of the world. Seriously, there were three hotels in easy walking distance of the convention center and three more, just across the highway.
So, I get there, meet the folks running the con, Ray Couch, who was the guy I was corresponding with on Facebook and others, who got me pointed in the right direction. They offered to help me set up, but I don't have that much to do, when I set up at a con. It's not like I have a ton of merchandise.
The doors opened at 9am and within a few minutes, I had people stopping by my table and checking out my drawings. Soon after, I got my first order for a sketch and another right after that. The only downside to being in the dealer's room is, the noise is so overwhelming, it was almost impossible to hold a conversation. We muddled through, somehow.
I got to judge the art contest and discovered an 11-year old artist whose skills are way above his age and experience, and like an idiot, I didn't keep track of his name.
Later in the afternoon, I was on a panel with artist Mike Kennedy, an indy comic artist working on a book called Celtic Knights and digital animator David Schedler.
Mike's work can be seen here: http://roughcutpresents.deviantart.com/
And: https://www.facebook.com/TheCelticKnights
And David's stuff is linked here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/26-13-Media/352941364823233
We talked about how we work, Mike and I are mostly old-school, pencils, inks and paper.
On Sunday, we did another panel, where they showed a clip from David's animated film and they projected my Ad Astra site and let me go on a bit explaining what was going on in the strip, and my DeviantArt page, showing some of my mock-covers. Speaking to a whole room full of people on a wireless microphone would have terrified me, when I was young. For some reason, especially at conventions, I can just get up in front of strangers and talk like it was nothing. I don't know what changed, over the years, but I know I wouldn't have been able to do it, in my teens.
Sunday afternoon, there was a panel, including Ari Lehman, actor and musician (really likes to take charge of a room, if you hand him the microphone), artist Brian Steward and actor Theo Crane from The Walking Dead.
There were three or four Doctors, whipping out their sonic screwdrivers, as that had become acceptable behavior, these days. Back in my day, the Whovians kept to themselves and kept their screwdrivers in their pants!
I would have taken a bunch of pictures, if I'd had time to get away from my table to chase them down, and if I wanted to look like a total creep. Too many of the costumes were worn by young girls and I'd rather not have to explain to the cops why I was chasing 14 year old girls in spandex.
I do have one photo of a cosplayer, because I needed it for reference.
Used it to do my first sketch of the weekend.
And one for her friend.
This next one was a bit of a challenge for me, in the time crunch I had to do it in. Plus, I am on the record as loathing Doomsday, so I never draw him for myself.
And, this last one wasn't a commission from the con, but I worked on it Saturday night in the hotel room, so I think it counts.
I'm the wrong guy to do a con report, because I sit at a table and what I see of the con comes to me. That's what I like doing, so it's alright, but hopefully, next year, I'll have someone with me to walk around, make notes, remember names....I'm rubbish with names...and write up a proper report. Also, if you can get there, I'd love it if you'd drop by and say, "Hey."
Joe L. Singleton
See more of my stuff at . . .
www.heroblog.com
www.adastracomic.com
http://joe-singleton.deviantart.com
http://heroblog.spreadshirt.com/
Copyright © 2013 Joe Singleton
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