2024 Summer Conventions Write-Up


Art continues to be a hustle, but it’s the few hustles I like to take on. In the last months of summer, long after Blerd Bash and the like, I finished up many conventions. Many of these events are newer shows that I hadn’t attended before so I continue my tradition of finding fantastic spots to display and sell my work!

Joliet July 3rd Celebration

Early in July, I did an pre Independence Day celebration in Joliet, IL to show off my art with the local artists amd writers. I’m happy because I remembered to bring the right tent!

Between sales, I took the slow time getting parts of a writing draft done for a future project. It’s not easy during the festivities, and I’m ever tempted to scrap my drafts. But I’m getting better at sticking with the suck to have work to edit.

Getting tired of writing, I inked old art in my sketchbooks but of this bull and Cole drawing. I don’t know the real story of this illustration beyond, Cole teams up with a null in cool armor, and I struggle to expand on it.

Comicopolis 2024

In the middle of July, I returned to Comicopolis in Lockport where I sold my stickers and comics in a cozy corner of the library.

During the slow sales times I left my table to walk around in the outdoor areas, get some sun, and see the sweet rides.

A few bits of sketches I made at Comicopolis to pass the time. Starting with a Swashbucklin Cole sketch. I just like short lads ducking under big swings.

Another ink sketch of Olivia the Dragon Child, protecting her future adopted father, Cole from a brutish roughian. This isn’t canon to the game just yet, mostly spitballing ideas to get my brain working.

New Orleans North

New Orleans North is a smaller festival in Joliet, IL under the strange late summer theme of New Orleans. Despite this oddity, I accepted to set up a table here as a member of my local writer’s group.

As a small town event I didn’t expect much, but it’s still good to do these events and learn my about the community closer to my doorstep. This event was also a good opportunity to debut my Black Cat Sketchbooks and Good Dog Sketchbook Zines for the first time and experiment with my setup before going to CAKE.

CAKE Chicago 2024

In the middle of August, I was at the Chicago Alternative Comics Expos for my first ever zine festival! There, I debuted at the First Slice Table where first time Artists debuting at CAKE are placed at the front of the new venue: the Zhou B Art Center. I was table sharing with the fellow artist, Maurice Buckley, who I had plenty of fine chats about traditional art, westerns, and New York Hip Hop.

This zine show is where I wanted to test the viability of The Black Cat Sketchbook and The Good Dog Sketchbook! They’re my experiment in producing cheaper, monochrome comic floppies for making comics between ordering prints for a larger trade paperback. I didn’t bring my stickers to not impede on the book selling. Overall, my paper zines sold well in comparison to the colored books

Many art friends were at CAKE and chatted with me about the nuances of Zine making. I’m intimidated by the sheer creativity of the binding styles of zines. I understand zines in a indie comics sense but all the prose, photo book, greeting card, flip book, and other general interests zines I find show how limited my mind is to that art and culture.

I’ll reexamining my own creative needs, as doing the zine fest and other real life art events has me yearning to step away from the internet grind of making art for popularity and push to get my work in front of real people with real feedback.

Anime Magic

Anime Magic was the last of my notable summer shows. When I tabled there back in 2022, the show had a smaller crowd due to C2E2 and DragonCon happening the same day.

The first few days of the weekend were slow, I had my friend assisting me as a table helper to delegate tasks and catch any missed sales when I use the bathroom or walk the floor to stretch my legs. Beyond this, I did little besides chat with my friend and make personal Street Fighter art at the table to pass the time.

Luckily, Sunday made up for the entire show and I made my table cost back, taking more marker commissions and selling some of my original art pieces.

The notable commission I took was a postcard commission of Lelouch from Code Geass. I recorded my process drawing for future reference to everyone interested! But, I’ll get that done in a different article.

Lelouch from Code Geass Copic Marker postcard portrait commission art final result

Anime Magic is a decent show after getting rejected from Anime Central, but it’s been a wakeup call that my product variety has been stagnating.

Pocket Con Anime Nostalgia Show

A week before Wauke-Con, I submitted some artwork I made at Anime Magic for auction and fundraising Pocket Con in December.

It was a straightforward shindig where I mingled and chatted with more artists in the city of Chicago. I think they have more interesting lives than I do, but I can’t dwell on that. I didn’t stay long because the event was during a workday.

Hopefully, there’s enough interest to bolster Pocket Con proper.

Wauke-Con 2024

Near the end of October, I tabled at Wauke-Con again! Selling my stickers and chatting with author, ES Fein about the writing process and the tough issues of self publishing. I’d love to pick his writing process and managing to self-publishing author landscape.

Beyond that, there wasn’t much activity beyond my meet and greets.I drew Spider-Man and Venom art cards to impress the kids!

Copic Marker Spider-Man sketch on 4x6 Bristol Card. Spider-Man swings at the camera with webs wrapped in his hands for good grip.
Ink and Copic Marker Illustration of Venom webslinging on 4x6 marker paper.

I have been making a small list of potential activities and panels Wauke-Con can do for next year to drum up more interest. Fund raising is an issue as everything else so it’s an uphill battle

Wrap Up

These show to help keep me bust busy they’re still sporadic enough that I need to return to weeks of inactivity. As of writing this my next shows will be LodgeCon 2024 in Peotone,IL and Windy Con 50 in Oak Brook, IL.

I need to return to my 2022 efforts whee I had nearly a show a week. going out of the state of Illinois would be the dream but making the scratch is getting tough with many shows increasing in table cost, driving me to smaller venues to mitigate the costs.

I have a full year packed with cool conventions and events! Take a look through my Convention Schedule to see where I’ll be next!