Comic-Con International in San Diego - This Week!

I'm an official artist in Artist's Alley this year in Comic-Con International in San Diego!  I'm listed under my real name, Mindy Steffen, at table BB-23.  Last year, I was able to get a table mid-way through the convention, but this year I'm all in!  I've been spiffing up my sketch folio and am very excited to see what will happen this year!  Since I'll mostly be glued to my table, I won't get to see cool panels, but I plan to network at some after parties.  SDCC is pretty overwhelming, and there's way too much to put all in one blog, but here's some useful links:

Tickets are sold out!  SDCC is super hard-core, so you need to buy badges way in advance - start planning for next year! https://www.comic-con.org/cci/purchase-badges

If you're already going to the convention, here's a link to the show map - Artist's Alley is that blue box waaaaay to the left: https://www.comic-con.org/sites/default/files/forms/CCI17_ExhibitHallMap_Small.pdf

Get your best artwork ready for the folio review section - I actually got some coloring work for Action Lab Comics through meeting them here:  https://www.comic-con.org/cci/portfolio-review

The Quick Guide - scroll 3/4 of the way down to see a color-coded schedule of panels: https://www.comic-con.org/sites/default/files/forms/CCI17_QG_Online_V1_LR.pdf

Lots of awesome stuff going on and I'm very excited! 

So if you've been following me, you know I haven't posted in awhile!  Summer's here and my priorities have shifted a bit.  Is it possible to ever reach a true work/life balance?  Added to that, as an artist, I have personal projects, which count as both work and life.  But lately I've preferred sketching in parks outside rather than blogging - carpe diem! 

Comic-Con International in San Diego was Awesome!

(Crowd photo by Geek Shot)

How can I begin to tell about the awesome time I had at Comic-Con International, the biggest comic convention in America?  I was on the wait list for an Artist Alley table, and my main goal was to enhance my career.  I got all my merchandise ready, and felt that even if I didn't get a table, I could still benefit greatly from the portfolio reviews and informative creator panels.  It was a bit of a risk - the plane ticket was pricey all the way from NYC, but I got to stay with my sister and brother-in-law :)  The risk was totally worth it, as I ended up getting a table half-way through the convention! 

"Let's Fighting Love!!" South Park life-sized scenes.

At other conventions, I don't really get to walk around and fully enjoy the fun due to working at my table, but this time I got to do BOTH!  My favorite thing to see was the life-sized recreation of the town of South Park, complete with some of the most popular scenes.  Neil DeGrasse Tyson sponsored a virtual reality section too. 

Did you know that at SDCC, there is a whole section for folio reviews?  Other conventions I've been to don't have this.  I researched the listed companies and what they were looking for, and the week before, I got together 3 folios: storyboarding, comic, and coloring.  These were reviewed by people from Nickelodeon, Disney, and comic companies like Action Lab and Arch Enemy.  I did this all Thursday, because I knew it would just get crazier with each passing day so I had a better chance of being chosen.  If the list is too long, no luck - I didn't get in for Cartoon Network which was only on Friday.   I actually went to SDCC a decade ago and just had a student folio.  I noticed a considerable difference in the response to my work now that I have years of professional experience in the comics industry!  I think artists at any stage in life can benefit from these reviews - people pointed out things in my work I'd never thought of before.  Many cards were exchanged... we'll see what happens!

Most of Friday I sat in on a bunch of panels.  I was amazed at how many wonderful creator-themed topics SDCC had!  Everything from industry pros telling their career stories to cool Photoshop techniques and more!  My top 3 were:  1.  Artist as Brand: Rise of the Artist Entrepreneur, where indie creators talked about the struggles and rewards of business stuff and owning their creations.  2.  Creating Comics with the iPad- I had no idea of the incredible advances in technology and freedom artists can have on-the-go.  3.  Cartoon Creatives: Women Power in Animation- since I'm considering getting more into the storyboarding world, it was great to see many strong women with major roles in the industry! 

I've gotta say, New York Comic Con has been lacking in creator-themed panels in the past few years, probably due to a "fans first" policy.  But before I began tabling at NYCC, I remember they used to have more good artist panels.  Last year I didn't find many good NYCC panels to blog about that I'd be interested in as a creator (if I had time to go) - they focused on celebrities and fan themes.  By the way, SDCC "pro passes" are still FREE, whereas NYCCs pro passes keep going up in $ each year.  Overall, I feel that San Diego CC respects, appreciates, and represents creators more than NYCC. 

The Most Random Sketch Award goes to this dog as an Ewok-Gremlin!

Every day I got to the convention super early and checked in with Artist Alley registration to see if a table opened up.  And Saturday morning IT HAPPENED!  I couldn't believe it!  Little did I know, SDCC's Artist Alley is notoriously difficult to get into, with the waiting list being "years long."  It's complicated to explain exactly how I was able to get this table, but it was a combination of being qualified, prepared, persistent, some tips from the inside, and some luck!  If one of these aspects had gone wrong, I may not have gotten in, but I guess it was meant to be! 

I realized that SDCC's Artist Alley is different than other artist alleys because it's made up of mostly old pros that have had major industry work for like decades!  I was right next to Len Wein, creator of Wolverine and other X-men characters!  Ken Penders, one of my heroes from Sonic the Hedgehog, was also tabling.  So there were giants like these, and then... me, somehow! :PI was sketching up a storm though, and was successful enough to pay for that plane ticket + more :)  There was lots of encouragement among the rest of the artists, with words like "good luck, kiddo!" and I did feel like I fit in there more.  Oh Katie Cook was in the row right behind me!  Her career has grown so much over the years, she's very inspiring!  So it looks like the next generation of cartoonists is on the rise at SDCC.

Overall, I had the most ideal experience this year at SDCC, with a great balance of fun, constructive folio reviews + networking, informative creator tips, and making $!  If you're on the west coast and in the comics or animation industry, SDCC IS A MUST!  If you're in the midwest, it's worth a road trip!  If you're on the east coast and have a place to stay, the plane ticket is definitely worth it.  If you don't have a place to stay, hey AirBnB is on the rise.  It's cheaper if you stay farther from the convention and take the trolley.  Hope to see you there next year!

Did I mention that I got sick the week before SDCC?  Just like what happened last year before NYCC!  I guess I burn myself out preparing.  I went to the same clinic and they recognized me :PLuckily antibiotics are like tiny microscopic superheroes!  Comic cons are exhausting enough without being sick.

Pete's Mini Zine Fest This Saturday!!

Tomorrow I'm exhibiting in Pete's Mini Zine Fest!  A celebration of little works of joy:  zines!  Though zines (short for magazines, of the indie kind) traditionally consist of written works, cartoonists are gradually taking over zine fests :) 

Saturday 7/30 from 2-7pm at Pete's Candy Store (the "store" is actually a bar... there is no candy, but it used to be a candy store) 709 Lorimer Sr, Brooklyn NY 11211.  Take the L to Lorimer or G to Metropolitan Ave.  Here's the facebook invite.  See you there!

Last week I got to experience and exhibit at Comic-Con International in San Diego!! (more on that in the next blog) and I realized I need to prepare for Boston Comic Con in 2 weeks.  Do I even still live in New York?

NJ Pop-Up Market in the "Village" this Saturday!

I must be crazy for doing another show the weekend after NYCC, which by the way, HAS SURPASSED SAN DIEGO COMIC CON as the largest comic convention in North America!!  It's in the news!  Right now I'm finishing up some sketches that people were kind enough to be flexible with. 

But this nice lady contacted me who met me at a small flea market in NJ, and I figured why not, it's a free table, and it's in a super cute area of Jersey!  Only 3 stops on the PATH from NYC and you're in the adorable Grove Street area (called "the village"... not to be confused with lower Manhattan's Greenwich Village).  This fall-colored flyer tells it all - Noon to 5pm, around Monmouth and Newark Streets, outdoors!  May be a good place to get some early holiday shopping done.  I'll be there drawing anything for people, along with my mini comics.  Hope stuff doesn't fly away, but the weather should be nice this weekend at a lovely 69° with 0% chance of rain!

In other news, the DOGS! anthology is finally out!  My story "Dog VS. Balloon Dog" is in there along with other sweet and curious stories.  Available on Createspace, Amazon, and Kindle!  They're having an official release party in Ann Arbor next Friday at the Vault of Midnight!  Wish I could be there!  DOGS! is the result of an international collaboration between Captain Bijli Comics in New Delhi and Great Bear Comics in Michigan, along with many fantastic creators in India and the United States. All proceeds from the US edition go to Last Day Dog Rescue, a volunteer-run no-kill rescue that focuses on rescuing dogs from the “Urgent” list across lower Michigan and parts of Ohio.

They need to design dryer layouts like parking garages, where they can move all around or something :P