How $1500 spent is worth $340 earned.

This last Sept 3 and 4 I tabled in the Artist Alley at Long Beach Comic Con (which I will forever refer to as 'Long Con') and I can say that $1160 for two days is a bargain. This was a 'smallish' Convention as some of the regulars mentioned. A good one to try out because the entry is easy and it's short. At just under 8 hours driving (I'm including Holiday Los Angeles traffic) it's just do-able for me coming down from the Bay Area (more accurately Santa Cruz for me and my ex-wife The Peninsula).

Jumping out of a plane.

I was prepared to slog through traffic and sleep on a friend's sofa, but my ex once again came through and sprung (with my two kids' dough added) for hotel accommodations. As in right next door (check out the view!)

Even though going through getting all my materials and planning came together fairly trouble free and in time I still felt queasy, like I'm about to jump out of a plane. I'd never stood in one place for 14 hours to talk all about my comic and that's exactly what was expected of me. Yikes!

The 'yes' question.

But what got me through was applying some tactics my mentor Tyler James put in in his Comic Convention Strategy instruction module, as in always start the conversation with a 'yes' question as in a question that automatically will be 'yes.' "Hey there, you like Indie Comics?" He also said to keep standing most of the time, which helped too. Once you got a person standing still thumbing through your comic it's easy to go through your memorized pitch lines.

Annd... here's the pitch.

Mine didn't get into specifics, rather just juicy sounding scenarios:

"Mayfield Eight is a hard core adult concoction of an outlaw biker gang, a sadistic state trooper, and a ruthless drug lord. One summer weekend in the 1970s the activities of The Banshees Motorcycle Club come grinding to a halt, all because of one man..."

And then I'd point to the bloody resolute looking guy with a gun on the right hand banner.

"... a 17 year old fry cook named Calvin."

Once I got that part out of my mouth the rest was relatively easy, and best of all I never really gave away the story. All that blather focused on the situation and got the potential reader interested, which is all I wanted to do anyway. There was at least 12 times over the weekend where I turned a stranger walking by my table into a $25 or more spender. Cool!

And of course I can't offer thanks enough for my resilient and patient ex wife Anne who went around schmoozing with the crowd. Not being a comic fan per se, she found it a very fun experience watching the Cosplay people and listening to other artists pitch their comics or artwork.

Lastly, some of that $1160 or so is tied up in stuff I will re-use anyway (and yes, I'm coming back here next year for sure).

Have you seen this man?

The highlight of the weekend: The Office had its own comic book! Watch out, Dwight's trying to catch a pervert!

10454 Lomita Ave #B, Felton
United States

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