So Ottawa Comic Con has come and gone, and it was pretty cool. This year, I got myself a half table and tried peddling my wares. It was a whole new experience. I got to experience the con one pedestrian at a time as they passed my table. I got to talk to a lot of people, sold a few things, and generally had fun. It was also very tiring, and I was thankful I could go home to my own bed and sleep.
Here is my top ten list of awesome experiences I had:
10. Having my name in the program
I’m allowed a little bit of ego on this. There’s a primal thrill of having you, or your stuff, listed in an official brochure. I have a copy as a souvenir, because I’m just that awesome.
9. Being interviewed by a blogger
I was approached by a local blogger who writes about up and coming writers and artists in the Ottawa area. He was asking people what their favourite stories were, and why, and would put this information (and a profile of the writer/artist) on his blog. I ended up yammering out some answers about The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle. I am going to be locally famous for this.
8. Scritching K9 behind the ears
The only time I could actually walk the convention floor without worry about my table was 8am-9am, before the VIP and Deluxe pass members could get in. Another artist and I had a stroll that took us to all the photo ops, like the Delorean and Ecto-1. The Doctor Who society was also near here, and there were no crowds. We got our photos with the TARDIS, and I got my photo scritching the K9 replica behind the ears. I was even making a silly face, like duckface, but at least I have a good reason: I look like I’m saying “Oooh, who’s a good boy?!”
7. Commissions!
I did commissions! People asked me to draw things! That’s awesome! I put them up on my art blog!
6. Cosplay photos
One cool thing about having the table is that you can call cosplayers over to take their photos, instead of chasing them down. I got a lot of photos that way. It was also fun asking people who they were, and that would spark conversation. Even better? Recognizing who someone’s dressed as. I made the Bob Ross cosplayer very happy that way. I also tried to take photos of every single Ace Attorney cosplayer I saw (including who I found out, later, were the professional cosplayers!), but I missed a Gumshoe. Grump.
5. Seeing lots of people I know
And boy, do I know a lot of people. I saw people from high school, from university, from work, from the local art community… LOTS of people. I knew it was going to be interesting when the first person I recognized turned out to be this guy who works at the local grocery store. Nothing quite as supportive as people who know you and recognize you.
4. Meeting new people
And boy, did I meet people. There were the aforementioned cosplayers, but I also got to talk to a lot of people. Many people enjoyed the “I’m a fake geek girl…” shirt and we had some interesting discussions. There was the funny guy who came to the con to take part in the speed dating (which, alas, was full). The 10-year-old girls who were big Ace Attorney fans. The twenty-year-old woman who was surprised to see a Guybrush Threepwood picture for sale. Asking people wearing Welcome to Night Vale shirts who they’re supporting in the mayoralty race (my personal opinion: the mountain will decree a third party to be mayor). And… yeah. It was fun.
3. Making back the table cost
This is a big one. As I understand it, it’s not common for table newbies to make back their table costs at their first show. I managed to get that, and beyond. In fact, I made enough to book next year’s table (I think I see a pattern here!).
2. High-fiving a Dalek
This is another event that happened before the con floor was open. I was having a stroll and came across a man walking next to one of the Daleks. I stopped and asked if Daleks high-fived. The Dalek stopped, raised its plunger arm, and extended it. Then I high-fived it. I should have taken video, but it was spur of the moment.
And the number one experience I had…
1. Selling my Sharpie for $5
On Friday, this congoer asked me if I had a Sharpie, because he needed a pen for the autographs (did they not have their own?). I said I could lend him mine, but he decided to buy mine for $5. I was like “…. ok….” He could have gone to the Wallacks stand (art supplies) and bought a Sharpie for $1.50, but I guess it was just easier for him this way. That night, I went home and found an unopened two-pack of Sharpies that I had bought on sale. So if anyone needed to buy a Sharpie off me again, I WAS PREPARED.