New York Comic Con!

So did I mention I got into New York Comic Con this year after all?  Late last month they said a space opened up in Artist's Alley, and I coordinated with another artist, Nadia Burgess, to share a table!  Nadia does cool crossover illustrations and AMAZING comic themed cakes!  We're very excited to be in NYCC this year and have much to prepare.  Find us in the North Pavilion at table V15.  This is a slightly better spot than last year when I was in aisle Z.

You can still get a Thursday ticket to NYCC, but all other days are already sold out.  Hope to see you there!

Baltimore Comic Con Recap

The Baltimore Comic Convention was a great time this past weekend!  This was the first time I shared a table with 2 other people (Ellen Stedfeld and Carlos Abdu).  There are pros and cons to sharing a table with a lot of people.  Cons are that you have less space, it takes some time to coordinate things like transportation etc, and we learned that we needed to figure out how to work together to talk to people who passed by - don't talk all at once - either take turns or one person should give a summary of everyone's merchandise.

There are some cool pros too:  We had a special deal where you could get one custom piece of artwork done by all 3 of us!  Here's how it worked:  A customer wanted the character Ryu from Street Fighter.  Carlos penciled it:

 Ellen inked it:

And I colored it!

And it came out beautifully!  GO TEAM!!

Other pros of sharing a table are (of course) keeping costs down.  It's also advantageous have someone else "man"  the table if you want to leave the table.  You can also pool your resources together when you have multiple people.   For this trip Ellen found us all a place to stay with her friends (thank you Marie & Jeff!).  I took charge of the food by grocery shopping for us all the night before and making lunches for everyone.  It was so much cheaper buying a loaf of bread and everything for 3 people's lunches to last 2 days than if we'd all bought lunch individually.

Another perk was that we could share each other's display stuff.  I have my own piping archway that hung our sign, our drawings, and Ellen's mobile (as shown in the top picture).  Below, you can see my new story, "The Lucky Penny," in a special standing case that Carlos shared.  I want to get more of those!  He also shared those star Post-Its for pricing, which are super cool and effective because you can stick them right on books.  I had the new Power Rangers Megaforce book for sale (thanks to Michael Petranek for comps!).  You'll also see a bonus sketch of Mindy Indy as a Dodgeball Teen by Emilio Velez in the back.

 Overall, we all sold some stuff, had a good time, and learned a lot.  Thanks to everyone who stopped by our table!  As always it was great to meet new people and reconnect with friends and fans :)  VICTORY!

 

Signing Success! On to Baltimore!

Last night the Power Rangers signing was awesome!  Thanks to everyone who came!  Sold some books, did some drawings, and talked with a lot of nice people!  Special thanks to Michael for bringing all the books!  It was super great catching up with him too!  Special thanks to my friend Carlos Abdu for bringing everyone pizza!

It felt so fulfilling to be a part of such a cool book and in this event!  Sometimes, because it takes so much work and time to plan events, and to prepare for things like comic conventions, I wonder if it's all worth it, but it's for amazing experiences like this that make me know that comics are what I'm meant to do with my life!

Now onto the next thing!  Right now I'm on the Bolt Bus to Baltimore with my friends Ellen Stedfeld and Carlos Abdu for the Baltimore Comic Con!  OMG it was crazy coordinating and some of us almost missed the bus :P  Everyone was printing last minute stuff, and I just printed my new story, "The Lucky Penny" today!  Can't wait to show it to everyone!  I'll post it on here soon too.

We'll be in Artist's Alley at Table A286!  Super excited!

 

Baltimore Comic Con NEXT WEEKEND!

I'm excited to announce that I'll be at this year's Baltimore Comic Con!  It's next weekend, Sept. 7th - 8th.  Saturday hours are 10A-7P, Sunday hours are 10A-5P.  It's at the Baltimore Convention Center at

One West Pratt Street Baltimore, Maryland 21201 (SHARP STREET ENTRANCE)

You can get tickets here.  $25 for Saturday, $20 for Sunday, $40 for a weekend pass.

I hope to see some fans I met last year!  This year I'll have my new story out in time (it's allllllmost done!  I'm too much of a perfectionist about Photoshop...) so you can look forward to that :)

I'll be sharing Table A286 with Carlos Abdu and Ellen Stedfeld.  We're doing something very unique and fun for this convention - we'll have a special deal on custom drawings:  Get one piece of finished artwork by all 3 artists for $30!  One of us draws, another inks, and the other artist colors it.  It's like how comics are created in the traditional way with a team of people.  It should be a fun time and a one-of-a-kind experience!

Hope to see you there!

My room mate Kaitlin has become the star of The Daily Misfortune lately.  Just lift the glass out of the base - don't turn :)

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Turns out yesterday's Art-Con was a bust.  I was sick with a cold and busted my ass to get there too.  I had a bad time with the bus last time I went to the Whiskey Cafe and was late to Sketch Con last time, so I thought I could avoid buses by taking the subway to Times Square and then taking a cab - it's not that far into NJ.  But that morning 2 cabbies told me it was like $70!!  $13 for the toll, plus $50 for a fee from crossing state lines or something, plus the regular time rate.  So I ended up taking the bus after all.  The 10:30AM NJ Transit bus didn't even come.  Another one came 20 minutes later, and dropped me off in a different location than I remembered.  I dragged my suitcase to a nearby 7/11 and they gave me a number for a car service.  I was too exhausted to drag my stuff even a few blocks, but it was a good thing I got the car, because there weren't any sidewalks.  However, that 3 minute ride cost $10!  Stupid.

I was an hour late, but it didn't matter because there were no customers in sight.  There were about 9 vendors, and the whole time we just went to each others tables.  Most of the time I wish I had stayed in bed and rested to get over my cold.  But I ended up meeting great people which was cool - who knows where some connections could lead.

In any case, Art-Con wins worst convention I've exhibited at due to lack of foot traffic and lowest sales.  However, the table was only $30, so it's not like I lost $100 like at the Bronx Heroes Con.  I had expected Art-Con to be as great as Sketch Con was in February.  It was at the same location so that wasn't an issue, but I think the main difference was lack of good advertising and promotion.  But you win some, you lose some.  I did so well at Boston Comic Con last weekend that I'm still pumped from that.

Art-Con THIS SUNDAY!

Never a dull moment for mindy indy - I'm at it again this Sunday for a special artist convention in NJ:  "Art-Con."  50+ artists from the area will be showcasing their talents! Authors, painters, photographers, independent businesses owners, and more! Whiskey Cafe will also be open for business as usual! Come support our local artists! Art-Con is an opportunity for those in the creative and arts industry to display their work amongst like-minded individuals who are looking to show off their talents. Artists will be given their own tables to display, sell, and create their work for an audience of collectors and art enthusiasts. You show what you want to show, sell what you want to sell, and network with the people around you. Art-Con is meant to bring art of all kinds under one roof.

Whiskey Cafe is at 1050 Wall Street, Lyndhurst, New Jersey 07071

See you there!

Boston Comic Con Success!!!

Boston Comic Con was SUPER AMAZINGLY AWESOME!!!  Here's my new set up:  my own pipe frame to hang artwork and signs from, and new red cloth tablecloth (instead of plastic... those things got torn up).  To the far right of the picture, you'll see Bill Walko, another artist/writer, who's super friendly.  Special thanks to my friend Julia for helping me with the table and passing out flyers :)  And thanks also to her husband Matt for driving us :)  I was doing sketch commissions non-stop Saturday and most of the day Sunday.  Yay for profits!  And it seems like everyone I talked to did pretty well too.  Boston Comic Con will definitely be on my touring schedule for years to come!

Here are a few of the sketches I did:

This one wins best sketch of the con:  the guy wanted a specific boat (forgot what it was called exactly) with a unicorn's horn instead of the prow.

This little girl loved Sponge Bob.  The parents just wanted me to draw her and him together, and voila!  A fun portrait :)

I love when people ask me to combine characters in unique ways.

Did lots of portraits of people dressed as their favorite characters - especially couples!

The 2 guys on the right were very specific like "I want to have Wolverine claws and please highlight my pocket within a pocket," while the 2 on the left were like "do whatever."  Yep, cute animal ears is what you get when you let mindy indy take over!

Yep - my friend Julia's dog encountered a skunk on Saturday night after the convention.  Craziness ensued.

4 Days...

4 days until Boston Comic Con!  Some cool people that will be there include Neal Adams, Mike Mignola, and George Perez, among other awesome artists you may or may not have heard of!  Here's the lineup for Artist's Alley.  They have me listed under "Melinda Steffen" instead of "Mindy Indy."

I'll be at Carmine St. Comics today, hopefully finishing up all the inking on my new comic.

Boston Comic Con Countdown!

5 days until Boston Comic Con!  Super excited!  There's a lot going on at BCC - some things I'd go to if I didn't have a table are:

Saturday 8/2

Female Creators 6pm-6:45pm Amy Reeder, Colleen Doran, Sara Richard

Colleen Doran totally rocks!  I looooooove her art style and her graphic novels of "A Distant Soil" influenced the look of "Aer Head."  (Yes, been awhile since I've worked on Aer... I need to stop being such a perfectionist about it).

BCC's Indie Film Fest

Sunday 8/3

How to Pitch Your Comic to Publishers 2pm-2:45pm Anthony Del Col, co-creator of Kill Shakespeare

I've finished drawing my new comic, and am moving on to inking today.  Can't wait to show it off!

The Daily Misfortune 237

Hopefully this won't happen to me tomorrow at Super Heroes for Hospice.  It's a lot of cookies from Brooklyn to Jersey.  If you're in the area, check it out!  10a-6p at the Barnabas Health Corporate Office, 95 Old Short Hills Rd, West Orange NJ.  FREE!

Super Heroes for Hospice This Saturday!

I'm in another Super Heroes for Hospice convention this Saturday July 20th!  10AM-6PM.  95 Old Short Hills Rd., West Orange, NJ 07052.  It's their special 5 year anniversary, and should be even more awesome than the last few shows they did.  I'll also give my talk about selling your comic art at conventions at 12:30.  Each time I do this talk, I add some things I've learned, so it's a bit different from the last time I presented.  Here are more details:

Superheroes For Hospice hosts their 5th Anniversary, Summer, Charity Comic Book Sale!

Through the sale of comic books, graphic novels and other hero related items, like action figures and artwork, funds are raised to support the work of Barnabas Health Hospice and Palliative Care Center.

The sale will feature over 450 long comic book boxes filled with all kinds of comics that will appeal to a wide spectrum of collectors. From Archie Comics, Marvel and DC comics, to a myriad of independent titles, all age groups will find so many choices, that buyers should allow time to browse. A guest vendor will be showcasing comics from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, for those who are real serious collectors.

In attendance will also be over a dozen sketch artists and local creators, so you’ll want to leave yourself enough time to discuss their projects and/or to get their version of your favorite hero.

Two guests will present lectures for budding artists. Mindy Indy will focus her 12:30pm talk on presenting work at conventions and Paris Cullns, the original Blue Devil artist (DC Comics), will, at 2:30pm, highlight the do’s and don’ts of submitting work to publishers.

There is no admission fee to enter the sale or these discussions.

Between 11am and 3pm, the cosplay group, known as the East Coast Avengers, will have their members in costume roaming the sale and available for photos….Last time we saw Spider-man, Captain America, Thor and Iron Man; who’ll show up this time?

Superheroes for Hospice was started by Volunteer Coordinator, Spiro Ballas in 2009. To date over $48,000 has been raised to support the agency’s work. If you have a question about this sale or donating to the project, please contact him at 973-322-4866 or Sballas@BarnabasHealth.org

GUESTS:

Nadia Burgess – Artist - http://toughspirit.deviantart.com/ Paul Castiglia – Writer / Editor (Archie Comics) - Wrote the entire Archie’s Weird Mystery comic book series - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Castiglia Paris Cullins – Artist; original artist for the Blue Devil (DC Comics) - http://comicbookdb.com/creator.php?ID=467 Edward Dippolito – Writer / Artist / Creator of Frank N. Stein - http://franknsteincomic.com/ Michael Grassia – Cartoonist - www.michaelgrassia.com Darrell Goza – Writer / Artist / Creator of Spiritfist - http://ScriptGraphics.weebly.com/ Mindy Indy – Writer / Artist - www.mindyindy.com Jeffrey F. Kipnis – Writer / Creator of Lightning Squirrel - http://danokdath.tripod.com/index.html Sharon Levine – Writer / Artist - https://www.facebook.com/ThePerfectRaindrop David Earl McClain – Artist / Creator of The Artifyce Connection - https://www.facebook.com/QsGrafix Janimal Quisumbing – Artist / Writer / Creator of The Adventures of PogiBoy and Big Brown Monkey - http://thejanimal.com/ Don Smith – Writer – http://donsmith74.wordpress.com/ Edwin Vazquez – Artist / Writer / Creator of Werewolf of NYC - http://www.edwinvazquezart.com/ Emilio Velez Jr. – Artist / Writer / Creator of The Dodgeball Teens - www.dodgeballteens.com

The Daily Misfortune 223

Got this idea from a guy I met at Wizard World this past weekend.  This is a joke his friends used to play on him :)  Wizard was ok.  Not as great as I'd hoped, for it being a 3-day con.  I was expecting it to be similar to NYCC, because the table cost almost as much, but there just wasn't as much traffic flow.  Unfortunately many artists didn't do well and won't return next year.  I was warned about this con, but I wanted to see for myself.  At least I didn't lose money though.

Wizard World TODAY!

It's today!  Crazy!  Please stop by my table B4 in Artist's Alley if you can :)  Gonna be one heck of a ride this weekend!

Cool Stuff at Wizard World!

Some reasons why you should check out Wizard World NYC:  As shown above, Stan Lee, Patrick Stewart, and Norman Reedus (from The Walking Dead) will be there!  There's some wrestling guy in the picture too.  I guess he's cool enough to be there.  Wil Wheaton will be there too (he's made appearances on The Big Bang Theory :)

Wiz has some pretty cool programming going on too.  Some that I think worth going to would be:  INDEPENDENT PUBLISHING VS BIG HOUSE PUBLISHING,  HIP-HOP & COMICS: CULTURES COMBINING,  and MASTERING THE UNIVERSE WITH TOM COOK (he was an animator on She-Ra and He-Man!).

SHOW HOURS Friday, June 28, 2013 - 4pm - 9pm Saturday, June 29, 2013 - 10am - 7pm Sunday, June 30, 2013 - 10am - 5pm

LOCATION: Basketball City (Pier 36) 299 South St #36 New York, NY 10002

Take the F train to the East Broadway stop and walk towards the water.  It's right on a Pier, so you can't miss it :P  If you're driving, it's right off the FDR Drive.

Tickets here!

And I'll be in Artist's Alley table B4!

Hope to see you there!  This should be an exciting show.  There are supposed to be thunderstorms this weekend, but don't let that deter you.  It's inside, and even some programming they have outside will still happen "rain or shine."

Grove Alley Nite Market

I designed this flyer and logo for the Grove Alley Nite Market, happening this Friday!  NOTE:  I will NOT be at Grove Alley because I'm in the Wizard World convention.  But you can go to both if you like because Wizard is Saturday and Sunday as well.  Also of note is that the same people that put on the Gowanus Nite Market are involved with Grove Alley, so if you liked GNM, be sure to check this one out!  www.downtownbrooklyn.com for more info.

The Daily Sunburn 213

Eternal Con was a success!  Except that I got turned around on the Long Island bus system and got there a half hour after show hours started.  But I've traveled enough to remain calm and knew I'd get there eventually, and figured not many people would be there right in the morning.  Wrong!  There were so many people!  I give credit to the people who organized this convention - they had a phenomenal turnout for it being the first show of its kind.  I did well and was sketching a lot.  I want to post pics, but I have a feeling I'm getting too busy with other work nowadays to spend so much time on recapping.

Oh yes, and the Aviation Museum seemed cool, even though I only saw like a corner of it.  But the skylight windows were burning up me and my table.  Luckily, I had a mini bottle of sunblock with me (or I'd get burned within 20 minutes).  I was saved that day, but not on the next for Make It On Myrtle, where got burned while outside all day talking to people about the work shops.  It was bound to happen eventually.

Eternal Con THIS SATURDAY!

This Saturday June 15th I'm in a new comic convention in Long Island NY:  Eternal Con!  The beautiful space of the Cradle of Aviation Museum will host this event with 2 floors of Pop Culture Madness! In addition to the huge vendor space they'll have raffles, giveaways, costumes, special guests, a car show in the parking lot, diorama contests, movie screening, full access to the Cradle of Aviation Museum (with paid admission) and much more!  I kind of want to check out the museum, because I love outer space and stuff, but I'll be in Artist's Alley all day.

Cradle of Aviation Museum Charles Lindbergh Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530

You can get there by LIRR from Manhattan or Brooklyn for public transit, or by car if you have access.

Show hours are 10am - 6pm.  Admission is $14 adults and $12 for kids under 12.  Free parking!  Hope to see you there, and please spread the word!

I LOVE double rainbows!  I've seen some before and yes, they are very intense.  I learned about how rainbows occur in a "Naked Eye Astronomy" class in college (stuff you can see without a telescope), but you can also learn more here.

Kids Comic Con VS. Bronx Heroes Con

In the past 2 weeks I did 2 comic conventions in the Bronx and want to rate them against each other.  The first was the Bronx Heroes Con May 4th and 5th, and the other was the Kids Comic Con May 11th.  One I lost a ton of money on, the other I did ok.  Here's the scoop:

Bronx Heroes table cost:  $150  VS.  Kids Comic Con table cost:  $35

Money I made at Heroes:  $55  VS.  Money I made at Kids:  $60

There's the difference!  Losing $95 at Heroes VS making a small profit of $25 at Kids Con.  Now, last year at Heroes I spent the same $ for table and made $40 selling my comics for only $1.  I thought I did pretty well for my first convention.  But a year later I would've thought I'd do better by more than a $15 difference and still lose money.  I was talking with some other vendors at Heroes and they had similar results.  I think the only people who did well were the people who sold the perlor bead design things for like $1 each.  Here are some things I think may have affected Heroes:

1.  It was on Free Comic Book Day (the first Saturday in May).  Many people on Saturday thought all the comics were free, but why should you PAY for comics if you can get other comics for free?  Next year, I'm not doing a con on free comic day.  I might participate in an event in a comic shop or something, but not pay for a table in a convention.

2.  It was in a library.  In the far Bronx.  Most of the people that came by said they had just stumbled upon that convention from being in the library.  When you go to a library, you get books you can read for free (granted, not to keep, but you're not paying for them).  I think the mindset of people is different when entering a library vs entering a comic store, for example (like I said earlier, I did better at Carmine St. Comics grand opening in one day vs 2 days at Heroes).

3.  Even though there were some bursts of traffic, it was swarms of kids that didn't buy anything.  Of course, it's always good to teach them things about comics, and I'm always happy to answer questions - they were all very curious.  I suppose Heroes is more of a convention for you if you've already "made it" in the industry, have money to lose, and your main goal is to educate kids.  I wouldn't recommend Heroes for someone just starting out.

There were also long periods of time when there just wasn't much traffic at Heroes.  Sunday was especially dead.  I asked the person who ran Heroes and said "Hey, I know it's a lot of work to run a convention, but where is all that money going to?  Does some of it go to the library?  Does some go to you?  I just don't understand why a con this size should cost $150."  (To compare, MoCCA Fest, which is a HUGE event, cost $200 for half a table.  Heroes wasn't nearly to that scale or fame though).  He said some of it went to the library, but most went to advertising.  Just for the heck of it, I called the Bronx Fordham Library just now and asked them how much it would cost to have an event there for the weekend.  Basically, they said they only hold library sponsored events.  So I asked if that comic event was sponsored, did that mean they got the space for free?  The lady said she couldn't give out that information.  Interesting.

Also, if we do the math, I'd say there were about 20 tables at Heroes.  If they all paid $150 each, that's $3,000.  Let's say some went to the library, like $500.  Even so, that's still $2,500 for advertising which, in my opinion, wasn't that effective.  Like I said above, most people at Heroes just stumbled upon it because they were already at the library, with very few people making the convention their main destination.  I heard Heroes was advertised on tv, which can be pricey.  But I noticed even the fliers they handed out and posters online didn't mark the address of the library - I had to find it through the library site.  Now, I haven't run a convention before, but I'd say Heroes could learn a lot from Alex Simmons, who ran the Kids Comic Con.

Both conventions were in the same area of the Bronx (only 2 stops away).  Kids Con was even bigger than Heroes.  Kids Con had cool special events, like a competitive pictionary-like comic game.  It was an all-around good convention.  And even though I didn't make a ton, it's way better than losing $.  I also got to network a lot too.  I did notice though, that some larger companies like Viz and Archie were giving away free graphic novels (I suspect leftovers from Free Comic Book Day the week prior), so that hurt a bit in that nobody bought my $2 mini comics.

In retrospect, for both Heroes and Kids Con, I'd say bring tons of stuff you can part with for free.  Not just free fortune cookies or candy, because they'll be eaten and forgotten, but free comics that will stick with the children and leave them wanting more.  If you can afford it :P  But all in all, Kids Comic Con WINS hands down because of low table cost!  Low risk for people just getting into the business.  Granted, your stuff does need to be "kid friendly."  (I didn't display the first Misfortune Cookie comic because it has a swear word on the first page.)

In Heroes defense, I think last year's location was much better - it was held at the Bronx Museum, right by Yankee's Stadium, which was easier to get to from Manhattan and, being in a museum, I feel like people value art more.  They also had a blood drive going on, which they didn't do this year.  I know the goal of the Heroes Con is to bring comics to kids who may not have seen them otherwise - it's all about outreach.  It's a great cause, and the organizer is very passionate about it - I know him personally and he's a nice, down-to-earth guy.  Who knows, other artists and I may have inspired kids to keep drawing, which is super awesome!  But hey, if Heroes continues to be $150 a table, they're not going to have a convention if no vendors are willing to pay that.  Word gets around.  Next year, maybe I'll sign up to have a lecture or something, but I won't pay for a table if it's that expensive.  Some people may not view me nicely for focusing so much on the money aspect of comics, but hey - when I moved to NYC I made it my goal to become a professional cartoonist.  It's true that charity events are important, but you won't get ahead in your career doing just those.  I wish more artists looked upon their careers as being worth more, because we ARE worth just as much as any lawyer, doctor, scientist, etc and should be valued by others as such.

Some drawings I did from each con:

Kids Comic Con TOMORROW!

I'll be in the KIDS COMIC CON tomorrow, May 11th!  10am-6pm.  It's at Bronx Community College 181st St. & University Ave., Bronx NY 10453.  FREE ADMISSION!

This year KCC's theme is: Sci-Fact to Sci-Fiction, Where Creativity and Technology Meet.  Kids will be able to meet and greet over 30 artists who use different forms of science and technology to create comics, animation, video games, puppets, and more.

KCC 7 Patrolled By NEW CRUSADERS! This year, the creators of Archie Comics’ sci-fi superheroes will be there to answer questions, sketch, and share an inside peek of their creation.

Around The Corner To SESAME STREET! Come meet members of the Jim Henson/Sesame Street creative team. Learn how they work with the Muppets, and much more.

KCC creator and founder Alex Simmons, writer for Archie, Scooby-Doo, Tarzan and oh, so much more, said he’s especially excited about this year’s KIDS COMIC CON.

“Since 2007 our annual event has introduced thousands of kids and families to the power of imagination and creativity,” Simmons said.  “Our road shows have traveled from Upstate New York to Miami Florida, to Senegal in Africa. This year, we’re developing programming for students and teachers in the West Indies, and we’ll be screening a documentary about comics in Guatemala.”

KCC artists will also join Ronald McDonald House NY, and others, in its fight for children, against cancer.

“KCC’s primary goal is to promote reading, creativity, and exploration in kids’ lives,” Simmons said. “Now more than ever it is imperative that young people embrace a continuous flow of positive ideas, skills, and outlets for their thinking as well as self-esteem. And this year we’ve found even more people who share these ideas and goals.  So come share the day and the magic!”

GUEST ROSTER

Alex Simmons (comics creator/writer, creator of KCC)

Alitha Martinez (artist, Marvel, DC, Archie, etc)

Angelo DeCesare (comic artist)

Archie Comics (meet artist for NEW CRUSADERS series)

Barbara Brandon-Croft (syndicated cartoonist)

Bronx Heroes (Ray Felix)

Danny Fingeroth (comic book writer and editor)

Dawn Griffin (creator/artist of Zorphbert & Fred)

Diana Leto (member of Sesame Street creative team)

Emilio Velez, Jr. (creator/writer of The Dodgeball Teens)

Guardians of the City (kids creating heroes to guard their neighborhood)

HB Comics (LazerMan comics)

Jamal Peppers (artist on Archie’s Sonic)

James Sherman (artist comic, storyboards & animation)

Jesus Marquez (comic artist)

Jim Salicrup (Papercutz)

JMG Studio (Friend Fish)

Joan Hilty (freelance editor, DC and others)

Joe Endres (comic artist)

Karen Field (writer, archivist for Jim Henson Company)

Larry Brown (giving a demonstration in archery)

Louis Mitchell (member of Sesame Street creative team)

Mark Mariano (creator/artist of Happy-Loo)

Mindy Indy (comic artist)

N Steven Harris (Voltron artist)

Noel McNeal (puppeteer for Sesame Street, Big Blue Bear, Between the Lions)

Paul Castiglia (comics writer)

Rick Parker (comic artist)

Sam Ito (pop up books)

Suzannah Rowntree (comic artist)

Tim Field (animator, "Molly's ROCKET”)

Viz Media (publishers of Redaki, Max Steel, and more)

SEE YOU THERE!!

Carmine Street Comics Going Strong!

Last Wednesday was a great success for the opening of Carmine Street Comics!  A big crowd was steady from the afternoon onward.

I was sketching outside for the most part.  (Later on, I had to condense my drawings plastered all over the window.)  It got super cold in the evening and I had to borrow a coat :P

My friend Ellen Stedfeld sketched in the small studio space the store had in the front window area.  The owners said they'll have "resident artists" on a rotating basis every day in the store!  My next day will be TOMORROW, Tuesday May 7th, ALL DAY!  Come for a sketch, check out the new store, chat, and/or hang out.  I'm excited about this new work space!

Here are the proud owners of the store:  Michael Novo (left) and Jon Gorga (right).  What's extra cool is that hey, they're my age and owning a freakin' store.  You can do anything in life you put your mind to!  Of special note:  this store space is shared by Unoppressive Non-Imperialist Bargain Books, that's been there like forever.  To save on rent (cuz hey, it's in the Village) that bookstore rented out 1/3 of their space.  Life in New York:  finding creative ways to make things work!

Can you tell that Sonic & Knuckles are my favorite?  (And they always have been!)

So be sure to stop by Carmine St. Comics on Tuesdays to check out my work!  See you tomorrow!  34 Carmine St. by the West 4th station.

Oh yes, and I did the Bronx Heroes Comic Con this past weekend.  Didn't go so well for me and other artists, but more on that later.  To be honest, I did better at this one event at Carmine Street Comics (and I wasn't even there the whole day!).