Don Sparrow’s Guide to Comic Cons for Artists Part 4: THE CONVENTION
Welcome to Part FOUR of my five-part Comic Con series. Each comic-con has a different personality, and every experience teaches me something new. So having been doing these for a few years now, I thought I’d share some of the things I’ve learned, or comfortable habits I’ve formed in this, Don Sparrow’s Guide to Comic-Cons for Artists.
Click HERE for PART ONE: TRAVEL.
Click HERE for PART TWO: YOU ARE HERE.
Click HERE for PART THREE: SETTING UP.
DISCLAIMER: Am I saying this is the ONLY way to do a convention, or that you’re a hopeless case if you do a convention differently, or have different motivation or results from a show? NO! Where are you getting that? This is just some stuff that I figured out makes a show go better for ME, personally. Ok? Ok.
THE DAY OF THE CONVENTION
* BE A GOOD NEIGHBOUR
Hi, neighbour.
While the con is just starting up, it’s always a good time to acquaint yourself with your neighbours, check out what they do or sell, and exchange business cards, if they have them. A good neighbour can really make a huge difference for what kind of con experience you’ll have. And a bad one, well, that can make a weekend seem interminable (more on that soon). If I’m even mildly interested in what my neighbour is selling, I usually try to buy at least a little something from them. It creates goodwill, and I think it’s just a classy move. But, at some cons, I do wait until the second day, in case my funds are running low. Usually though, the neighbour is a cool person, and is (therefore) as interested in my art as I am in theirs, and then you can trade art, which is super fun, and a small relief to the old wallet. As covered in another section, it’s always better to the the guy they’re borrowing from, rather than the other way around.
That’s why I always bring a little kit with everything I (or my neighbour) might need. Things like:
Tape (scotch, duct, packing, etc)
Pencils and pens (particularly silver and gold sharpies for signing–hardly anyone brings these, but once they see them used, they really want them)
Bungee cords
Easels (I have a bunch of great little fold-up presentation easels that work in a pinch. I usually put these in my carry-on when traveling, in case my proper display gets lost in transit)
HOWEVER: Don’t loan out your smart phone if your neighbour needs reference, because then you’ll be expected to do it the whole day. It drains your battery, costs your data plan, and means you’re without it to look up your OWN reference.
There. Now you can look up what YOU want.
DON’T BE THAT GUY: MISTER HELPFUL!
You’re doing it all wrong.
One thing to avoid when palling around with a neighbour is offering unsolicited advice. I’ve definitely been on the receiving end of this (see the upcoming section on THE DARK SIDE) and it’s a bummer. But it also cuts both ways–even if your neighbour really seems to be struggling with sales, it’s not up to you to give them pointers on how to improve their situation, especially if they haven’t asked. I think it’s condescending and crummy, even if your intention is helping. Every con is different, and for all you know, the person next to you had the busy table last weekend, and it’s out of character for their table to be so slow. Sometimes that’s just how it goes. It doesn’t mean they’re doing it wrong, or you’re doing it right (or vice versa) so unless they ask directly, keep it to yourself.
No, really–keep it to yourself.
*HOW MUCH?
There are two schools of thought on whether to have the price of everything labeled at your booth. A good buddy of mine doesn’t label any prices, as he believes curiosity over the cost of his prints will be a good way to start a conversation, and let people get a closer look at his work. On the other hand, there are people who label everything. I tend to be in the latter camp, and it was through experience. My two main sellers are original drawings, which I produce in front of the customer, or poster prints of my work. Because these items are two different prices, there can be a little confusion about which is which. Also, because my drawings tend to be black and white, there is sometimes some confusion when people see the full-colour prints, thinking the finished product of a live portrait will also be in full colour. For that reason, I now have everything as simple and understandably labeled as I can make it, including a sample of what a finished drawing looks like. That way, when people are just passing by, they can see what I do, what it costs, and also the quality of my work, from the prints, or sample drawings. People still might get confused, but I’m happy to explain what the signs mean. Same goes for other frequently asked questions–like whether it costs more to draw more than one person (it does) or whether I’ll draw from a photo on a phone (I won’t)–it helps to have everything clearly laid out, so there’s no confusion, disappointment, or sticker shock.
*YOU’RE NEVER FULLY DRESSED WITHOUT A SMILE
I had it pointed out to me by a neighbour artist that I have a ‘thing’ that I do when people pass by the table. Before my booth gets busy, I usually have a little piece of paper, or better still, blank comic covers, that I’ll draw on. Both to pass the time, and also to create interest and show people that I can actually draw. But as people pass by, I always try to lift my eyes, make eye contact if I can, and smile, casually, before going back to my drawing. That’s it–my whole sales pitch. I didn’t know I was doing this until a neighbour pointed it out, but he thought it works pretty well. Making eye contact with people means they’ll look at my booth, and see what I do, and either be interested, or not interested. Or they’ll see that I’m drawing, and want to take a look. If they’re impressed, then maybe they’ll think about a drawing. Lastly, the friendly, but not overbearing smile lets them know that I’m relaxed, and not desperate for their business. They can pass on by, and I have the confidence from other cons that enough people will come back to make it worth my while. I have found that just because someone doesn’t stop, it certainly doesn’t mean it’s your only chance at them. Often they’ll see what I do, and then think about who they’d like me to draw for them, and come back. But they might not have looked at all without that first friendly smile.
Or, as close as you can get to a nice smile.
* DON’T BE THAT GUY: CARNIVAL BARKER EDITION!
Now hear this!
I’ve been to a lot of cons, and I’ve found that my friendly, if passive technique has served me pretty well. But also, it shows I respect people enough to trust their own judgment. If they like what I do, great. But if they don’t, then nothing I do is going to “trick” them into buying something they don’t want. I’ve been beside a lot of tables where they’ll shout themselves hoarse trying to drum up business like it’s a water pistol game at the fair. They’ll call people out based on their outfits and say “oh, you like (whatever)? Then you should buy this print!” Or worse still, they’ll just shout at random “Come on guys, we got lots of great stuff for you today!” in a plaintive and desperate yell. Yes, it gets attention, but I think it’s the wrong kind of attention. The personality of the average customer at these cons is a little different than the average person somewhere else. A little more introverted, a little gentler (with some exceptions) so I have observed that the hard sell rarely works, especially if the work is poor. I was beside one table for a convention recently, and their conversation starter was to guess at what the costume was that a cosplayer was wearing. But because the person at the booth really had no idea about comic culture, their guesses were almost always dead wrong. So you’ve just called out to a complete stranger that you love their costume, then wrongly assumed what costume it is. Great! You’ve broken the ice, but you’ve also managed to slightly insult them, as now they might have doubts about the quality of their costume. Also, they’ll probably doubt the original sentiment of your compliment, since you don’t even know who they’re supposed to be, so how much do you really like their costume? Sheesh! But, to each their own, I guess, I just find that if the work is good, they’ll come to you, without you having to Jedi mind-trick them into buying your stuff. And speaking of Jedis…
Ok, but you don’t know what you’re missing.
*DON’T GO TO THE DARK SIDE!
For the first convention I attended as a featured guest, my table was placed directly next to Rob Granito. Yes, THAT Rob Granito. In addition to my being completely green as to how to successfully set up a display or what audiences were interested in, the guy at the table next to me was the worst convention neighbour you could have. Loud. Pushy. Even directly insulting. And the worst part of it all: he was cleaning up. He must have made hundreds and hundreds of dollars that weekend, all with crude ripoffs of the work of others. He’d lie about his resume, directly to customers who took him at face value. How could they pass up an opportunity to buy art from the one of the makers of the Batman Animated Series, who had ghosted for no less than Bill Watterson, and had enjoyed a lengthy run on the Legends of the Dark Knight comics series?
This convention was before he had been outed as a con artist of singular magnitude, so I wasn’t sure if some or all of his claims about his resume might be true (of course, they weren’t). But I did recognize the swipes, as they were from all of my favourite artists. Tim Sale, George Perez, Ethan Van Sciver, John Byrne, and on and on. As I struggled to make even a handful of sales that weekend, I could see the money pouring in to his table. He’d drone on and on about the meals he would have that night, and I’d fret about the costs of ours, piled on top of the plane tickets to bring us to the convention.
Adding literal insult to injury, he would openly mock me to his customers, letting them know how few sales I’d made, suggesting different ‘tricks’ to try to make some money for myself. Inside, I boiled. And I went to the Dark Side. I became completely utterly desperate to make sales, my eyes darting to the customers plaintively, like in an ad for the humane society (all of which just made people steer clear of my table even more). I became consumed, inwardly, with resentment toward the cheater beside me. It was, without a doubt, the worst convention experience I have ever had. But, I count myself as lucky, because, no matter what, I’ll never have an experience that bad again.
I’ve been next to some doozies since, but no one as belligerent and dishonest as Rob Granito. I learned so much about what not to do at a convention, and at each show, I learn a little more about what works, what an audience wants, So now, when a table next to me is doing a lot better than me, sales-wise, I let it roll off my back–or even feel grateful that they’re attracting enough of a crowd that people have a better shot at seeing my stuff. Sometimes I’m fortunate enough to be the busy table. Sometimes it’s slow. But I’ve never had a day at a show where I didn’t at least make ONE sale. And since that convention with Granito, using the lessons I learned there, I’ve never done another convention where I didn’t turn a profit, however small. So the point of all this isn’t to say “think you’re having a bad convention?–I HAD TO SIT NEXT TO ROB GRANITO!” but only to say that going to the Dark Side, and getting resentful of the success of people around you doesn’t help anything. What does help is having a display that can catch the eye of the people gathered at a nearby table. Staying positive and confident, so that the customer doesn’t see panic in your eye. And knowing that no matter how the con is going in a given moment, the next moment can go better, the next day, the next show.
The same goes if the show itself is disorganized. Not every show runs smoothly. Some of them can be pretty messy, and the organizers have a million things to worry about. So don’t take some form of lack personally. Just deal with it. I’ve had times where I ordered two chairs and only received one. Know what I did? Walked to a conference room and carried a chair to my booth. Convention didn’t give you a receipt, for the third straight year, despite requesting one? Just use your PayPal confirmation as a receipt. Perks like free water, or per diem are always nice, but so long as you got what you actually paid for, a table at a show, a convention doesn’t owe you anything. The better shows will stick around, and the ones that have problems every year seem to have a way of disappearing. YOU are the main decider of how your convention experience goes.
See? Good as new.
*MONEY, MONEY, MONEY (MONEY)!
As with the other topics, there are lots of ways of dealing with money at the convention. But here are some of my tips:
* BANK IT!
I go to the bank before each day at the convention, to make sure I have enough change, and also to have some walking around money for lunch or shopping so I’m not cutting into my float. I also go to the bank at the end of each day, (to get the next day’s change float) and deposit the money I’ve made so that I’m not worried about carrying it around with me all weekend, or worrying about it getting lost with my luggage. It’s also good because the bank receipts can be an extra way of keeping track of your sales.
Maybe avoid this bank, though. Nice guy, but not a lot of business sense.
* AUTOMATIC SYSTEMATIC! I don’t want to publicly get into the system I have worked out for the show (too many bandits reading this blog trying to get my lucky charms) but make sure you have a system in place for making change and storing money. Lots of people use lockable cash boxes, for instance. Whatever you do, do it consistently.
It might not be portable, but I’ve also never been ripped off.
* LISTEN TO ME NOW AND PAY ME LATER!
The same goes for the little things, like remembering if a customer has already paid. Either take the money after you do a drawing, or before, but do it the same way every time. I prefer waiting until after I draw it, but whatever works for you.
Timely reference.
* I’M THE TAXMAN. YEAH, I’M THE TAXMAN!
I bet his shirts are custom.
Keep every receipt. I keep a dedicated, zippered pocket in my briefcase bag for this exact purpose, so I can keep track of all my expenditures related to a show. It makes things SO much easier at tax time, and you’d be surprised how the little things add up–and how big of a difference that makes when declaring your convention income. Oh, yeah–I declare my convention income, even though it’s often a cash-only thing. No judgment here if you differ, but signing my name to things is a big deal for me, so when I submit my taxes and say this is truly all the money I’ve made in a year, I want it to be as true as I can make it. So keep your receipts!
*HELP, I NEED SOMEBODY, HELP, NOT JUST ANYBODY!
One of the most important factors in how much fun you have at a con is whether or not you can get someone to help you. Sometimes there’s just no good option–you’re alone in town, and you have to do the convention all by yourself. This isn’t the worst thing, but, man, it’s not as good as having a buddy there to help you. Here are some tips on how to help your helper help you.
Good helpers are priceless, which is in part why they are unpaid.
* TALK TALK (AGAIN!).
Being a helper is a weird, thankless job, and it’s not for everybody. I’ve had great friends try it and have it not go so well, and have had virtual strangers do it, and make a huge, wonderful difference. But the experience can go a lot smoother between you and your helper when you’re clear about what you need help with. In my case, the main things I get a helper to help me out with are: setting up, getting me food during the con, covering bathroom breaks, or, in rare cases, covering my table when I run off to do a photo op, or see a panel. The rest of the time is theirs, but we stay in contact in case there’s a weird emergency (and of course, the more time they spend with me at the table, the more fun I have, because my friend is there). So, it can be tough when your helper also had their heart set on going to that panel! That’s why I always discuss these things in advance so that nobody is bummed out or inconvenienced.
*Reward them!
For being my helper, here’s what you’re guaranteed:
A free pass into the show
People will stop you on the street and say “nice lanyard.”
All food during the show paid for by me
Only the best for my team.
Any print or artwork (of mine) that interests them, on the house
You’re so predictable.
Free storage of their other con purchases at my table (so they don’t have to lug everything around all day
Take a load off, Fanny.
Take a load for free.
Take a load off, Fanny.
And you put the load right on me.
Supper out with me the evening after the show. Whatever I’m eating (usually steak, which I’ll get into later) you’re getting too.
Whether you want it or not!
Honestly, this is all the LEAST I can do, because of the difference it makes to me to have that help at the show. And like I said, it’s a weird, hard job, and it lasts all day. When your table is busy, you can go over an hour without chatting, and that’s a drag. Plus a really great helper will help you stay positive, be friendly, chat with the people in line, or even handle weird things that come up. At the last con I did, I was lucky enough to have a pretty long line. But as the line grew, I ended up needing someone to hand out numbers to keep the order straight, because we had some issues with figuring out which person was next for a drawing. If I had been on my own, I never would have been able to organize things, and keep drawing. Sometimes a helper can even save you from The aforementioned Dark Side. I didn’t know my helper before the convention I did last year in Winnipeg, and he ended up being one of the most positive and upbeat people I’ve ever met. Even when I’d be grumbling about being weirded out by how physically affectionate the people at the Furry booth near us were
“I assume some are good people.”
(or something–who can remember?!) he’d just brighten my mood with a well placed “to each their own, I guess!” It’s good to have an angel on your shoulder rather than the alternative.
*THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT, EXCEPT WHEN THEY’RE NOT! I love meeting people at these cons. Their generosity of wanting my artwork is why I’m able to keep doing these shows, and earning money for my family. So I really am there to serve them. So while there are some versions of characters I prefer, or others, I do get tired of drawing (that darn Loki’s movie costume is just so detailed and ornate!) or, even characters that I think are really dumb–none of that matters. I really am there to serve the customer, and give them a drawing they like, regardless of whether it’s not to my tastes. I have to try to stay sharp, and make each drawing as good or better than the last, because, if I have someone waiting for a drawing in line, and they peek at what I’m working on and think it sucks, well, then my line is going to disappear pretty darn fast.
Step right up!
HOWEVER… Everything has to be within reason, and there are times when I have to turn down a request. For the most part, so long as I communicate clearly why I’m turning it down, this has been ok. I’m pretty squeamish, and want my work to be family-oriented so I tend to eschew gory characters or horror stuff, for the most part. So, no zombies.
Sorry–you either, Dracula.
I have been asked more than once to draw nude artwork, which I won’t do, even if people offer extra money (which they have).
No, not even for you, Gwyneth.
Though I used to do it very early into my convention appearances, I usually turn people down when they ask me to draw from a photo on a phone. There are a few reasons for this, the main one being: they don’t often turn out well. When a person is in front of me, I know how they look, and can get them to hold a pose that’s easy to sketch. But working from a photo, there’s no way to know how well the photo represents the subject, the lighting can be weird, the angle tricky to draw, and on and on–and the last thing I want is someone unhappy with their drawing once I give it to them. The other reason I won’t draw from phones is because I think it’s unfair to the people waiting in line behind them in person to have to wait while I draw somebody who didn’t come. So unless it’s an extreme case, I usually just give people my card, and say that I can do a drawing from a photo privately, but not at the convention.
Come on, we talked about this.
These are just my habits, if you want to draw naked people, or gross-out horror stuff, or draw from phones, more power to you, but know your line, and stick to it. I have found that when I let mine bend, the work suffers anyway. So be polite, and have a heart for service, but be firm when you need to be.
*OTHER WEIRD TIPS!
Because I’m sitting the whole day drawing, for the slow periods, I usually like to stand at my table rather than sit. If things go well, it might be the only time you have outside of your chair, so why not use it to stretch out. If not, then it makes it easier to smile at passers-by.
Hello…and goodbye.
As you’re drawing, make sure you’re centred in your chair. Sometimes I get so focused on what I’m doing, I don’t realize I’m all twisted around or on the edge of my chair until the next day when I’m super sore.
Based on a true story.
Rubber or silicone pencil holders sure help my fingers from getting too sore clenching my pencil all day as I draw
Always have way too much gum on hand. Convention halls can be hot, stuffy places, and the food available there is usually pretty rich (which is a nice way of saying greasy). Minty fresh breath goes a long way in giving your customer a pleasant visit, and chewing gum can also stave off hunger and thirst in case it’s a long time between bites or sips.
Did I mention hand sanitizer yet? Well even if I did, it’s a must for the show. All day you’re drawing with smudgy graphite, and handling other people’s cash. Try to mitigate the germs by liberal use of hand sanitizer!
Unfortunately it won’t do anything about that creepy feeling you get when your table is placed near the furries.
I take a picture of each person I draw during a convention. Originally this was to keep a rough track of how many I sold in a day, but now it’s become quite a popular feature of my Facebook page. Each day I try to post up the pictures, and it’s awesome to see how many people tag themselves, or share the images. Plus, it might even make other people aware of your presence at the convention, and get them to stop by. ALWAYS ASK PERMISSION FIRST! There are lots of people who prefer not to have their photo taken, for lots of reasons. Don’t make a big deal about it if they don’t want their photo taken.
Don’t let this happen to you! Always ask permission.
Coming in the next post: FOOD! What to pack for snacks, convenience vs. healthy choices and a list of some of my personal favourite spots. Thanks for reading, I love you!