Greetings fans!
After a month-long gap between conventions, I returned to the con-grind (kind of) with an appearance at the Mighty Morphin Power Ranger celebration known as "Power Morphicon." The show took place last Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at the Anaheim Convention Center. As this is a show that's far out of my comfort zone due to my lack of Power Ranger knowledge and interest, the dangling carrot that enticed me to try out a vendor spot there was CAPS (Comic Arts Professional Society) offering free table space to members at their booth. As a member, I volunteered for a Noon-3 pm shift, and took only two sets of books with alot of sketching paper for Power Ranger commissions. This setup worked out fine for me, as we had two tables for four members to man throughout the three day show, and I didn't need that much space for my material. Since the fandom here was so specific, I didn't expect to sell too many of my books like other general conventions (I wound up not selling any), but I did do a sketch of the Red Ranger helmet for an attendee. Unfortunately, this was the only sale of anything I had in the two days I did the show (Saturday and Sunday). That's ok with me though, as the table was free, and I had some great conversations with both my fellow CAPS members, and the few attendees that stopped by our booth.
Travelling back and forth to the convention was the other story. As some of you may or may not know, I've been no stranger to Anaheim since 2011 when I exhibited at what was then the Wizard World convention before Wondercon moved to the Anaheim Convention Center the following year, where it remains today. While Wondercon is my biggest show of the year, where I usually drive down there to stay at a nearby hotel over the course of the three-day event to stay close to the show in order to avoid parking headaches and fees, this relatively new, smaller, and genre-specific show didn't really call for a commitment that large. Adding to the fact that I was only appearing there for three hours on Saturday and Sunday with a merchandise setup so small I carried it in two Trader Joe's bags, I decided to forgo using my car and opted instead to Metro Rail, Metrolink, and Lyft-it to the convention. For those of you new to the Los Angeles public transportation scene, this means that I took the Red Line Subway from my place in North Hollywood to Union Station in Downtown LA, then transferred to the Orange County Metrolink Commuter Train line from Union Station to the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (a large commuter train and bus hub), and from there took a 2.6 mile lyft ride to the convention center. Unfortunately since Metrolink only runs four trains on the weekends, and I left the convention at three (three hours before the last train of the day arrives), I instead used an LA Metro bus that picked me up a few blocks from Anaheim Convention Center (after a hearty lunch of pizza, pasta, and beers on two separate days), and took be back to Downtown LA, where I could reconnect with the subway at the 7th Street Metro Center Station. While the ride back was long, and the lyft connection there from the commuter train added up in price, it was well worth it to avoid driving on the 5 Freeway, looking for, and paying for parking at ACC. I would gladly do it again under the same event circumstances.
Well, before I go for the week, I will leave you with my updated convention schedule for the rest of the year, and some other goodies. I recently got an email from a free convention I had done two years before that didn't result in very good crowds or sales, but had a very attentive and friendly staff. Turns out the panels and workshops got more attention than the vendor hall itself, so I signed up for one. We'll see what happens for me during year three. So without further adieu, are the last FIVE shows on the Carter Comics Convention Circuit, some photos from Power Morphicon, and of course, the latest Mongoose Movie Mondays in Motion illustration. This is an easy horror movie title (trust me).
Saturday September 15th
Open Arts and Music Festival Glendale
216 N Brand Blvd (Between California and Wilson Avenues)
3 PM to 10 PM
FREE ADMISSON!
Sunday September 16th
San Fernando Valley Comic Convention
11128 Balboa Blvd. (Granada Pavilion)
10 AM to 4 PM
$5.00 for teenagers and grown-folk; kids 12 and under are FREE!
Saturday September 29th
Reseda Rising Artwalk and Night Market
18118 Sherman Way (Between Etiwanda and Lindley Avenues)
5 PM to 10 PM
FREE ADMISSION!
Sunday September 30th
Santa Clarita Comic and Toy Expo
26455 Rockwell Canyon Rd. (College of the Canyons)
10 AM to 5 PM
$5.00 for teens and grown-folk; kids 10 and under are FREE!
Saturday October 20th
Comic Book Invasion
5655 Jillson St. (City of Commerce Public Library)
10 AM to 3 PM
FREE ADMISSON!
Have a great week!
Regards,
Allen Carter
Carter Comics