Happy 2020 fans! I hope that all of you had a great Christmas and New Year’s. As we begin a brand new decade, I first would like to take a look back at not just last month, but also the last decade of the 2010s (which also happens to be the birth of Carter Comics) with some of the highlights and lowlights of the Carter Comics Convention Circuit. From there, we’ll look forward as I list some event (con and non-con related), that I’m looking forward to experiencing this year.
The 2010s: It’s mind-boggling to me that we’re already 20 years into the 2000s, let alone going into a new decade. I actually don’t remember alot of people (including me) making a big deal out of the 2010s, but life is weird like that sometimes. Anyway, the second decade was a big year for me as both Carter Comics and my convention circuit started in July of that year at Anime Expo. Thanks to a good friend and co-worker at the time, I was invited to split a table three ways at this convention’s Artist Alley area. Armed with only a computer bag of my first professionally printed books, business cards, and a ziploc bag of change, I entered that show with much curiosity toward the overall exhibitor experience. I exited with not only a couple of my first sales ever, but also a hunger for just a piece of the convention life. Starting from two shows in 2010, and ending with 17 shows in 2019 (my record still holds at 24 shows in 2017), everything about my passion for storytelling and art helped me grow into a much more confident and observant salesperson. Adding display merchandise such as shelves, banners, business card holders, creating more comic content such as standard comics and trade paperbacks, having an open portfolio present on the table, sketching to draw in more customers, starting a mailing list, blogs like this one, weekly to bi-weekly agendas via facebook live audio, and most recently: exhibiting at my first out-of-state conventions by plane, which of course involved learning how to pack both convention supplies and personal items without paying through the roof for luggage. I’ve learned so much from other creators as well over the last 10 years, with those same creators becoming good friends of mine. I feel the same respect as an independent comic creator from my fellow Artist Alley colleagues and I have for them. Although we all run our own businesses, you feel like you’re with co-workers at a 1-3 day job that you absolutely love during conventions, comic shop signings, or art festivals. Last, but not least, the traveling is just as exciting as the conventions themselves. This is coming from a person who was born-and-raised on an island, and at one point, was terrified of flying due to hearing about too many plane crashes on the news. Now, I just live in the moment as I board a plane and think about what I’m going to see on my new adventure. So far, I’ve done just that in Las Vegas, Washington D.C., and Denver. Trust me, there are more adventures to come.
2020 and Beyond: The planning for the first Carter Comics Convention Circuit of the new decade began back in July, and as of this writing, I am booked for 8 conventions so far. Of those shows, the conventions that I’m the most excited for: my first show of the year at Pasadena Comic Con, the new Simi Valley Toy and Comic Fest on February 9th, San Diego Comic Fest on March 6-8, Wondercon in Anaheim on April 10-12, another new Toy and Comic Fest in Ventura, and the two Amazing Comic Conventions in Las Vegas, Nevada June 26-28, and in my home state of Honolulu, Hawaii February 21-23. I am currently working on my next comic: “Doom and Gloom,” my third 12-page Cosmic Force Prequel that I would like to have completed in time for my biggest show of the year at Wondercon. That will give me two new books to promote and sell at that show (along with the recently completed Damn Tourists #5: East Coast California). I am also in the planning stages of producing some new Carter Comics merchandise: Screen-printed T-Shirts and a matching card game starring my recently-retired Mr. Figure-of-Speech Mongoose character. My merchandise goal for 2020 is to have the “Damn Tourists” series caught up with the “Cosmic Force” series by number of issues. With the C-Force at six issues currently, that means I’ll need to pump out one more issue of DT to even them out for now. My overall business goal for the year is to improve my relationship with my current fans/customers with new and engaging content, so that they will not only keep reading Carter Comics, but also tell their friends about it (and me). Gaining new fans is a given and will happen organically at shows, but keeping the fans that I have is more important to me.
Well, that is it for the first month of 2020. When you return here for February, you’ll get a recap of my first show in Pasadena this coming weekend, my “Professional” experience at Long Beach Comic Expo, supporting a friend’s new comic shop also in Long Beach, and my preparations for cons in Simi Valley, and especially my business trip/homecoming to Oahu, Hawaii for Amazing Comic Con Aloha. See you next month!
Allen Carter
Carter Comics