Con and On

Recent conventions and other cool news...

TYPOS AHEAD PROBABLY!

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Before I talk about my recent convention adventures, I have a few really cool things to announce!

Yep, it is finally here! The Big Guns Stupid Rednecks collected edition from Source Point Press! Written by me, with art/colors from Mariana Meira, and letters from John Ira Thomas! It is currently on preorder for comic shops!

Here is the order code:

Then, besides that… in a few weeks, I will be launching a Kickstarter for Hospice: The Collector. A new horror comic in the shared universe of Hospice, written by me with art by Trey Baldwin! You can sign up to be notified on launch here: www.kickstarter.com/projects/austinhamblin/hospice-the-collector

A lot of videos today… This year I’ve been to 4 comic conventions already! 2 as a guest, 1 with a table, and one to roam around. I want to talk about the cool things that happened.

First up is the Cedar Falls Comic Con! This is super local to me, and it was rad not to have to travel or drive 2 hours to do a con. I got to sleep in and in my own bed! This was the first year for the con (though one of the promoters has been doing another show for years). They had some really rad media guests, but I didn’t know what to expect. When it’s the first time for something, it is always a crap shoot.

It was so great. A lot of people on Saturday! My table was right as people walked in, and I crushed it! I got tons of email sign-ups and sold the most comics I've ever had! I did amazing. I was actually running out of comics!

I’m going to let you in on something. I never do well at cons. I always have, but I never sell that much. This show was different for me. It felt amazing!

Since the show was local, a lot of people came just to see me… Above is a photo of friends Chris and Alex (no, we aren’t related). I saw a lot of friends and felt so supported. It was seriously an amazing weekend. I also got to talk to a young comic creator from the area. I told him I started the same way he had. Making my own comics and having my mom drive me to cons.

I also talked to these two guys who came back to my table on Sunday just to chat. The day before, they had bought some stuff. We talked about work, movies, car games, just about whatever. They told me I was one of the few people who just talked to them and wasn’t trying to constantly sell them something. I thought about that, and a friend told me one of the best things I have going for me is how I have genuine interactions with people at cons. I don’t see them as customers, I just see them as fellow nerds who are passionate like I am. People have more value than what they buy from you.

The next weekend, I was a guest at Tri-City con in Grand Island, Nebraska. I also killed it at this show. I had a lot of people coming up saying, “I bought (insert comic) from you last year. What do you have that's new?” Let me tell you how fucking validating that is. Sometimes they would buy the new thing before I could even tell them what it was about. They just liked my writing so much they didn’t care. What an amazing feeling that was. I’m tearing up as I write this. I’m a big softie I know.

On Saturday night, I was a judge for Dylan’s Drink and Draw. It’s a game show-type thing that requires no skill for drawing. Drinks, food, prizes, and tons of fun! I met a bunch of new people at the event and just had a good hang with friends! What can beat that?

I also had an amazing interaction with a young fellow. I don’t want to go into too many details, but in many ways, he was me when I was his age. We had a very emotional moment where I think he felt seen and understood. He asked for a hug, and I gave him one. That is what this is all about. I haven’t written for Marvel or DC, but I have been able to have a positive impact on people’s lives. How amazing is that? Ok, now I’m crying…

On the way home, I had to pull over because of blizzard conditions. I would’ve made money if I hadn’t had to get a hotel and the extra day of food. I made the right choice, though. The next day, on my drive home, I counted over 75 cars or semis in the ditch..

Third was C2E2 in Chicago. I didn’t set up at this show, but I got to do something even better. I took my two nieces to their first comic convention. My sister and her husband also came with. It was such a full-circle thing for me. My sister and her husband took me to my first anime convention. Then, years later, my brother-in-law took me to my first big comic convention in Chicago. Wizard World 2012 was the best time I have had at any con ever.

We went through the short box of single issues I’d been giving my youngest niece and pulled out stuff for her to get autographed. They were all beaten to hell and well read. The way comics should be. My older niece loved seeing the people in costumes. A good time was had by all.

I also got to catch up with some old friends, meet some people in person, and meet some creators whose work I love.

The last con was at the Rod Library on the University of Northern Iowa campus in Cedar Falls. I had realized in Grand Island that I needed to get a decent table setup. I’ve been doing cons since 2013, and usually just plop my books down. It’s a work in progress still, but the signs and tablecloth went a long way.

Remember how I said I never make money at cons? I made money at this one as well. People were coming up who had bought stuff at the Cedar Falls con and wanted more. I don’t know what it is. Maybe I’ve been doing this long enough that my sales pitch and interactions are getting better. I don’t care what it is, I’ll take it.

Anyways enjoy your Sunday, folks. Don’t be a dick! If you want to follow me on social media you can do so here: https://linktr.ee/austinallenhamblin