Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Artist Alley Tips, pt. 90
I started to post some tips to David Lewis in the comments, and then realized I could squeeze a post out of it. It's also really to me and the other Mercury astronauts, because we need to remember all this as the summer convention season revs up.
First, you ain't smelt Nothing unless you attended the old NY conventions at the Javits Center! Some particularly ripe fans who exuded Campbell's soup as my pal Chris would say.Okay, I admit that wasn't helpful.
My suggestions: suffer no fools. If you get some sweats-wearing shmoe who's just using you for a sounding board, tell him to beat it, post-haste. These creatures will drive away the nice folks in droves. You'll be doing the normals a favor.
Have a give-away thingy or quick sketch for every kid you see. This helps build a civil atmosphere. Really it's always good to have a free item like posters or bookmarks for the Giant Bag crowd who come just to get freebies. It sends them on their way fast without you having to waste anymore of your voice.
Oddly, I've had the big mainstream/little indy show nuisances switch on me, I guess to keep me on my toes. There was this one guy at SPX and another little show who kept bringing me sketchbooks asking me to draw superheroes in them. Then when I'd make a modest suggestion that he try my self-published gn, he'd answer "whoa-ho, wish I had the money, gotta watch the wallet here, etc." After I spent real time on his damn book, too! God help me when he finds out I'm writing a Fantastic Four book. And then I've been at big, intercom-crazy, wrestling-match-featuring Wizard shows where people sought me out for the independent work I've done, and come back even after missing me at the table (I go walkies a lot).
I've always liked that Wondercon forms ask if there's anyone you DON'T want to sit next to. They all should do that. Because I remember those guys with the bullhorns and boomboxes, and work to get far from them.
I'll try to think of more. Lieber didn't mention it, but he's big on carrying hand sanitizer to shows, that's a good one.
--posted by PARKER--
First, you ain't smelt Nothing unless you attended the old NY conventions at the Javits Center! Some particularly ripe fans who exuded Campbell's soup as my pal Chris would say.Okay, I admit that wasn't helpful.
My suggestions: suffer no fools. If you get some sweats-wearing shmoe who's just using you for a sounding board, tell him to beat it, post-haste. These creatures will drive away the nice folks in droves. You'll be doing the normals a favor.
Have a give-away thingy or quick sketch for every kid you see. This helps build a civil atmosphere. Really it's always good to have a free item like posters or bookmarks for the Giant Bag crowd who come just to get freebies. It sends them on their way fast without you having to waste anymore of your voice.
Oddly, I've had the big mainstream/little indy show nuisances switch on me, I guess to keep me on my toes. There was this one guy at SPX and another little show who kept bringing me sketchbooks asking me to draw superheroes in them. Then when I'd make a modest suggestion that he try my self-published gn, he'd answer "whoa-ho, wish I had the money, gotta watch the wallet here, etc." After I spent real time on his damn book, too! God help me when he finds out I'm writing a Fantastic Four book. And then I've been at big, intercom-crazy, wrestling-match-featuring Wizard shows where people sought me out for the independent work I've done, and come back even after missing me at the table (I go walkies a lot).
I've always liked that Wondercon forms ask if there's anyone you DON'T want to sit next to. They all should do that. Because I remember those guys with the bullhorns and boomboxes, and work to get far from them.
I'll try to think of more. Lieber didn't mention it, but he's big on carrying hand sanitizer to shows, that's a good one.
--posted by PARKER--
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