Behind the Wall of Prints

So this is a going on. Something I feel strongly about so I am emerging from my cave to talk about it. That being: FAN ART/PRINT VENDORS AT COMIC SHOWS.

This past May I was at Motor City Con. I was sandwiched between two large print sellers. I sold prints as well, but at a corner of my booth. Majority of my sales were prints, original art, commissions. The bulk of my table space was my books. Despite my efforts to focus on only the books I own and have self published, I didn't sell one book at the show. Here was my setup:

As you can see: 3/4ths of my table real estate was dedicated to my books.

I never wanted to do prints. But I did it because all my friends were doing it and they were selling. I was coached into it by a good close friend who was doing it, along with his own books. So the next year I went for it. Amazingly, I quadrupled my profits! Like, WOW! This is working! But I made it a policy to not make a huge banner or display behind me with the prints only, but only promote MY comics. And when people would come up, I'd only try to pitch my books and not the prints. But inevitably, people would like my prints more and get those. No problem. At least a part of my art, my "take" on these pop culture characters would be going home with them.

I talked myself into it because it supported my investment in going to the shows. Its expensive anymore! You got $150-450 table costs, banners, printing of the books and things, hotel, gas, food, spending money, coke and whore money...  anyway, it all adds up. It was easy to use the excuse. I talked other friends into doing it. I had long conversations with friends that were doing it. They all said the same thing:

"Hey, its what they want. Its my job to provide what they want."

And you know what, they were right. I pitched my books and people only want things they know. Gone are the days where people want to go to artist alley to discover the "next big thing." They prefer the instagram world of fan art mashups. And I did it. I didn't just draw Galactus. I tried to put some of my personality into it. I drew him drinking the world like a slurpee.

But over the last few years I've seen people pop up in artist alley that have these massive backdrop of prints hanging. They put them on the backs too, to get people to come around to the front of their booth, interfering with those behind them. A fuckin' bush league dick move, if you ask me. I've had neighbors extend prints into my real estate behind my table. I tried to be cool about it. Last thing I need to see is my name plastered in a Bleeding Cool article about two fanboy artists get into artist alley fight. My balls are big but not that big.

But who has big balls? An artist known as BUZZ! He's been calling out scam artists. Now he's calling for a real comic book artists and publishers to occupy artist alley and make print vendors buy a dealer booth. Read the story and the reactions right HERE

I also have friends that run comic conventions. Some of them are adopting a "NO PRINT ARTISTS" policy for their alley and are getting shit for it. But I believe they are fighting the good fight.

We live in a world where everyone is fighting for attention. And at a thing like a comic con, a person is bombarded with images. Hundreds of images a second. Its overkill on the brain. Its really hard to stand out! Check it out:

Look at all that image bombardment! And those are just three tables in an alley! Think about a whole alley dedicated to it! A person selling just their books or original works is certainly lost at sea. Literally.

I don't want to call anyone out. Moreover, I understand why they are doing it. Simple: DEMAND. People want these prints. I don't get it, nor do I support it. But I get trying to survive as an artist. You do what you have to do.

But this has opened the door to scam artists, passing other people's work as their own. Unique takes and voices on these pop culture characters give way to "awesome pose" mentality. People at cons go to celebrate their fandom now. They all go in costume. The clientele has changed.

This past Motor City Con, honestly, I didn't enjoy myself. I was overwhelmed by the crowds and none of them paid us COMIC BOOK artists any mind at all. It was a frustrating experience trying to stand out and also deal with the changed mentality of it all. Gone are the reasons I liked going to shows. All my friends seemed tired and cranky with it all. I resigned to the idea that I was "retiring" from comics. That I was just going to do indie comic shows from now on. Also: I was retiring the prints. I sold them off for $5 a piece to just get rid of them. I'm tired of dealing with them. I make BOOKS. I illustrate and write things. That is what makes me happy to do what I do. And I am going to go where the crowds want people like that. What comic cons have become? This celebration of fandom... its not me.

And other artists are starting to cry foul now. Like Buzz. And honestly, I applaud them for it. However, what will not change is the mentality of the fan. Right now anyway. Once pop culture shifts and the crowds dwindle, you'll see a return to the artists alleys of old. But for now, it is what it is. And I've checked out on it. I've found outlets where people want BOOKS! Like Kickstarter. Or indie comics shows. That is now my focus. Cause that is what I want out of it. I don't want to be a print artist.

To me, its like being in a cover band. You can dress like the popular band, put on a good show and have fun with it. I get it. You're a fan too and you want to share that love with like minded people. But I think I prefer to write my own music that would barely sell because I am a no-name. To me, that is a more fulfilling life. I've made something. I've put it out into the world. I contributed to the big book of humanity. Its that journey in art that gets me off. Whatever this is, the wall of print people... not me.

I don't begrudge anyone who is coming to it HONESTLY and doing it. I have friends that do it. But majority of them also sell their own comics with it. It supplements the income and pays the bills so they can do their real art. They've found a loophole in the system. And good on them for reading the customer base and being smart about it. Cause I think they'd rather be just self publishing. We ALL would, I think! But until the mentality of the consumer changes, we're stuck with what is. So we can either play the game or get out.

Or pave our own way.

Speaking of paving our own way and things that are rewarding:

This arrived in the mail yesterday. The proof copy to my book launched independently, via Kickstarter funding. The highest pre-sold comic I have ever published. A female friendly erotica comic that I am goddamn proud of. No major sales of prints of characters I don't own comes close to the feeling I have when I held this book in my hand yesterday.

Consider that.

And to the folks who search for the true passion to be found in comics/artist alleys: We're out there. If you look beyond the walls, look very closely, you will see us. And no matter what, we'll always be there.

Cause we don't know what else to do with this life.

--T