Hello and welcome to the Screen Tones, where we talk anything and everything webcomics! Today we’re going to be talking about these crazy events that happen sometimes when webcomic artists can meet each other and their readers…. in real life??? Wild! That’s right, we’re talking about Conventions!

This is the beginning of a two-part series. We’re going to cover the basics of tabling at a convention from the perspective of a webcomic artist! How do you find out about and decide which shows to attend? What do you bring? Let’s dive in and talk about it!

What conventions and events have you have you found that worked best for you?

Some tips for beginners.

Starting small can help you find the right event. Look for local events, or events that are focused on comics or art, independent artists or even the genre that your webcomic falls into. Toronto Comic Arts Festival is a favourite of many Screen Tones members. Look beyond the large comic conventions and you’ll find smaller events like zine-fests, art fairs, and such.

Make sure you are aware of the costs and your budget. The larger the convention, the higher the cost tends to be for travel, transportation and even the fee for renting a table. To help cut costs, consider sharing a table with another artist.

Also keep in mind the application process for each convention you have in mind. The world of conventions is growing increasingly competitive so knowing the acceptance process and requirements can help you better gauge the likelihood of your acceptance and prepare to apply.

How do you find conventions that you can apply to?

Social Media is a great way to hear about conventions. Having a good network of creators can help you get more leads on potential events. Facebook groups, Discord channels, and more are great sources of intel.

What kind of things do you prepare for the convention ahead of time?

Part of it is finding what sticks and works for you. Prints and stickers are everywhere and fairly inexpensive. Find things that fit and work together and give off the vibes you want and hopefully ties to your comic in some way. Don’t feel like you have to ONLY have items and art that is specific to your comic. Often more well known topics or things that anyone can understand like puns or fan art can pull in attention and give you an opener to telling people about your original work.

Having a theme for your table, whether genre or character or concept based, can help focus your table and avoid confusion because people will be able to know what you’re about with a quick glance. And when you’re at a convention, you have a small amount of time to draw attention before people pass you by, so making it clear and easy what you’re about will really help.

Now you have the merch, what else do you need?

• Have a secure way to accept and hold onto money. Something wearable is a good idea so you can keep it secure and next to you.
• You’ll want to bring a good amount of small bills/change to be able to break the first few customers you get in the day.
• Have something that enables credit card transactions.
• Device chargers!! Plan ahead for anything you need to plug in.
• Having a backdrop can help create a clear boundary of where your both starts and ends and keep more focus on your wares.
• 8 foot tablecloth is a good staple.
• Displays to pop your items up so people can see them from afar.
• Plastic sleeves for your art.
• Scissors, tape, sharpies, etc.
• Sharpies or some kind of way to sign prints in a permanent/fast drying way.
• A menu or some kind of pricing signs.
• BUSINESS CARDS. So people can find you. And/or a sign that includes your contact info in case you run out of business cards.

What should you NOT bring?

• Music. It’s loud enough, you don’t need to add to it.
• Start with the basics before you start adding magic waterfalls and forests to your displays.
• Don’t bring cheap and broken display holders. Set up before hand, and make sure it looks good and is sturdy. Stress test to make sure it will last.
• If you’re eating, make sure the food is not messy. Drinks have lids so it won’t spill.

What do you expect when you’re in the thick of it?

• You’re smiling a lot…prepare for cheek hurting.
• You won’t get a lot of breaks.
• Know what the volunteers are able to do for you.
• Scope out the building so you know where to get things you need.
• BUDDY SYSTEM to help.
• Have a pitch and info on where to find your comic.
• People will touch your stuff.
• Take notes on how you do: what sells, when it sells, etc.

Stay Tuned for Part 2

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Episode Release Date: July 20, 2022

Episode Credits:

Kristen Lee (@feathernotes) - she/they, ghostjunksickness.com lunarblight.com

Renie Jesanis (@renieplayerone) - she/they, kateblast.com

Christina Major (@delphina2k) - she/her, sombulus.com

Ally Rom Colthoff (@varethane) - she/they, chirault.sevensmith.net wychwoodcomic.com

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The Intro "DO IT (feat. Shia LaBeouf)", and the Outro "It's Good To See You Again!!", both by Adrianwave, have been used and modified in good faith under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Licensed. Edits include: Fade IN/OUT, and a repeat added to the beginning of "It's Good To See You Again!!". For more information on this creative commons use, please reference https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.