Happy Monday y’all!
I just returned from a crazy and ridiculously fast trip to the San Diego Comic Con. I hadn’t been since 2008 and was stunned by just how much the show and attendees have changed. The sheer volume of people that attend Comic Con is staggering! Over 120,000 folks of all shapes, sizes, colors, planets, etc. flooded the San Diego Convention Center and spilled out into the surrounding areas including the tents just outside the hall (which are now designated for lining up for panels/signings) and the streets of the Gaslamp District.
We arrived in San Diego on Friday a little after 10 in the morning and after a quick shower/change I headed out to the convention center to pick up my badge and meet up with my agent pal Will for lunch. We had a great time, and a few drinks, and then I headed back to brave the crowds of the convention. The drinks helped some with that. I checked out the floor for a bit and then went off to my first signing of the show at the Arcana Studio booth for The Unemployment Adventures of Aqualung. I signed alongside the very talented Scott Kinney which was a lot of fun. Here’s a hilarious pic/tweet from the awesome Cory Edwards:
That night my good pal Lex Fajardo and I decided to check out the Eisner Awards. It was the first time either of us had done so despite many years of attending the con and I feel it’s safe to say we both enjoyed the festivities. We saw some friends and colleagues win awards and even got to see Captain Adama himself, Edward James Olmos, present one of the awards. Only at Comic Con…
Saturday was a double whammy as I had 2 appearances to attend: The Cartoon Art Museums annual Sketch-A-Thon and a second signing at the Arcana booth. The Cartoon Art Museums sketch-a-thon has been a blast every year I’ve participated and this year was absolutely no exception as I was joined by the incredible talents of Debbie Huey and Eric Shanower! I was asked to draw my version of a Punisher-style skull, a Robbie Racer for one mans sons birthday (Happy Birthday Oliver!) and decided to doodle this fella too:
After the Sketch-A-Thon I raced over to my 2nd and final signing for The Unemployment Adventures of Aqualung. This time around I signed alongside the very cool, fellow rockabilly enthusiast Dave Parkin. We had some fun and lively conversation and, as mutual admirers of each others work, you may even be seeing a collaborative project or two from us in the future. It was during this signing that every last copy of Aqualung that the publisher had brought was sold! I was amazed and delighted by the reception and interest in the book. Here I am signing one of the last copies for a “fan”:
All in all I had such a fantastic time with my industry buddies (both old and new), our good friend Jen who was a lovely and gracious host and my wonderful fiancé who makes me feel as though anything and everything is possible. I came home with little sleep and several new contacts and possibilities for new work. The rest of 2013 and next year should be a very exciting time!
Keep on truckin’!
alexschumacherart.com 