The Never-Ending Carnival

Once again I've found myself standing at the edge of another solstice, looking back on all that has happened. It's been made known before on this blog that I tend to get somewhat downtrodden with the end of the summer season. For better or for worse my time of reflection (and future planning) has fallen to that brief area between August and September. Usually that would be the case as it has been over many years, but this year was different. 2014 has been a year to push my resolve, to prove to myself that I'm more than just a dreamer.

2013 marked a lot of tenth anniversaries for me. From simply graduating, to getting my driver's license, or even when I met some of my friends for the first time, ten years ago life was very different for yours truly. Most importantly though it was one decade ago that marked the first time I'd ever go to a convention in my life. I went to Otakon 2003, literally carrying my artwork with me in a garbage bag, somehow hoping to land an art related job. It's hard to describe, but those inaugural days almost always felt like a never-ending carnival.

With the advent of a new decade in conventions, I felt that I required a new approach on how I do things. Not too much different mind you, but I've made the decision to take a far more proactive role with my art and with this blog. If I am ever to see my dreams become a reality then I have to take the plunge and strive to make a difference in my life. I carried this mindset with me into the two big conventions I did this month (Otakon 21 and Gencon Indy 11) and I will say it made quite the difference from my ten year's worth of past experiences.

The Line Ride

Before we get started, I think some context and perspective is in order for everything I'm about to detail. Since 2003 (Otakon 10) I have regularly attended Otakon without fail. I live just south of Baltimore, where Otakon has been held for years, so going to the convention has never really been a problem. On the Thursday before the con begins an early badge pickup is held for those looking to avoid the insane lines of the following Friday. Usually this whole thing has been well organized and would happen with practically no incidents to speak of.

That wasn't the case this year as it seemed like everything going on with the badge pickup was a test of patience. For those who were in that (now infamous) line waiting hours on end to get what you paid for, you know how frustrating everything was. The layout was confusing, staff had poor communication among attendees/themselves, and if you had the misfortune of showing up past 7:00 pm (like I did) then you didn't even get to walk away with your badge. Yup, you read that right. Needless to say the surprisingly lackluster display of professionalism was taxing for a lot of us, with many demanding their registration membership refunded, or taking to Twitter and Facebook to voice their complaints. Rightfully so too if you ask me, seeing as how the line had been shut down for an entire half-hour before it was scheduled to without anyone (including staff) in the line knowing none the better. While I do understand that problems with their internet connection was to blame, the lack of communication with staff and con-goers was unacceptable. When you've got thousands of people waiting in line to acquire something they already paid for, at least keep them informed with accurate information. You owe them that much.

It was only because I had been delayed in going home that I was able to witness the Otakon staff doing what they could to make the situation right. After taking close to an hour to address attendees, who felt they were owed an explanation as to what happened, the con chairman Andy Earnhardt came out and publicly apologized for any and all inconveniences experienced. In their defense I will say that they did give those who were still present "Jump the Line" passes that would allow people to avoid the inevitably gargantuan Friday line and a free t-shirt. While it wasn't what we all came for (we wanted our damn badges!) at least it wasn't an extra hour in a urine soaked ball-pit.

Droppin' the Otabomb!

Hey kid! Want an apple?

By the Friday morning of Otakon, the atrocity that was Thursday night's line felt like it was a distant memory. With my "Jump the Line" pass in tow I was able to get my registration quickly and everything from there was as well organized as Otakon has been known for. Traffic was handled well with plenty of spots for people to take photos of cosplay, areas for those who needed to rest could sit down and gather themselves, and even the food courts (which usually never appear prepared for the con) had copious amounts of table space. Keeping everything copacetic at a convention can be pretty difficult sometimes and Otakon managed to turn things around from the night prior. As far as I could tell, everyone attending seemed to be pretty happy with how Otakon had organized the actual events, and I myself never ran into any problems, barring Thursday's line debacle.

In regards to the cosplay, I have to say that Otakon once again attracted some of the best cosplay on the east-coast convention scene. Tons of fans showed up with their costumes ready, and tragically I still don't have a very good camera to capture it all. Even so, I did manage to at least get a few decent snaps of some of the more notable cosplay.

Star Fire is digging the Otakon scene, even without a shovel.

Ari needs your help for another League battle.

This cosplay has been passed down the Armstrong line for generations!

Jafar thinks you're only second rate.

Who knew Scythers could be so sexy?

Rikku and Yuna traveled all the way from Spira.

These guys were apparently on a mission from God.

Pocahontas and Ariel certainly know how to pose.

Rangiku relaxes with the Otakon crowd.

Mako and Korra are ready to restore balance to the world.

A wild background character appeared behind Vaporeon!

Luna and Ms. Monochrome are BFFs.

Super Sonico rides in style.

Of course I had to get a pic with her. I mean c'mon!

Tifa Lockhart is easily one of my all-time favorite characters!

Aisha Clan Clan is another one of my all-time favorites!

I had the honor of meeting up with Peter S. Beagle once again!

Now if only I had the rest of the armor...

Hawkeye and Nick Jury team up with Gothic Lolita Deadpool. 

Figured I'd hang out with my girl Satsuki.

He's Having a Art Attack!

Sophie: created by The Art of Engineering.

While I did spend a good portion of my Friday cavorting about in the Dealer's Row (and the con in general) the real magic came on Saturday morning when I purchased some much coveted table space for myself in the Artist Alley. As a small bit of trivia (and to help put the matter into perspective) since I began acquiring space in the Artist Alley of cons that I've attended, it has always been graciously split or shared with someone else who usually has more notoriety than me in some way.

This year marked for the first time ever that I would have a table that was completely my own! Well in essence anyway, as my good friend Clear Skies sat behind my table as my assistant. For a long time it has lingered in the back of mind as to whether or not I had the chops to actually run a successful table all by my lonesome. In spite of my own niggling doubts (and even though I didn't have the greatest of setups) I put my nose to the grind, and managed to turn a relatively decent enough profit for Otakon!

Sadly though I don't possess the speed I would like to when it comes to my art, so I was limited in my capacity to get a lot of work done. If I would have had the table on Friday then I may have been able to get to more pieces, but such was not to be. Regardless of my own shortcomings, I was still able to take on quite a few patrons. Some of the commissions I got asked to do ranged anywhere from an original character concept a fellow artist created, to a kickass PvP character from Final Fantasy 14. I also got hit up to do things like a sexy dragon princess, an overly busty character from a popular anime, to (perhaps one of the silliest images I've ever been asked to do) a hot dog Andy Kaufman taking on a taco Jerry "The King" Lawler. Yes you read that last one right. Someone really did request that.

Jasmine: Soon to be a tattoo.

My stay in the alley also resulted in meeting up with plenty of friends, and old acquaintances. Some of these guys I hadn't seen in years, and it was great to shoot the bull and catch up on things. Awesome folk such as Juno Blair (creator of Star Crossed Destiny) Alex Ahad (creator of Skull Girls) and even the amazing John Staton all turned out for Otakon! I also got to meet up with Krazy Krow and Songbird (of Spinnerette fame) again, and we discussed the possibilities of me doing some more work for them in the near future! Of course no Otakon experience would be complete without hanging with the original cool cat himself, Jason "Crybringer" Robinson. Every time I chill with this guy is an awesome time, and he too got in on of the Artist Alley action by splitting a table with Alex.

One of the coolest bits was getting to meet Michelle Czajkowski, creator of the fantastic webcomic Ava's Demon. While she was suffering from the con-funk that had been going around that weekend, she was an absolute sweetheart to talk to. I gladly purchased a copy of the Ava's Demon hardback collection (which is ridiculously gorgeous) and even had the honor of getting to share some of my artwork with her.

I told myself the moment I paid for the table I was going to institute significant change in how I do conventions. People from all over the con passed by my table, dropping statements such as "Hey man, way to keep old-school alive!" All of the incredibly nice compliments on my art helped to keep me motivated from the second I began work to the time the convention closed Sunday. Thank you to everyone who came by, purchased a commission, or simply commented on my art. You guys truly made me feel like I could do this everyday for a living! From here on I'll be making it a point to have a table for myself so I can start building more notoriety, tell some stories, and do more artwork for you!

Dawn of a New Age

Overall Otakon 21 was a great experience. With an estimated 35,000 attendees (and an estimate of over 100,000 turnstile) I would say that Otakon looks to only be getting bigger and doing better for itself with each proceeding year. Unfortunately I didn't really grab much in the way of swag, but what I did get was still pretty cool. I got my hands on a copy of Ys: The Art Book and a very sexy Super Pochaco statue from TAITO. Despite the headaches of Thursday's line I feel like Otakon was well worth every effort and trouble in the end. If anything else, having the Artist Alley table, on top of hanging out with old friends, simply amounted to a great time that I wouldn't trade for anything. If I can swing art tables for the Otakons yet to come, I can easily see myself continuing my tradition of attendance well into the foreseeable future. To everyone who joined in with me, here's to over ten incredible years of Otakon, and hopefully to seeing another ten glorious more!

The Artist Alley crew in all their majestic glory!

The Genconsortium

A game of Red Dragon Inn.

Once Otakon was done and over with it was time to high-tail it out for yet another round at Gencon in Indianapolis. This year was yet again filled with me mostly demoing games on the showroom floor, but I was at least able to make a few business contacts over the course of four days. Talking with the likes of Level 99 Games, Black Wyrm Publishing, and Exile Games gave me a lot of hope that maybe I could see some serious commercial work potentially coming down the pipe. Nothing is remotely definite mind you, but it's certainly cool to ponder about all the possibilities this con could bring.

To go into further detail, the people from Level 99 seemed to really like my art, especially their lead artist Eunice "Nononoko" Tiu, who took a very big liking to my work. She enjoyed it so much that she actually offered to do an art trade with me right then and there on the spot, to which I joyfully acquiesced. Speaking with the developers and editors at Black Wyrm was cool too, as I was able to not only share my work, but also give some pointers of my own for their company to take, which they seriously considered. Jeff "Freaking" Combos of Exile Games and Hollow Earth Expedition fame also was courteous enough to check out my portfolio, as well as offer a heads up in regards to a possible project he would like me to undertake when the time is right.

I also found out about the launch for a character design contest for one of my all-time favorite card games The Red Dragon Inn! I've had ideas for characters I would love to see bouncing around in my head for a few years now, so you best believe that I'll be entering something into that bad boy before it's over! Although I didn't score any definite art contracts, I think it was a productive time in getting the feelers out for prospects.

The biggest reason anyone ever goes to Gencon though is to get in on some major tabletop gaming action, and that I did in spades. While I tragically missed out on demoing the newest edition to Dungeon and Dragons, I did at least get to demo some other serious games this year such as: Tragedy Looper from Zman Games, Frontier Skies from Game Salute, the Tanto Cuore: Oktoberfest Edition and the Krosmaster Arena season 2 expansion from Japanime Games, the new Red Dragon Inn characters Ozrik the Adept and Brother Bastion from Slugfest Games, Relic Knights from Soda Pop Minatures, Arcadia Quest and Kaosball from Cool Mini or Not, Warmachine Tactics from Privateer Press, Shadowrun Online from Catalyst Game Labs, Mega Man the Board Game from Jasco Games, and many many more.

Copious Cosplays!

Cosplayers were out in full force for Gencon this year, and I honestly didn't think that I had enough memory in my camera to get them all, but somehow I did. In spite of my lackluster photo taking implement I actually scored some really nice shots of a lot of the splendid cosplay and convention sights. Trust me when I say that all of these amazing costumes looked even better up close and in person.

Steampunk Candy

School-girl Candy

Marie-Claude

Vegas

Klingon Envy

Tank Girl

Chifusa

Captain Whitehawk

Even Zombies love Gencon!

Barbarian Envy

Gencon's other Mascot

Gencon's Mascot

Steampunk Vegas

Krosmaster/Dofus

Kida

Kaya

Kris Kringle

Kreos

Damn! The Daleks found the Tardis.

This poor guy couldn't find his droids.

Did I ever mention I'm a big Star Wars fan?

Seriously, I'm a huge Star Wars fan.

I'm really geeky about anything Star Wars.

Bane is here to give Gencon back to the people!

Battlecon cosplay from Level 99 Games.

The soldiers of Rivet Wars.

Salute the Commander!

Captain Whitehawk and Natyli enjoy a cold brew.

The Red Dragon Inn alumni.

Can't go wrong with Lord Didymus.

Sateel prepares for battle!

Nadja and Gina Kersten show you how to play Tanto Cuore'.

Hanging out with a Barbarian is nothing new for me.

The mesmerizing Marie-Claude and the vivacious Vegas meet at last!

 

The Scotty's Saga

Go big or go home!

One of the more interesting asides from all the commotion of Gencon was our nightly jaunts out to Scotty's Brewhouse. If you all remember my report from last year, it detailed how (now and forever until further notice) my compatriots and I will get our dine and drink on nowhere else but here. It has been for good reason that Scotty's has garnered such loyalty, seeing as how they pretty much treat us like damn celebrities every single time we arrive. At this point I'm thoroughly convinced we have enough clout that we could get the owner Indy Dav to open up on Christmas if we asked him.

For those not in the know, the service is consistently topnotch, and the food is as tasty as could be. Every Gencon they do themes to appeal to the nerd crowd that Gencon brings, and frankly no one else does it better than these guys. Getting to sit down and have a nice cold beer after a long day at the con, only to watch Star Wars: A New Hope with Japanese subtitles is something you can only find at Scotty's in downtown Indianapolis. They deck the halls of the bar with tons of gaming related regalia, and hand out custom-made dice to those who order off the the themed menus. While some could see this all as pandering to the gamer masses, it really does add a welcoming atmosphere. Every time I walk into Scotty's it's like the place is saying "Hey dude, sit down and stay a while. This is the place a guy like you belongs!" To which I reply by parking my rear and ordering several drinks.

Now normally I'm not the kind to do drinking contests, but since we were all having such a great time at the con, my best friend Matt (of Jackal Dice) and I decided to see who could drink the most beer. The conditions were thus: He had to drink three pints of the custom lager (Dragon's Milk) while I had to drink what is known as a high-top. It's 101 ounces of whatever beer I choose, and for this particular occasion I chose Blue Moon. For whomever lost, they would have to draw the other an image of their choice. It was a long and arduous battle that went well into the night, but in the end we both managed to down our respective challenges. We'll be doing an art trade to call it even.

Last Lights of the Carnival

Honestly, I do find myself wishing that Gencon was a tad bit longer. Four days just doesn't feel like enough time to take in all that the con has to offer, but I have heard a few rumors that Gencon may extent itself by one day in the future. Of course nothing is confirmed as of this posting so take it as just that; a rumor. Overall I won't complain in the slightest about my experience. I made quite a few connections with some fairly notable industry folk, took a ton of great pictures, and had one hell of a fun drinking contest. I got to hang out with friends, and play plenty of entertaining games. I even got to pick up some righteous swag such as the Relic Knights rule book/setting book, an insanely adorable Ryutama miniature, and a physical copy of the Savage Worlds game Accursed. As a nice little tid-bit, I helped inspire the concept and design for the mummy character type in that game, so it's pretty rad to see my name in the special thanks section at the front of the book. My good friend (and game designer) Ross Watson made this bad boy, and it was only appropriate to have a copy to put on my shelf.

In the end, despite all the success and awesome stuff that has happened, I still can't shake feeling a little bummed that all the hustle and bustle of the summertide is fundamentally over. Sure there are still days left before the season actually changes, but it just feels like that never-ending carnival I love so much is packing it up, hitting the road, and leaving me behind. After going through this for over ten years though, I know this much: The carnival will always come and go, but if you're willing wait a while, it'll eventually come back to you. And so now I find myself waiting for that familiar scent of summer to fill the air, and for that same carnival to return to me one more time.