When A Community Changes Everything
Let's reflect on Planet Comicon and look at what was successful.
By the time you’re reading this, I’m wrapping up a small vacation. However, at the time of writing this, I am doing everything in my power to wake up and get my day rolling. It’s the Tuesday morning after Planet Comicon, and I’ve got a massive pre-vacation checklist to crank through before we pack our bags to get out of town early.
It seems unavoidable that the Monday after Planet goes quiet. I spend half the day in the car, driving back, and I end up exhausted like a kid home from camp. While Travis and I have done better each year at getting to bed earlier and treating ourselves well, the massive crowd and sensory input always wears me out.
Perhaps you’re wondering how Planet went? My last entry focused on taking more risks at shows like Planet Comicon, and I feel like I did mostly that. After staring at booth set ups past, and considering what succeeds at Planet, I feel I put a good presentation together. I had limited prep time, and a limited budget to build on, both thanks to the rocky start to 2026 I’ve had. But, that didn’t affect me as much as I worried.
I live in a variety of worlds, when it comes to shows. While I don’t prioritize them as much as I probably should, I often put on a display that leans more on an art fair aesthetic. Then, at the same time, I do a good deal of cryptid and monster work commingled with my figurative work that has a dash of fan art. I want to be successful off the figurative work, but — as I’ve said ad nauseum — fandom shows rely intensely on folks pointing at your work and screaming “I know what that is!” Sincerely, I had a young woman step up to my table this weekend and tell me that my work is, “all very good, I just don’t know who any of these characters are.”
Planet swarmed with people. Despite overlapping with No Kings, Planet had record numbers. As usual, the crowds are rushing towards celebrities they’re dying to meet. And, with a record turn out, the show easily became a series of lines within which attendees prepared to filter into other extremely long lines they could queue up in. It seemed overwhelming, and I’m impressed with just how many people were willing to make six to eight hour lines a priority.
Though the intensity of the celebrity drive pushed people to the back of the event hall, the sense of being lost in the sea of other artists didn’t appear to be more prominent than usual. I did better than I expected, sales-wise, but I didn’t reach the goal I had set for myself. It left me with mixed feelings, as always. In many ways, it was just another show. But something did stand out to me that I can’t overlook.
My volume of sales was down considerably from years past. It’s still intensely clear that folks have less money for artwork given the state of the world. Stickers sold far better than prints, which is not surprising. On the other hand, commissions have returned, which is a relief. From 2022 through 2024, commissions were make or break for bigger shows. If I could land five or six commissions, I’d be busy and doing well. Because they have such an impact, I have done what I can to announce commission openings online, especially to members of the Brimstone Order who get discounts on work.
Perhaps because of the open commissions announcement, and perhaps because they really care, I had two patrons send me pre-show funds to help community members, and new customers, get work they want by offering discounts. These two patrons functionally sponsored matching funds coupons for ten different sales. It had an incredible impact.
Not surprisingly, even the cost of a $5 sticker can be too much for some folks these days. While it’s easy to feel like everyone has short arms and deep pockets, I do my best to remember that getting into massive shows is expensive, and everyone still has a celebrity, and lunch, in mind. Thanks to two Brimstone Order members, if a conversation was productive, but the customer couldn’t commit, I could offer things like a complementary sticker, or a discount on a piece. It felt even better letting these customers know that someone who supports me wanted to make it happen. In fact, two of my commissions could be locked in with discounts that made the decision easier for customers.
I can’t consider this opportunity a regular thing. And, I can’t overlook the impact this situation offered. But, as far as my records are concerned, it had a significant, and changing affect on how Planet Comicon went for me. Frankly, I’m in awe. The Brimstone community consistently makes my fight a fight worth, well… fighting. Planet Comicon felt mundane because I could take advantage of the privilege that had been given to me and I couldn’t be more grateful.
These words might feel different in a week’s time. I am tired. I am grateful. I am preparing for a nice little break. I can’t wait.
Everything’s a hard sell when people are struggling to eat. Weather the storm.