Have a gander at some of my earlier blog entries, detailing some of the more finer moments in my life as I haphazardly make my way through life, on a quest to become a successful comic artist! We all have our struggles, take a moment to indulge in mine! I promise they’re filled with… you know, stuff!

Cheers!

I had the immense of honor of being interviewed by Mr. Wayne Hall of Major Spoilers, after our meeting at Florida Supercon 2K15! This was such an honor that I’m still beside myself! Much love to Mr. Hall and all he does for this industry!

When it’s said some things happen of their own fruition, let this convention prove as fortuitous an example! I had no intention of attending a convention for 2015; the year inherently started off with a bang, with Issue 3’s completion, Issue 4 underway, even with the onset of the newly minted Euclid book, my creative streak was bar none. This, however, came at a cost. All of this free time was a result of my losing my position at my job for a relatively crap circumstance, but that’s a rant for another day! By the time Issue 3 was done, I took the chance to tally the cost of print, exhibition, and travel, on the off chance I could go, and it breached into the thousands! Money I simply would not be seeing any time soon, nor make back! With a month to go, I received a charming reminder from my credit card of a neat little credit increase, enough to make attending Supercon a possibility.

It was a gamble, an extremely expensive gamble. No, that’s an incorrect assessment. It was an investment, an extremely viable investment! Within 24 hours, I was equipped and ready to start making moves. Florida, I’m coming home!

 

My finances were limited, and I had a cavalcade of priorities that each needed their own specific attention. I wanted this convention to be monumental not just in stature, but in execution. I hadn’t much room for a full flock of books and swag, with three issues of Periphery, Downs, a slue of new Posters, business cards and what not, the entire cost began exceeding dramatically what was budgeted; Outside of the necessities, I wanted to revamp my online presence 10 fold, which meant a whole new website, new domain, new address, everything! But week after week, with the unparalleled assistance of Kat, each aspect on my list was properly accounted for, and established! By the week prior, my books and other assets were printed, plane ticket and rental accounted for, entry pass, place to sleep; it was beginning to look a lot like Christmas in July!

 

I had such an amazing experience this year. The convention was superbly crowded, masses of old and new attendees and just a rich plethora of guests, not that I got to see any of them, but I’m sure they were just as awesome!

That being said, I walked away with a rather painful realization. Having done three consecutive years at FLSC, I’ve accomplished more as an independent than at any point during my tenure as a post grad artist. I revitalized my exposure to the best of my ability, and was even fortunate enough to have met some great people along the way! However, the turn around did more damage to me fiscally than I could have ever predicted, it came down to my chasing that first high from 2012, and how remarkably successful that attendance was in comparison. The more work I do, the more expensive it becomes to go at it alone, and it’s truly not a venture I can undertake in the foreseeable future: my time conventioning has come to an end, it’s a cape I spitefully hang on the rack.

This is what I want from life, to be a contributing member to the creative industry no matter what facet I undertake. I returned to New York beaten and woe, it took a few weeks to build my spirits back, but, as always, I was helped in a manner very befitting of the situation; my friend Daniel reminding me that in the course of our experiences we tend to lose sight of why we started this in the first place.

It’s astounding what a few words in the right context at the right time can do for the soul.

 

 

In spite of it all, as this year winds down, productivity is as live as ever. A new concept book is in the works and due out January, 2016, and Issue 4 of Periphery following suite just a few months afterward, the work, like life, continues onward.

I can only do so much from where I’m sitting, and success comes in small quantities over the hundreds of hours spent behind the pencil. But it’s what I do, it’s what I love to do, and well, I’m pretty damn good at it. Some day soon I’ll find the resolution I’m looking for, until then, just gotta keep drawing!

Cheers!

Year two came about, and the excitement within me swelled as the opening day drew near. A lot had happened in 2014, the largest and most overwhelming aspect was my transition to New York. It took a few months for things to more or less fall into place before the move could be made, but before long I was in a care with my friend Shane bound for New York!

You can read the exploits leading up to and the actual trip itself here!

 

There was a relatively large significance with my 2014 presence than compared with the year before. During the 2013 Supercon, I was pretty much underwhelmed as far as content was concerned, I’d only Issue One of Periphery, a handful of prints and whatever commissions I was able to pump out before the end of the weekend. But the turn around, especially financially, was remarkable for a first timer and unknown like myself.

In 2014, however, they changed locations to accommodate the ever growing audience present at this shindig. This led to a rather poor placement setup for Artist Alley, where indie artists like myself set up shop; the crowd in that general area was wack to say the least, couldn’t really blame them given that most of the attendees had no idea where Artist Alley was!

 

But, all in all, we made due, and had a blast the entire time! It was awesome to see familiar faces come by my both again, especially that of friends and coworkers! The transition to NY has been all but easy going, but I know the work doesn’t stop there! And so, I prepare myself for my final presentation at Florida Supercon 2K15!

Cheers!

I’ve had the privilege of visiting a few conventions in my time, however, 2013 would be the year I no longer attended as a visitor, but as a contributor! During the winter of 2012, after being put on by my friend Kat to create what would ultimately become Periphery, I began working toward a completed 24 page book, my first in a long line of attempts. She insisted on finishing the title before April of 2013 to take part in New York’s Museum of Comic & Cartoon Art, or MoCCA, but, unfortunately, even though the book was finished, circumstances arose that prevented my attending

It was rather upsetting, and unsettling; having now holding in my hand my most proudest achievement with nowhere to really showcase it. But then, just like that, my friend Johnny Zhang brought up South Florida’s burgeoning Comic Con, a convention I frequented given that I’m originally from there. Before we knew it, we where planning set up, posters, business cards, prints of the comic, the whole nine yards! The day finally came, and he and I went in guns blazing!

Zhang had had previous exposure to being on the other side of the table, I was awe struct and beyond frightened, but I couldn’t have asked for a better turn out, nor a better table-mate than him. Those 4 days opened my eyes to the possibility of maintaining this level of exposure, showcasing my work and myself to the public, all the while generating a fledgeling fan base for Periphery, so long as I continued to push myself.