I definitely get a good buzz after going to NYCC every year (although I am exhausted by the end of the show). But it's not the best vehicle for networking with other people at my level, given that Artist Alley is mostly made up of established artists and writers. I did attend a new creator breakfast last year that Robert Wilson hosts, which was really cool. Definitely recommend applying to that if he's hosting it again.
I get it about NYCC. If I wasn't lucky enough to get tapped on the shoulder by Mick Beyers at SDCC, it would have been a lonely weekend on the outside looking in.
I think half-tables are the way to go for TCAF. I was down on the basketball court and did okay. Had a very good Saturday but weaker Sunday. I do think that a lot of folks purchased stuff in that room before heading up to the ice rink, but that may just be my perception. Agree though that Sunday was an interesting day for artists looking for work - especially from people who had no portfolio (not even digital)!
What a sobering write-up. Thank you for the peek inside your head - I find the authenticity truly valuable.
First, congrats again on making it to TCAF! (I'm jelly). But sorry to hear it wasn't all fun, all the time. Very cool of ol' Jimmy-Z to stop by - that guy's a true local hero!
As for your report of the audience attitude, I find that fascinating. I wonder if the new location (closer to TMU and U of T?) brought in more unwitting students who just wandered in. On the one hand that's great, but I can see how they might walk into a comic convention then get confused when they don't see any Spider-mans. I've found TCAF attendees are usually VERY attuned to what show they're at and why they're there, so it's a curious phenomenon. And the fact that *multiple* young people came up to you flat-out asking for work - at an *indie* comic convention - sounds like a sketch (comedy, not illustrated). It's hilarious.
I'm sure you'll have a great time out East - looking forward to reading about it!
A lot of them actually said they had graduated from George Brown and Humber, so they were finding their way from all kinds of places! I totally get the eagerness to get started, but the approach needs work. More than anything, it was the volume of them that knocked me back.
I definitely get a good buzz after going to NYCC every year (although I am exhausted by the end of the show). But it's not the best vehicle for networking with other people at my level, given that Artist Alley is mostly made up of established artists and writers. I did attend a new creator breakfast last year that Robert Wilson hosts, which was really cool. Definitely recommend applying to that if he's hosting it again.
That's a good tip!
I get it about NYCC. If I wasn't lucky enough to get tapped on the shoulder by Mick Beyers at SDCC, it would have been a lonely weekend on the outside looking in.
I think half-tables are the way to go for TCAF. I was down on the basketball court and did okay. Had a very good Saturday but weaker Sunday. I do think that a lot of folks purchased stuff in that room before heading up to the ice rink, but that may just be my perception. Agree though that Sunday was an interesting day for artists looking for work - especially from people who had no portfolio (not even digital)!
I hope you avoided the splash zone on the basketball court!
The lack of portfolios was the wildest part! Personally, I wouldn't even imagine bringing up looking for work without something to share.
What a sobering write-up. Thank you for the peek inside your head - I find the authenticity truly valuable.
First, congrats again on making it to TCAF! (I'm jelly). But sorry to hear it wasn't all fun, all the time. Very cool of ol' Jimmy-Z to stop by - that guy's a true local hero!
As for your report of the audience attitude, I find that fascinating. I wonder if the new location (closer to TMU and U of T?) brought in more unwitting students who just wandered in. On the one hand that's great, but I can see how they might walk into a comic convention then get confused when they don't see any Spider-mans. I've found TCAF attendees are usually VERY attuned to what show they're at and why they're there, so it's a curious phenomenon. And the fact that *multiple* young people came up to you flat-out asking for work - at an *indie* comic convention - sounds like a sketch (comedy, not illustrated). It's hilarious.
I'm sure you'll have a great time out East - looking forward to reading about it!
Keep up the great work!
Thanks, Filip!
A lot of them actually said they had graduated from George Brown and Humber, so they were finding their way from all kinds of places! I totally get the eagerness to get started, but the approach needs work. More than anything, it was the volume of them that knocked me back.