The Truth Behind Tabling

Welcome Back

I say I hate cliches but use them all the time.

One I use repeatedly is that I need a vacation from my vacation.

I already made that joke on Wednesday but it still happens to be true. I find myself struggling to return to the pace that I had before I left for the East Coast Comic Expo last week. (Though I seem to have got my voice back.)

I do feel rejuvenated nonetheless. I’m more motivated than I’ve felt in a long time. I could feel the burn out creeping in with constant project fulfillments on the last three campaigns and dealing with some packages that didn't survive the trip.

I've received a few tips from fellow creators that should make the next round of fulfillment a lot easier - and we’re a while away from that yet as I once again pushed the launch date for From Parts Unknown #4 as I’ve just received the final page from Daniel as I write this.

Learning from others and getting tips like I have are the big benefit of conventions. Knowing that you're not in it alone, even though it can feel like it at times. This is especially true as a writer sitting alone in your basement, toiling away on stories and hoping that someone is reading them on the other end.

Conventions are one of the few times that being a comic creator feels real.

In today's paid post, I’ll go over what it's like to table at conventions, share secrets that I've learned and what you need to do if you want it to be a successful endeavor - or if you’re just curious what it’s all like.

Let’s get right into it…

Main Story

Where I’ve Been and Where I’ve Tabled

Much like my writing career, I spent a lot more time at conventions as a fan than I have behind the table.

A pre-heart attack Kevin Smith and Jay Mewes at Fan Expo 2013

I've been to the following, just as a fan, in order of size and influence:

• San Diego Comic Con

• Fan Expo Canada

• TCAF (Toronto Comic Arts Festival)

• Toronto Comic Con

• Wizard World Toronto (defunct)

Aside from the big one in San Diego Comic Con, you can see that the rest were around my local area.

It's one of the huge benefits of living in a big comics hub like Toronto. There are so many conventions to go to and so many people to see.

Thanks to this, its never felt impossible to make comics - a feeling that I always had with writing screenplays.

Last year’s SDCC!

The only thing getting in my way was myself and my fear to get started. Having people, with no background or connections to the comics world prior to “making it”, from the same neighbourhoods I grew up in showing me that it’s possible was everything.

Since then, I've been to over half a dozen conventions with my comics, and this list will continue to grow throughout the year as go to new conventions. I’m always on the lookout for somewhere new to visit.

Here's where I've been so far in order of when I've been to them:

• Niagara Falls Comic Con (2024)

• Vaughan Con (2024)

• Wayside Creator Con (2024)

• Hamilton Comic Con (2024)

• Thought Bubble (2024)

• TCAF (Toronto Comic Arts Festival) (2025)

• East Coast Comic Expo (2025)

I'm still on the wait list for some of the bigger shows (Fan Expo and Calgary Expo) and I'm excited to go to those, but not all that glitters is gold.

The more I talk to more experienced folks, and the more I experience myself, I see that maybe the bigger shows aren't the best places to table. You’re competing with everything else and it’s easy to get lost in the crowd.

Behind the paywall, I'll get into what you need to set up a good table, what you to do when you're there, what to expect and the real benefits of tabling.

I keep the paywall as low as Substack will allow, so if you're interested, give it a shot. There's a free trial available for those of you who are on the fence.

If this is where I leave you today, I'll talk to you on Wednesday as we do a post-mortem for From Parts Unknown #3.

For everyone else, let's get into it…