WHAT AN AMAZING SHOW!!!!

BrazCon 2018 was so cool! I was not expecting such a huge turnout nor such a warm reception.Seriously… this was a comic con put on by…. a high school. How good could this really be? What does a school district know about the might world of comic con? I seriously had my doubts. How could this be a success?

Well, all I can say is… this show was beyond a success. BrazCon 2018 was everything I know and love about a comic con… and I will go so far to say that it was maybe better than any show I have ever attended. Why? ATMOSPHERE! EXCITEMENT!!!!! TALENT!!!!!!! ORGANIZATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PURE AWESOMENESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Where do I even begin…..

ATMOSPHERE

Upon entering the high school, you were hit with a miraculous transformation. The high school looked and felt just like a comic con. The layout was easy to navigate unlike a ton of shows I’ve appeared at. You could not miss any of the artist’s or vendors. We were all setup along the hallways as you entered the school. Everyone was so pumped up as well. The family friendly environment was a nice change. There were so many kids and they were all free to let loose and have fun. Everyone was smiling. Everyone was hungry to hear about my art and how I create my comic strips. People hung on to every word… unlike many shows I have attended. This was an artist’s dream audience.

EXCITEMENT

I just hit on this, but I want to restate mu observation. The families were having such a blast. They were spending money. They were singing, laughing and dancing. Seriously. It was a welcomed site. So many shows just have people walking around dumbfounded, looking like they are not sure if they were getting their money’s worth. Some shows have me wondering if the attendees are even happy to be at the show. This was NOT the case at BrazCon 2018.

The attendees were having a blast. The cosplay contest was amazing. There was an entrant who dressed as Jake…. Jake from State Farm. What the heck? THAT was so AWESOME!!!!!! Have YOU ever seen someone cosplay as Jake from State Farm? Okay then… now tell me that is not awesome. The cheers during the cosplay contest echoes throughout the halls. There was a fever flowing throughout the venue…. which was just a mere high school. Unbelievable.

TALENT

There there was the vendors and the artists. The organizers gathered up the best of the best. My comic strip runs in a newspaper in Brazoria county. There were so many kids who have been reading my comic strip in The Weekly Bulletin. I was blown away. Families were looking for me. Kids wanted to know how I made my comic strip so successful. It was so cool to hear so many kids and parents digging my work and marveling at my success. I am not bragging here, but I was the perfect pickup for this show. Next year, I promise that I will run a panel for BrazCon 2019.

They had a real star at the show as well! Mark Kistler, star of the TV series Imagination Station which taught millions of kids to draw. There is no artist in artist’s alley nicer than Mark. I met him at a show in College Station many years ago. The talent that laminates from this man is blinding… and people just love Mark. Why wouldn’t they? He is everything you want in artist’s alley if you are a promoter.

I was so happy to see no Splatter Art. You know what I am talking about. Splatter Art are prints sold by vendors who steal images off the internet, run a Photoshop filter on the images and make a print that is NOT art. The prints are not even their creation. The prints are manipulations, not creations. These vendors are a curse on every show I have been at. Not here. The artists chosen for this show were actual artists. Now THAT makes for the perfect comic con!

ORGANIZATION

I was greeted like a rock star. Check in was the best I have ever experienced. I was setting up 5 minutes after pulling into the parking lot! Volunteers were walking past my table checking on me every 15 minutes. AND GET THIS…. The show gave me an assistant!!! Yes, that is correct. The organizer gave me an assistant who was amazing. No…. she was beyond that. My assistant’s name was Elaine, a high school Junior who was so full of energy. She was an astonishing addition to my show appearance. I never had to worry about a thing. She would remind me to write transactions down. When I was swamped with autographing prints, she was right there helping me bag up art after signings were completed. My show could not have ran smoother.

Load out was the best. No pressure!!! Two volunteers even came by and gave me a Dr. Pepper and some bananas. When have you heard of THAT happening? I was asked a few times if I needed help. When I was taking my stuff out I had a volunteer ask if I needed help wheeling out my stuff, which I didn’t. It was nice though that the volunteers were trying to help.

Never once did I feel rushed. I have been to so many shows where during breakdown the staff is standing over you with impatience branding across their faces. I hate that with a passion. I am slow. I reorganize my setup as I pack. I want to be ready for the next show so I take my time and get everything packed up so my next setup is a piece of cake. When the show was over and I was in my car, I felt a sense of calm and a true sense of accomplishment.

PURE AWESOMENESS

I heard everyone state over and over again how the show was an experience they would never forget. The organizers should be proud of their efforts. The results of their hard work was a comic con that rivals most of the shows I have appeared at. I would dare say this show experience was the best God has ever Blessed me with. My hat goes off to the organizers, my booth assistant Elaine, the volunteers and the attendees.

Thanks for making BrazCon 2018 such an amazing show. You put on a TRUE comic con in every sense of the definition.

#comics #comiccon #brazcon2018