It’s comic convention season! Saturday and Sunday, April 15th and 16th, saw the return of Wicked West Comic Expo at The Ranch Events Complex in Loveland. My friend Todd puts on this show, and now in its second year, was sure to be a lot of fun. I got there around 2:00pm on Friday the 14th to set up my table and get ready for the show opening on Saturday morning.
Saturday morning arrived and the first show attendees were waiting for the doors to open. I was across the aisle from my good friend and writing instructor, Ron Fortier, as well as down the row from Olivia and Zane Degaine of Degaine Designs and Pulp Fission Publishing, as well as Terry Mark and his Vim Hood Chronicles and Jesse Bonifazi of Blind Dog Custom Creations. The first few hours went by quickly, and I made a few sales of books and comic books as people walked through the show floor. I even had a little droid visitor during the day!
One of the most exciting things on Saturday was that I got to do my first-ever comic convention panel! I presented on “Creating Compelling Comic Book Villains,” and while there was only one person who showed up, it was a lot of fun to talk about some of our favorite villains and how to create a compelling antagonist for your story.
Sunday came and it was back to the show floor to talk with more attendees and friends who stopped by my table. The day was a bit slow until the afternoon, but with it being Sunday and a beautiful Colorado day, it wasn’t too surprising. I sold a few more books and then presented another panel, along with my friend, comic book writer and artist Abe Akin of Flesh Eating Comics, as we presented on taking a comic book from idea to publication. Three people showed up for that panel, and while it was three people we knew, it still made for a fun panel!
Overall, it was a great weekend where I got to catch up with old friends, meet some new people, and sell some of my books and comics. It’s always fun to see what other people are working on and have to offer at their booths and tables. I have to thank my girlfriend, Jenn, for coming to hang out with me at my table and watch the booth while I was at my panel both days.
Now that convention season is underway, I’m looking forward to the next one. I will be at Gryphon Games & Comics in Fort Collins on Saturday, May 6th, for Free Comic Book Day, and plan on being at Fort Collins Comic Con in August, and perhaps a few other shows this year. Stay tuned here for updates!