Day One:
Whew...the day is finally over! Lots of people at this event and lots of exhibitors you won't see this side of San Diego.
The section of the con where I'm at (the Small Press area, next to the artist's alley area which is sequestered away from the main exhibit area by some building construction) had a pretty steady flow of people, but I got reports that the main exhibit hall was a mad house....where people could barely walk the isles.
A comment I got more than once today, was that people were pleasantly surprised to see my booth, because they had NEVER seen a publisher or artist displaying Christian based comics at a convention in NY! That really surprised me. But low and behold, there were some more "brother creators" right down the isle from me. They publish under the banner of DW! and they were there premiering the first issue of their new urban themed comic, BATTLE MASTERZ...which combines Hip-Hop sensabilities, martial arts with an underlying Christian theme. The book is written by a trio of brothers and their mother was there helping out and giving them support.
But despite the fact that many steered clear of my booth today (kind of what I experienced the when I premiered EW book 1 at San Diego back in 2004), sales were still brisk.
But from what I hear they've sold out tickets for Sat, so I'm hoping for even better results tomorrow.
I was by myself today, so I can't really report on the rest of the hall, but my wife (for the first time this year) and my daughter will be joining me tomorrow...so I'll get out from behind the table and get some pics.
bob-
Comments
Saturday at the NYCC was very much like a Saturday at CCI. Isles were jamed in the Small press/artist alley side and I heard it was absolute chaos in the main exhibit hall.
I had walked outside the building to do an interview for a documentary on Warren Ellis about an hour after the con had began, and the line of people still waiting to get in wrapped two times around one half of the Javits complex. I heard that they they cut off admission to the con midway through the day as they had reached the maximum.
As for my booth, sales doubled from day one, but were still below what I had anticipated considering the size of this event. This very much reminded me of when I premiered Eye Witness in San Diego in 2004, that most people just didn't know what to make of the series, as most had never seen it (or any Christian comics) at a convention in NYC before. But I did meet some brothers and sisters in Christ who were very excited and encouraged by seeing Eye Witness there, including pastor Juan Galloway, who heads up" the Relief Bus" homeless ministry, all around the NYC metro area.