Long Beach Comic Con: The Aftermath

Well, ok. Perhaps "aftermath" is a bit strong. All in all it was a very pleasant show. We almost sold out of our graphic novel Heathentown, Gabriel stayed very busy doing sketches, and we got to sleep in our own bed every night. Not only that, but we got to reconnect with folks we hadn't seen since the San Diego Con, including Drew Rausch and Jocelyn Gajeway (the creators of the fabulous Sullen Grey) and David Gallaher, the charismatic writer behind High Moon, the popular Zuda strip.

The downside? That's easy. For some unknowable reason, there was a wrestling ring set up one aisle over from us. That sort of proximity to sweaty out-of-shape bad actors is not conducive to promoting an atmospheric horror story. The upside? We met lots of nice people and got to hang around with talented creators all weekend, and even made some money. The weird side? Lets just say that Angelenos really know what they want sketches of. And those sketches include lots of dinosaurs and "boisterous Scottish mermaids". Um, ok.

All in all we were glad to have been part of the first annual Long Beach Comic Con. There was even a nice bonus on the last day for me: Gabriel finally drew a sketch for me! And I am happy to report that my request was for something totally normal.