The Business of Con

Now here is something you probably didn’t think of with all the talk of San Diego Comic-Con going on…. some people are actually working.  I know, I know it’s not suit & tie kinda work but there is (amazingly) some things getting done while millions of people mull around for 5 days.

Everyone knows that their are retailers–people to sell you that must have action figure or comic book.  Pencillers (& inkers) to sell you sketches and small press people trying to get you to buy their new book, poster, or idea.  Those are obviously people working,  let’s think on the not-so-obvious situations.

Those same pencillers, inkers, & small press people are also trying to get their next gig.  Not from the public, but from that just out of reach publisher, producer or whoever they need for funding.  This is obviously networking and it’s something that goes on in every industry.  We are lucky because we don’t have to wear a suit or sit in a lecture hall to do it.  Nope, just wonder around Con with your book in your hand and your heart on your sleeve.  How do you think Jim Mahfood (Grrl Scouts) or Robert Kirkman (anyone ever read Battle Pope–hilarious) got there start?  They were hawking there wares at Cons and someone they talked to took notice, and then something big happened.

The other great way to go about this is attending parties (you may have heard me voice this opinion in an earlier article but parties are the way to go!)  [The only slight problem is that most people are dying to take off their name tags by the time the cocktails start flowing.  Anyone ever think about what editors, pencillers, writers, etc look like?  One (of many) of the weird things about this industry is that you can talk to people on a daily basis and have no idea what they look like.]  Anyway, back to parties, once you go to Con a couple times you learn where people hang, recently that has been they Hyatt lobby bar.  Several years ago it was the “Top of the Hyatt” but that got too small.  There are many publicly advertised parties that the Pro’s will attend.  Things that support the CBLDF or bars that have “open” parties to get you to come. Of course, there are also the invite only parties but you have to be careful with those.  Nothing is worse than getting up there and them saying no, then you have to do the walk of shame since you couldn’t get in. My point is an amazing amount of work gets done at these parties.  Now we aren’t sitting there taking notes or anything but you can put out feelers that you are looking for a new project. Maybe you need someone to draw or color your story idea or that you have an opening in your schedule and could take some more work, whatever.  Just don’t expect coherency and retention after about 2 AM.

There are also breakfast, lunch, and dinner meetings that get done during Con.  You get a meeting with this editor (and he pays!) or you meet fellow colorists for breakfast, or even a friend in the industry for lunch just to catch up and vent.  This is the way we keep up with each other (well this and FB) without getting to hang out in an office every day.

See there are many more things going on at a Con than just fans milling around taking pictures and occasionally buying something.

Cast of Chuck

P.S.

I thought of a couple of other jobs to have at Con–most of these would be both good & bad: booth babe, celebrity, paid model (different from booth babe thank you very much), booth worker (person who takes your money but didn’t make what they are selling,) emcee, and this year we even had a hooker–ok probably more than one but only one got caught on film!

Kristy Miller

VP, Development

Hi-Fi Design