I'm sure everyone has heard, from my incessant blog posts and Facebook updates, that this year I had the privilege of fulfilling a major career goal by attending The Alternative Press Expo. Unfortunately it has come and gone and here is my (hopefully) brief recap of the weekend.
I came prepared to the show with my usual wares, including my comics: The Plainest Plane's Plainest Pictorial Periodical Vol.1, and Lil' Erwin. Lil' Erwin was vastly more popular at the show (despite the book's higher price) largely due to the cover image, which seemed to stop a lot of people dead in their tracks. Several people who bought the book returned to give me very positive feedback.
I also brought a fistful of mini paintings as well as more atmospheric cityscape paintings, which I've sold at several First Friday events in the past. In addition to my usual bric-a-brac, I brought two brand new limited edition screen prints: NDT and Heroes Del Ring (depicted above). NDT depicts my favorite astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson. I was really glad the piece caught a lot of people's attention, due to their mutual love of the man. Heroes Del Ring is a large screen print of artwork which can be seen in The Plainest Plane's Plainest Pictorial Periodical Vol. 1, depicting 9 of the most important Luchadores of all time. Each print is hand numbered, and frame ready, measuring in at 9x12", or you have the option of matting it down to 8x10". If anyone is interested, you can email me until I get a sale page up, or they will be available at the next few event I will be attending.
Sharing a table with me (as mentioned previously), was one of my best friends, and towering titan of talent, Stu Livingston. My close friendship with Stu dates back to High School, which you could actually read about in his autobiographical comic The Table. Stu currently works as a storyboard artist on shows such as Futurama and teaches a figure drawing class at Cal Arts.
Despite being sick for most of the weekend, it really was (for lack of a more enthusiastic term) a wonderful weekend. On my way home I had time to reflect on how lucky I was to have some of my closest friends accompany me at the show. Besides Stu, one of my current best friends Matt Orizaga came out to lend an incredibly important, and incredibly appreciated helping hand. One of my best friends from elementary school Rudy Escobosa also paid us a visit. Best friends from my past and present supporting me in, perhaps the most important days of my life. Most importantly, I was lucky enough to have my lovely girlfriend of 6 years, Robin Jane Sigel with me every step of the way. None of this would be possible without her support and love, and for that I am infinitely grateful.
Despite all my self-deprecation, I can honestly say I'm a very very lucky guy.
Thanks once again to all of the fans who came around to provide such positive feedback on my work. Special thanks to Nick Mullins who I had the pleasure of sharing a booth next to, for not only buying a copy of The PPPPP Vol.1, but said some really nice things about it on his website. Please take a second to check out his comics if you're a fan of beautifully drawn (can't stress that enough), emotionally atmospheric comics. I certainly look forward to reading more.
