ComicGong was my first big show in a while and I can’t speak highly enough of how well it was organised – it was like a bigger version of the also impressively run Goulburn Comic Con late last year (which I hope I hope I hope will be on again this year!)
I don’t have any photos or media from the event just yet, but there are already some very cool photos on the ComicGong facebook page. It was such a busy morning I forgot to take a photo of my table before the crowd poured in!
It’s almost the end of the first quarter of the year and it’s been a pretty busy one for me! If January and February were the plan-comics and make-comics months, March was the month of get-out-there-and-show-comics…and strangely enough, it all did sort of come together in a make-comic order.
Here’s a quick wrap-up of my March 2014 –
Event 1. The Zine Lounge, the Museum
The Museum of Democracy recently converted a room to a Zine Lounge, and wanted to show it off with some artists in residence, as part of the ENLIGHTEN festival in Canberra. I was lucky enough to be one of those artists, and Nic Lawson and I spent a few hours making comics and talking to people about comics and zines. I got most of the ground work for my submission to the new ACT Comic Meet anthology, Exposuredone over the course of the night too 🙂 Double victory!
2. The CZE Vending Machine Launch
I had a zine in the Canberra Zine Emporium Vending Machine, which launched in mid-March. I finally saw Boldly Sweetie off into the world – and I even gave a little speech to see her go. Had to give. That part was a bit of a surprise, but I think I’m getting better at public speaking!
I realised how much of a busy year it had been when I counted FOUR never-taken-to-market-before new books on my half of the table, including YES | NO and Boldly Sweetie.
My event review is, in brief, up here. I spent most of my day behind a table and didn’t really get up to look around, which is a shame – there were a lot of beautiful and very professional looking books for display this year! It was a good day and free entry is always a massive bonus – particularly when combined with a decent turnout.
I was only at the Bloom Festival (and more specifically, the Canberra Zine Fayre) for a short time on Saturday, but it did remind me of how different an art and handmade market is to a pop culture convention. It was nice, and I got to meet and talk to some lovely people over the time I was there. It was especially fun meeting so many other artists and writers in one hit.
The event was organised by the Canberra Zine Emporium, and they were wonderful. I got there alone and was setting up my table when a CZE volunteers came over to check if I needed any tape, scissors, or blutak. I felt like a VIP!