Come on, it doesn't start with the usual fourth-wall breaking, a cliched joke copied from some other popular webcomic or a no comic today filler. ;) And I'm genuinely impressed by Greg Holkan's more realistic art style here, and his non-use of panels.
And... We have the other part of my UK Web and Mini Comics thing report!
...While looking for the Just1Page booth, I came across fellow ModernTales family member Roger Langridge. I introduced myself, but I don't think he had any idea who I was, even if it was originally his advice that made me seriously consider coming to this con in the first place...
After a while the Just1Page organiser showed up and told me the drawing would take place over at the portfolio section. So I wandered over to the portfolio section and started to doodle a bit to calm my nerves. While I did so I realised that the Scary-Go-Round booth was right next to it, tucked away in the corner! I'd resolved to get Mos (who likes Scary-Go-Round) something, so I went over and had a look...
John was sitting behind a couple of Sons of Morgors (the red doll things you see on the table) and signing a book for someone called Chikin (I remember that distinctly, because John said he had to ask how that was spelled).
I decided to buy Spy Girl instead of Heavy Metal Hearts and Flowers, but on hindsight I regret not buying out the whole table (the other John Allison fans who arrived later would not doubt NOT thank me for that if I had done that, since the Scary-Go-Round table was one of the first to sell out).
Speaking of Jon Allison, he really knows how to treat his fans! Incredibly nice guy, and when I mentioned how much I liked the chararacter of Fallon, he even did a quick sketch of her on the back of the Spy Girl Book!
Did I also mention each purchase came with a complimentary badge? If anyone wants to learn about merchandising, learn from Jon. All the stuff was fairly priced and of such good quality I was really wowed. I'm really curious how he managed not to sell this stuff at a loss!
Unfortunately I had to run off after this because the 24 minute comic was about to start! I was teamed up with Bridgeen Gillespie of Koniption for our page. Ironically I didn't even have time to get nervous any more, because the thing started barely right after we sat down!
I'd brought every conceivable kind of stationery I thought I'd need (even my brushes... just in case). Unfortunately, the only thing I'd left out was an... eraser. However, my partner was significantly more foresighted than I and lent me hers. After 24 minutes of frantic drawing, during which no one had any idea how much time there was left until towards the end, we produced this:
Yes... I am shameless *sticks out tongue*. Oh, and Roger Langridge did the cover:
After the event, I looked around and couldn't see any of the gang. For a moment I was wondering if they had abandoned me for a drink or something, and I was moving around when I spotted a woman with two friends in tow who looked vaguely familiar even though I'd never seen her before...
"Ping?!"
Yeah... you guessed it. T'was none other thanWednesday White!
We took this picture for the benefit of one Mr. Burns over at Websnark (No Jon Allison in the background, sorry... And I blinked! :( ) and I kept my promise of her getting a tasty tasty cookie for the Takeover series . :D
After this I finally found the gang busily drawing their hearts out in each other's sketchbooks in the portfolio corner (which we eventually proceeded to invade and takeover). Al Foreman's sketchbook was the envy of all (He has Clint Hollingsworth's sketches inside! Arrgh! I'm so jealous!).
Shortly after this I heard another accented voice behind me saying "Ping?" (again). It turned out to be Gianna Massetti of The N00b, who told us she only recognised us because we were drawing and she knew our drawing styles!
We all sat down for a nice long sketch session, then Gianna and I went for the Webcomics Panel, (Al joined in too)!
I won't comment on the webcomics panel until Wednesday does her piece for Comixpedia on it, after which I promise I will make a fool of myself by dissecting (or trying to) it. Politics are icky.
Post-webcomics panel, we were all feeling hungry and decided to go for a last round of the con and head for a place to eat. I was also very tired at this point, and although the crowd had thinned it was beginning to get to me and I just wanted to get out of the convention center.
I suppose I must have looked surprised when one of a pair of guys manning a table we passed suddenly stood up and said to me: "Hey, I think I know who you are... You're Ping, aren't you?". I was even more surprised to find out the guy was none other than the same Chikin who was next to me at the Scary-Go-Round table, and apparently reads this blog *waves*! To the guys from GreatVagueness.co.uk, thanks for proving me wrong that no one would recognise me, it was great meeting you guys, and sorry I couldn't talk much!
ps: If any of you guys want higher resolutions of the photo, send me a mail and I'd happily obliged. Same goes for anyone who's in any of my photos.
I'd also really wanted a Bunny shirt, but sadly none were readily available... :(
I did have time to get my copy of the 24 minute comic, a free copy of Just1Page, and it was out of the convention and to finding a place for some nourishment, which anyone who was with me at that time will agree, was an ardous adventure in itself!
So that's my report for the UK Web and Mini Comics thing. Many thinks to Patrik Findlay and everyone who made it happen. Just signing off with a couple of pictures of loot:
The
And a last shout to all the others: Just1Page Koniption, GreatVagueness.co.uk, Scribe and Reckless Youth.
Whew!
Oh, and I highly reccommend the UK Keen Rendevous site for sketches and many many high-res photos!
