Aftermath: LA trip and Designer Con!

In November of 2015, the week before Thanksgiving my husband Phil and I set out on our first dedicated vacation in over 6 years to sunny Los Angeles to visit friends, go to Disneyland and for me to vend my first West Coast show at Designer Con.

Me being the high strung, workaholic east coaster I am I scheduled full days of activities every day we were there. We flew in Monday night and stayed with our friends Ben and Karen (who you may know as our Best Man from Phil and I's wedding) who had recently relocated to Pasadena from Brooklyn for our first leg of the trip. In fact, MOST of our friends from New York had relocated to Los Angeles in the past year, especially our friends who work at DC Comics. At the time of our vacation, we had actually attended 6 goodbye parties for friends leaving New York City. So visiting Los Angeles we had the unique experience of seeing more of our New York friends out there in the span of a week than we had in the past 6 months back home. Also the weather was glorious and all of our friends had the cutest little houses with adorable little backyards. And omg the marijuana dispensaries out there were blowing my mind. So Phil and I's opinions about LA are… complicated, to say the least. There were a lot of feelings on this trip that we still aren't sure how to process.

Ben and Karen had the cutest little bungalow style house in Pasadena, and with a YARD! I was admittedly a little jealous, especially as it was late November when we were out there and it was in the 80s and sunny all week compared to the rain in the 40s we left NYC in.

Phil, Ben and I made a day trip to Little Tokyo on Tuesday of our trip and I went on a mini shopping spree.I found a super cute little store with cheap-yet-adorable Japanese housewares. I was SO EXCITED to buy sponges and tweezers.

On Wednesday we had an impromptu lunch with the awesomest of artists, the great Coop whom I've been friends with online but had never met in person. I've been a fan of his art since the 90s and was super excited to grab lunch and talk about comics and art.

Disneyland:

Thursday we spent the morning and early afternoon at Disneyland and then after a rest went to California Adventure in the evening. OF COURSE I got all dolled up to have my own little pinup adventure in the parks, the weather was PERFECT.

#TBT to last month when Phil and I were in sunny California for Disneyland. ::siiiiiigh:: We have to go back! 😭🌴

A video posted by Paige Pumphrey (@paigey_pumphrey) on Dec 17, 2015 at 11:45am PST

We hit Disneyland first to check out all the Season of the Force stuff that was up in Tomorrowland first thing. IMHO, Hyperspace Mountain wasn't very impressive. I don't know if it's that this particular version of Space Mountain is the first and thus very old, but all the Star Wars projections were so bright they drowned out the rest of the star lights in the coaster. As far as the rest of Season of the Force, it mostly just seemed like these expansive Target-like shopping pavilions had taken over the floorspace of Tomorrowland, and even for first thing on a Thursday the lines had already gotten a little out of control so we headed elsewhere. Hopefully the dedicated Star Wars themed world they're building now is more impressive. Lol, I'm such a snob. XD

STAW WAWZ. STAW WAWZ.

A video posted by Paige Pumphrey (@paigey_pumphrey) on Nov 19, 2015 at 9:42am PST

We also got on the Dumbo ride in Fantasyland. Since Phil and I are not small people, we figured it'd be best to get individual Dumbos (plus I got that floofy skirt!). Halfway through the line I also realized Phil and I were the only adults going on who didn't have some small child in tow, which I found humorous.

After Dumbo we went to get Dole Whip floats and get indoctrinated into the Illuminati, wait- I mean, watch the Enchanted Tiki Room. It was a much needed break in the dark with air conditioning and a tasty beverage.  

After we got out of the Tiki Room it was crazy crowded, hot, and lunchtime. So we decided to dip out, but managed to find the entrance to t he mysterious Club 33 where I could grab a quick photo.

Lunch!! And then a nap!

"No. No. You've got to sign for it."

We went to California Adventure after we ate lunch and took a nap, but we didn't know it closed so early (like 9 I think, we thought it'd be open til 10-11) so we were running around trying to see everything. Def want to go back and JUST see California Adventure when we come back next.

Buuuut- we did get to see THE THREE CABALLEROS, which is one of my FAVORITE Disney movies. Also Jose Carioca is my favorite Disney animal character, with Donald almost immediately behind. So it was a SUPER TREAT to run into such an obscure group.

Friday we spent coming back to Pasadena from Disneyland, then setting up my table for Designer Con, then meeting up with Phil's old coworkers and friends from DC Comics, who had all moved to LA from NYC in the past year. The dinner was a delight, I think it must have been about 20 of us all along a long banquet table at this great Mexican restaurant, all hooting and hollering and being loud obnoxious New Yorkers in Burbank. In fact we had SO much fun we didn't take a single picture. D'oh.

Designer Con:

Saturday and Sunday I spent vending at Designer Con alongside my pal Peter Goode whom I know from the art scene back in Baltimore. He actually curated some of my first group art shows! This was my first west coast convention table and I think I did ok. After just coming off the insanity of New Yoprk Comic Con a month prior I wasn't super blown away by the attendance, especially since I found out that CTN Expo was the same weekend over in Burbank and in all honesty I think THAT was more my ideal customer base. Ending the already packed vacation week with a con table to work was probably also not my brightest idea ever. I was SO TIRED from everything else that I just couldn't muster the energy to be excited about selling. I honesty would have rather been sitting poolside, but alas I was there and may as well make the most of it. It was great to see everyone that came by- I was so happy to finally meet followers from my social media accounts and other artists based in California who I've never had the pleasure of meeting in person. I felt so bad for my friends that I hung out with after the show, I was so tired I almost fell asleep over dinner- both nights!

#DesignerCon!! Booth 726 with @petergoodeart and husband Phil!

A video posted by Paige Pumphrey (@paigey_pumphrey) on Nov 21, 2015 at 12:37pm PST

I finally got to wear my Luchadora skirt!! A Paigey/Maria/Little Asian Sweatshop collaboration!!

I got to meet awesome Tiki artist BIG TOE! He was such a sweetheart!

With our NYC-turned-LA friends Pat and Jen and their new California baby!

Overall we had a fantastic time in LA. To the point where we almost didn't want to come back, especially with how cold and lousy the weather was when we returned. We def want to go back out there again next fall and see even more of our friends and all their lovely faces and all the cool locales and such.

Aftermath: New York Comic Con 2015

Our Bob's Burgers group was a hit!

Ack! Ack! Another New York Comic Con has come and gone and I've emerged victorious. Albeit tired, sore and with no desire to hear my own voice for at least a few weeks. Therein lies the adventure that is NYCC. We had a rallying cry all weekend of the show- if we didn't love this, we wouldn't do it.

Our "NYCC Skybox", as we ended up calling it. All that separates us from the teeming masses.

 Much like last year: me, Little Asian Sweatshop and Maria Danalakis Art all pitched in and got a booth on the main floor of the exhibitor hall and had all of our usual pinup-inspired goodies for sale. Now fully aware of how grueling NYCC's schedule is, we decided to not be as ambitious in our cosplay themes. Four 12 hour workdays in a row that have the intensity of a Macy's on Black Friday really takes a toll on us physically and mentally, so we played it more low-key this year. Thursdays we just wore whatever- I dressed in a pants version of my Mouseketeer outfit. Friday was Batman-themed where I was a very loose interpretation of Catwoman. Maria dressed in her adorable Riddler dress and Fenny busted out her VERY old-school Robin costume from cosplays past- she literally had not worn it in over 12 years. It was hilariously terrible- back from the days when all we had to make costumes from was cheap wedding satin. She looked great though. That costume will always crack me up. Saturday however was our crowning achievement- we had a Bob's Burgers group of Maria as Linda, me as Tina and Fenny as Louise. It hit two big bullet points with me and cosplay- amazingly comfortable and instantly recognizable. And Maria was BORN to play Linda. She borrowed my bubble flip wig I had made from Fifi Mahoney's and was SO into it, even being in character a good chunk of the day. Our little Cosplay Diva! Sunday was our 'screw it' day- jeans and hoodies. We were so tired people should be happy we were even there at all.

#NYCC exhibitor booth 2682- Paigey and Friends!! Come see me, @littleasiansweatshop and @mariartist

A video posted by Paige Pumphrey (@paigey_pumphrey) on Oct 8, 2015 at 9:30am PDT

Unfortunately we were unable to get the cherry spot we got last year so we had to choose a booth location all the way in the back of the exhibit hall- which also happens to be the length of about 4 football fields. As a result we all did well, but not as well as last year. Either way- we are def planning to exhibit again in 2016. This is usually the most social I am all year, so it's a good way to get all of my desire to dress up in silly outfits, talk about art, get pictures taken and hang out with friends in one fell swoop. Plus I get to make a little money and hear from people coming up to me about how awesome they think I am? Let's do it! It's certainly a nice break from sitting in front of the computer in my apartment while wearing 4 day old pj pants. (Like I am now…)

JFC ITS ONLY THURSDAY PEOPLE 😰

A video posted by Paige Pumphrey (@paigey_pumphrey) on Oct 8, 2015 at 11:39am PDT

Got a visit from my pal, burlesque superstar Dangrrr Doll as Black Canary!

Fenny in her awful/awesome Robin costume. At 8am.

It was always like a little party at our booth.

Rewarded with elote for a hard day's work!

At times standing at the front corner of the booth it was almost hypnotizing watching the endless shifting sea of people. And every day of the show it just got more and more crowded. You thought it was "bad" on Thursday and Friday? (It was.) Oh heavens, that was mostly comprised of people who were willing to take off from work to attend. Saturday and Sunday are usually when the GENERAL PUBLIC come out to the show, as those are the days most already have off for the weekend. It was like each day just escalates more and more with attendance until it reaches maximum humanity. And then, AND THEN on the final day- Sunday, when you don't think it can get any worse with the shuffling masses and lack of personal space, they decide to make it KIDS DAY. >_<; So now not only are you dodging and weaving through people in general, but at least 40% are most likely going to have a slower, waist-high counterpart attached by the arm who is being dragged through (or pushed, or led) the mob. Which I have to admit- I really feel kind of bad for kids who are brought to New York Comic Con. I just don't see it really being that fun for anyone under the age of 12. If you really think about it- you're being led around a building that kinda-sorta looks like an amusement park with characters running around and and crazy structures like the giant pavilions that the larger companies build. Buuutttt-- it's crazy crowded so you can't really stop. Each aisle is like a giant, slow moving line with no real ending. And being a child, you can't really run off on your own to check out whatever catches your eye. (As my mother would say: That's how you get snatched!) Also the characters and cosplayers running around are a bit of a gamble if you choose to have your child interact with them. Some cosplayers I know are great with kids and have an amazing rapport with the public. Others however can be weird, or creepy, or rude- because guess what, cosplayers are people who are there to enjoy the show just like everyone else. They're not there like characters from Disney World who are paid to be there and have a code of conduct in a controlled environment. There's going to be characters dressed up in costumes that most parents would deem inappropriate for their children to see- whether they're super sexy battle bikinis, gory zombies that will scare the crap out of them, or guys in spandex bodysuits where you can totally make out their gross little wiener waggling all over the place. And don't get me started on the in-character Deadpool cosplayers. Also I hope those parents either brought a ton of money or have their "No, you can't have that." game on lock because they are essentially walking their child into a giant toy store that stretches on for miiiiles. However, I must say there needs to be a mass reinstatement of the 'keep your hands in pockets' policy I had as a kid when shopping with my mom- too many grabby little fingers of questionable cleanliness smeared on all my merch. Look, but don't touch guys. Jeez. What I'm saying, in my opinion is that a lot of NYCC isn't fun for little kids. It's big and boring and scary and anxiety-inducing, especially if the kid didn't really want to go in the first place. Or thought that NYCC would be more akin to an amusement park, only to find the only rides is a crowded escalator. There's plenty of smaller shows that are way more kid-friendly with even special areas set up where they can color and draw and do kid things that I think they would probably enjoy more than standing crotch-level next to a lumpy, middle-aged Spider-man with a visible trouser snake.
I'd have to say with my experience the best time for a kid to start going to conventions (especially NYCC) is early-mid teens. They can go of their own volition and pursue their own weird interests with other like-minded teens with little to no supervision. Much like dropping kids off at the mall back in the day (or do what my parents used to do and go as well, but wander around on their own). Plus cons are held during daytime hours and are relatively safe- more and more conventions are stepping up their staffing, security and policies to help the expanding community feel more included. I know if I had the option of going to a con like the ones they have now I would have lost my damn mind. I however didn't start going to cons until 1998 when I attended my first Otakon at 17, and I've attended shows every year since then. The way I actually met my best friend Fenny was through anime conventions and the mutual friends I had within different groups that all met up at various shows in the mid-Atlantic area back in my late teens/early 20's.

…and now I must scream. 😩

A video posted by Paige Pumphrey (@paigey_pumphrey) on Oct 10, 2015 at 3:24pm PDT

Louise and Tina waiting for the M train.

Practicing my Tina face in the bathroom. Weirder. No, WEIRDER.

I LOVE Maria as Linda. I kept randomly looking over at her and cracking up. The inclusion of her into Fenny and I's cosplay shenanigans has definitely breathed some new life into our jaded old convention souls.

It's so weird seeing me in glasses so big.

As much as I bitch and moan during cons, especially NYCC- I really do love attending and interacting with people and sharing my art and merch with everyone. It's crazy and crowded and physically destroys you over the course of 5 days (we gotta spend all day Wedsnesday setting up the booth), yet as soon as my recovery week is over I'm already thinking about next year.

I just want to go to the restroom. 😖

A video posted by Paige Pumphrey (@paigey_pumphrey) on Oct 11, 2015 at 9:34am PDT

I attempted to be social on Saturday night. Phil and I met up with some out-of-town friends for drinks and I ended up almost nodding off after 1 drink.

Aw! Friends!!

Dorking out with our con pals Brit and Emily!

Fenny and I quoted Mr. Meeseeks from Rick & Morty all weekend. I'm kind obsessed and Fenny had never seen it so we spent every night after the show watching episodes on hulu. It's brilliant and if you aren't already- you should watch it too. Fenny and I are already talking about doing R&M characters for 2016.

Aftermath: Baltimore Comic Con 2015

Baltimore Comic Con 2015 marks *8* years of attending comic conventions as a professional exhibitor! Man o Manischewitz! It almost seems like I know what I'm doing at these things, right? Haha! I've got you all fooled!

BALTIMORE COMIC CON! AA tables 199 & 229! (Rear facing Endcap) With me as always is @littleasiansweatshop #baltimorecomiccon

A video posted by Paige Pumphrey (@paigey_pumphrey) on Sep 25, 2015 at 12:42pm PDT

I've been writing about Baltimore Comic Con for as long as I've had this blog (which is actually coming up on a good long while!) and going is always a treat. It's my hometown show so I get to see an interesting mix of folks- friends from my past intermingle with the new and it's always a fun party at my table that I set up alongside my best friend in the whole wide universe: Fenny from Little Asian Sweatshop. I always do rather well at this show and I'm able to save money by staying at my parents house a mere 15 minutes away.

I also changed up my appearance for the first time in quite a few years: chopping off my hair into a short pixie-ish cut and dying it royal blue! I needed a change and had this realization that my hair when long had been spending 95% of the time clipped up, which is kinda pointless. I also have very little hair styling ability and once I'm dona fixing my bangs and spit curls I'm just about at the end of my patience- so I figured let's keep the front the same and just chop off the back. Easy Peasy!

Spoopiest of the Spoopys

I am VAMPYR!!!!

AMAZING Elvira and Pee-Wee cosplayers that were in character! So good!

They made me SO HAPPY!

With Kayley and Sharon of Cosplay 10.6 as Gwen and MJ

I am WORTHY!! With Kayley of Cosplay 10.6 as Thor

With Hunter Spanks, tattoo artist at Have Fun Be Lucky! This is his FIRST COSPLAY! Awww!

Here's a video interview with me from Sunday with Loading Snacks:

Fenny and I's tradition of post-con crabs at Captain James

Aftermath: Special Edition NYC 2015, also a little con rant

8am is a bit early for full drag, but you do what you gotta do.

Immediately after getting home from Awesome Con in DC on May 29-31, I had to turn around and get ready for Special Edition: NYC the following weekend of June 6-7. A two day show, Special Edition: NYC is the fiesty kid brother of the infamous monster that is New York Comic Con. It's second year in running, I had heard decent-to-good things about it last year (I did not attend) and figured I'd give it a shot considering it's in my own backyard and I wouldn't have to travel far or upset my normal schedule too much to attend. For having very little in the way of expectations, I was pleasantly surprised with how the show turned out! I made a satisfactory amount of money to justify coming out and saw lots of my friends and fans that I normally only see at NYCC, which is too crazy to be able to talk to anyone longer than 5 minutes at. I'm definitely going to attend next year as well, and add this show to my yearly convention roster.

When I'm too tired to deal with my hair- out come the wigs.

 I'm very glad the show turned out to be worth my time and money, as setting up on Friday didn't help my abysmal expectations. I had to push my heavy-ass granny cart full of merch and display racks from Williamsburg, Brooklyn all the way up to Pier 94 in Manhattan on 53rd and 12th in the rain. At least I burned a TON of calories on my pedometer. Pier 94 itself didn't really add to my confidence of the event, as it was basically a dingy warehouse on the Hudson River whose entrance was under an overpass, with barely any signage. I was convinced no one would come out and I'd be in a hole yet again, as my previous two shows this year were a one-two-punch of debt and disappointment. Fortunately I was proven wrong by the amazing crowds on Saturday!!

Bonus tip for you ladies: use an old convention lanyard as a zipper pull for those tiny zippers on skirt/dresses/tops!

Saturday at Special Edition was really crowded which was awesome. Apparently a big reason for this was that it was one of the few (only?) places you could get NYCC tickets after the online tickets sold out in under an hour. There was also a ton of cosplay going on and though I was all the way in the back (something else I was initially displeased about), it actually worked out in my favor because I was right next to the cosplay meetup area and the cafe, so I got a lot of traffic by my table. Almost immediately after I took the curtain off my table Saturday morning people were swarming and buying things. Yessss. This is more like it!! COMMERCE!!!! I even made back table just on Saturday- which for this show especially was a bit steep, but hey that's NYC for you.

The 'I just made table' smile.

Special Edition is hoppin'! Come on by table O-18! #senyc

A video posted by Paige Pumphrey (@paigey_pumphrey) on Jun 6, 2015 at 8:27am PDT

IMMA MAWDEL.

Sunday was a little less crowded, which is fine as it gave me a chance to actually talk to friends who came by. Including some extra special guest stars!!! Like:

OMG ADAM WARREN!!!!

I could barely contain my squee's. ^ o ^ 

OMGGGG!!! A rare, surprise appearance by one of my all-time favorite creators, Adam Warren of Dirty Pair/Empowered/Gen13 fame, who was also exhibiting!! I haven't seen him since I used to attend Otakon in the early 00's as a cosplayer- I've even got a wall of his original sketches that I commissioned. He was awesome enough to specially come by and see me at my table, as I was running it by myself and didnt really have a chance to escape except to use the bathroom.

Cuties bein' cuties!

I also was lucky enough to catch a moment with the fabulous fashionista Betty Felon and super sweetheart Lauren Moran, who I always love seeing- both in person and on the interwebs.

Also, something I would like to address:

If you work an Artist Alley: PLEASE don't launch into a sales pitch immediately after someone makes eye contact while idly walking down the aisle. It's obnoxious and off-putting and will more than likely scare them off. JUST SAY HI. Maybe even smile. Let them come over on their own. Quit acting so thirsty!

That exact tactic made me AVOID artist alley at all cost as a fan back in the day. Think of all the potential customers/fans being run off! With over 8 years of experience behind an artist alley table, 18 years of attending conventions as a whole and 7+ years of working in sales as my occupation outside of art- believe me when I say this. Invest in decent signage, look presentable and tone down the aggressive sales tactics. At my table I try to talk about everything BUT my art, it's all already there for them to look at. The most I usually say when people have shown an interest in my product is simply stating that yes, this is all my art and that I make most of the products (jewelry, magnets) by hand. And that's mostly because there are people who are new to the convention scene that do not understand that the person sitting behind the table at a con is usually the person who drew the art on the table in front of them. I still get people who think that I'm either some sort of booth babe, or that "The Art of Paigey" is some faceless storefront entity and that I am but an employee in their service. I know, weird- but don't underestimate how ignorant a customer may potentially be. In my experience, the EASIEST way to get people talking and looking at your stuff is to simply ask them how the shows been for them. Or ask about their other purchases. Or their costume. Or their t-shirt. Its basic sales stuff. Ask open ended questions.

Also, don't take it to heart if a person doesn't buy anything at your table. If they're interested in your work but don't have the means to purchase something at that very moment- give them your card. I get a box of at least 500 giveaway postcards per show and plan to hand out every one. All it has is the address of this here website- because from here you can go to literally all of my stores and outlets on social media. The simpler, the better. Yes you give them away for free and yes, that means you may initially feel that it is a waste of money. Really you should look at it as an investment- as you literally never know who will see it later and whether that person will become a fan who then follows your work and buys something at the next show, or contacts you about a commission, or buys a bunch of stuff from your online store. I even go above and beyond and will keep a small stack in my purse so that whenever I go to a cafe, or a bar or some sort of public space that has a spot for local advertising and leave a stack there. If there isn't a spot for this- don't be rude and leave them, then you literally ARE throwing money away because the employees that work there will throw them away and kind of hate you. I've had people at conventions recognize me from cards I've left at donut places, Thai restaurants and dive bars all over the city and it's kinda cool- you get a wider swath of potential customers. Even better, as me and my BFF and frequent convention collaborator Little Asian Sweatshop have started doing- split a 2-sided postcard with a friend who also shows at conventions (especially if you're near each other or split tables). Double the impact and you save money and paper!

When I quit Joe Kubert School after 2nd year and started working sales/retail jobs I thought I was making the worst mistake of my life. I worked as a commission-based sales person at a high-end tv and stereo store and then later as a part-time manager at Hot Topic. Strangely enough however all the sales training and merchandising has actually been a giant boon to me on the convention floor once I put two-and-two together and started selling something I could actually get behind, being my own artwork and various handmade merch. This is why I try to make as many different things as I can at different price points to cater to different customers. I bust my ass to stay relevant and well-stocked. Yes, conventions are changing. Mainstream attention means mainstream customers. Do I think there are pro's (and "pro's", yes with quotes...) who have taken for granted that conventions will always be the same and thusly the thought of things like market research are completely alien to them? Abso-friggen-lutely. Evolve or die.

My BFF Fenny of Little Asian Sweatshop had a really great article on Pop Culture Uncovered that basically paraphrases several conversations her and I have had over on my Facebook several times:Adapt or Die: How to Earn Money at Comic Conventions

These are pretty great too:Stickman’s Tips for Having a Table at a Comic Book Convention25 Reasons Why You Don’t Make Any Money At Comic Cons

 Haha, sorry I went a bit on a tear there. Hope all this helps!