Artist Alley Suckage

[HorrorFrogPrincess]

Just got back from my first time selling stuff at a convention. Did pretty well for a first timer with no fanart prints. Managed to cover the cost of the table at least.

But there were sucky moments...

Not a Library

Had one girl come over, read ALL THE WAY THROUGH the first comic, then buy a bookmark. She tried to read the second one today, but the place was closing, so she had to put it down.

Worst was the whole weekend, she was acting like my best friend. ><


Not an Extension

I was next to a print artist. Lots of shiny stuff, her whole table was covered. It got tons of traffic, too. Most of my stuff was near the center, since I was selling alone and wanted to keep my eye on everything. People kept putting their stuff on my table while looking at HER wares. Or setting aside what they wanted to buy.

I put my foot town when someone left their TRASH on my table. Moved some postcards and a sign to that part.


Not a Freebie

I invite people to look through the book so they can get an idea of what it is, if it's got too much M/M tension for them, if they like the art, etc. Had a few people almost walk off with it, apparently thinking it was some sort of handout.

Dude, nobody hands out a full comic that is over 20 pages. Not at Artist Alley, anyway. Its' not a catalog or something.


Not a Dealers Room

I was the ONLY PERSON selling original comics. I thought that's what Artist Alley was all about. Most of the tables were selling prints (one COMPANY had 2 tables), hats, various stuff not even anime related, and I don't even know what else. I wasn't the only one annoyed. One person even asked me if that was the official Dealers Room.


HOWEVER, LittleKuriboh of Yu Gi Oh the Abridged Series bought BOTH my books. It was awesome.

[Bloodsoul]

I need to look up this Artist Alley once I get off my ass and get back to drawing on a regular basis again.

[Enjis]

I usually try to get space in the main dealer's room, because I hate having to pack up my stuff each night and hope there is space for me the next day.
I have lots of prints, but I make almost all my money doing original art in people's sketchbooks and also doign badges of their characters.
Prints just are not selling well right now.

[Shalom]

Not an Extension

I was next to a print artist. Lots of shiny stuff, her whole table was covered. It got tons of traffic, too. Most of my stuff was near the center, since I was selling alone and wanted to keep my eye on everything. People kept putting their stuff on my table while looking at HER wares. Or setting aside what they wanted to buy.

OK, you've probably read this already, but on the off-chance you haven't, this and the next two comics in the sequence are relevant.

[Sleepwalker]

I don't suppose you have a link to any of your work online? Now I'm curious. Or do you not post that here in anonymousland?

[Polenicus]

b]Not a Dealers Room[/b]

I was the ONLY PERSON selling original comics. I thought that's what Artist Alley was all about. Most of the tables were selling prints (one COMPANY had 2 tables), hats, various stuff not even anime related, and I don't even know what else. I wasn't the only one annoyed. One person even asked me if that was the official Dealers Room.

I have to chip in and say this isn't a unique phenomenon.

I go to a rather large convention yearly, as an excuse to go visit friends. I won't say what it is or where, to avoid offense, but it isn't local.

Years ago, in the early days, Artists Alley was a WONDERFUL place, full of unique and interesting stuff. Artists doing commissions, showing off original works, comics, intermingling with a smattering of professional artists... it was really cool, and a place you could spend as much time in in the Dealer's Room, and for completely different reasons.

We loved the commissions, my friends and I. We used to spread out and hunt down the best artists... one of us would get a commission, and if we liked their stuff, the rest of us would go over and get one. We each had a handful of unique characters we did up. I remember a couple of years of really insanely good pickings, including one girl who did these incredible full color commissions for peanuts.

Then, about three or four years ago, something happened. Lots of artists sold prints, but things got entirely out of hand. Each table would be surrounded by massive prints, with only a little hole for the artist to peek out of to take money and hand back prints, like a teller window. No room for commissions, and no inclination to do them.

The reliable commission artists stopped coming. Not only were there no new artists to seek out, but the old ones vanished. The art started becoming samey and boring. Naruto, Vocaloid, Final Fantasy... all in the same style. You honestly couldn't tell where one booth started and another ended because all the art was the same, all prints, maybe some trinkets (If you could find them, hidden behind the poster-sized prints). No art books. No original characters or comics. Not an original concept in the entire place.

I walked through the place a couple of times, and honestly could not find anything of interest. I tried, but all there was was a wall of Inu Yashas, Sephiroths and Miku Hatsunes looking back at me. They may have been there, but they were buried in the weeds of prints.

It's sad. It's more sad that my convention isn't the only one afflicted.

[NateTheChops]

There's a full blown "Artist Alley" in Salem and that's year round as far as I know. No tables, just little buildings you can rent and show of your wares.

I wouldn't mind trying to get a hold of a space like that to sell my own artwork.

[HorrorFrogPrincess]

I usually try to get space in the main dealer's room, because I hate having to pack up my stuff each night and hope there is space for me the next day.
I have lots of prints, but I make almost all my money doing original art in people's sketchbooks and also doign badges of their characters.
Prints just are not selling well right now.

I wouldn't be able to afford the Dealer's room. Also, not enough stuff yet to even make a dent in the booth space.

OK, you've probably read this already, but on the off-chance you haven't, this and the next two comics in the sequence are relevant.

Hah, sort of. Except I was being passed by for generic print artists.

I don't suppose you have a link to any of your work online? Now I'm curious. Or do you not post that here in anonymousland?

http://violetjimjams.deviantart.com/ Not a lot up except my first comic, but I haven't had much time to draw other things with work and finishing the second comic in time for the con.

Thinking of doing The Importance of Being Earnest next.

I have to chip in and say this isn't a unique phenomenon.

I go to a rather large convention yearly, as an excuse to go visit friends. I won't say what it is or where, to avoid offense, but it isn't local.

Years ago, in the early days, Artists Alley was a WONDERFUL place, full of unique and interesting stuff. Artists doing commissions, showing off original works, comics, intermingling with a smattering of professional artists... it was really cool, and a place you could spend as much time in in the Dealer's Room, and for completely different reasons.

We loved the commissions, my friends and I. We used to spread out and hunt down the best artists... one of us would get a commission, and if we liked their stuff, the rest of us would go over and get one. We each had a handful of unique characters we did up. I remember a couple of years of really insanely good pickings, including one girl who did these incredible full color commissions for peanuts.

Then, about three or four years ago, something happened. Lots of artists sold prints, but things got entirely out of hand. Each table would be surrounded by massive prints, with only a little hole for the artist to peek out of to take money and hand back prints, like a teller window. No room for commissions, and no inclination to do them.

The reliable commission artists stopped coming. Not only were there no new artists to seek out, but the old ones vanished. The art started becoming samey and boring. Naruto, Vocaloid, Final Fantasy... all in the same style. You honestly couldn't tell where one booth started and another ended because all the art was the same, all prints, maybe some trinkets (If you could find them, hidden behind the poster-sized prints). No art books. No original characters or comics. Not an original concept in the entire place.

I walked through the place a couple of times, and honestly could not find anything of interest. I tried, but all there was was a wall of Inu Yashas, Sephiroths and Miku Hatsunes looking back at me. They may have been there, but they were buried in the weeds of prints.

It's sad. It's more sad that my convention isn't the only one afflicted.

You've described it perfectly. That's exactly how it happened. ALL the prints looked pretty much the same. And all the characters had the same faces. >< Same eyes, nose, face shape, and mouths. Only differences were coloring, hairstyle, and outfit. And yes, at least 3 tables had that giant display with a little hole in the middle.

It's good incentive for ME to keep going, though. RESTORE THE PURITY OF ARTIST ALLEY!

One of the bigger dealers was ticked about it, too. I know one local comic shop that is always at the con was looking through Artist Alley. Didn't get his opinion on it, though.

Although he did suggest I talk to the store owner about doing a signing. They love local comic artists. ^w^

There's a full blown "Artist Alley" in Salem and that's year round as far as I know. No tables, just little buildings you can rent and show of your wares.

I wouldn't mind trying to get a hold of a space like that to sell my own artwork.

Oooh, that'd be so cool.

[panda]

YOU GOT TO MEET Little Kuriboh!?!? I'm SO jealous!

[HorrorFrogPrincess]

YOU GOT TO MEET Little Kuriboh!?!? I'm SO jealous!

Yeah, I had a total brain-fart, though. Called him Dan Green.

[Solumina]

Things like this are why I go to so few cons. Thankfully there are still some cons that have a percentage of original work required for those on artist alley, it is a shame that they are getting to be rare.

[TheRabbi]

I work Security for a number of conventions out here in the Midwest throughout the year, and the Artist Alleys at those cons tends to be pretty good. There are some that have fallen back to just selling buttons or whatever, but I usually end up walking away with a comic book or (at the last instance of the big one I work) a few graphic novels.

At the smaller cons I always make it a point to walk through AA and Vendors during setup and introduce myself and say hi (not to mention give them the standard security spiel). Artists are almost always quite friendly (though there was one this past weekend...) and it's nice to be able to wave to them and stop by and talk during my walkthroughs during the con.

[Record Store Tough Guy]

Artist's Alley is for artists to sell their stuff, regardless of media. As long as it's their own. That stuff that wasn't anime related? Did you look at it? Did you ask them about it? They probably could have explained why they had it. It was probably related to other unique properties they created. I personally see no problem with an artist selling prints, t-shirts, or other items in Artist's Alley, as long as they pertain to their creations. Were your comics hand-drawn there at the table, or were they printed beforehand? If printed beforehand, how is that different from selling posters or lithographs?

I've worked plenty of Indie Press/Artist's Alley tables over the past couple years. We had our core product that we were promoting, and yes, we also had t-shirts, buttons, posters, insignia badges, make-up prosthetics... You get the idea. They were all related to the core property.

If you want to make a living doing what you do, you can't be afraid of diversifying. You have a comic, which is more than can be said for many, many people in this particular fandom (believe me, people were floored that we had a finished product in a tangentially related one). But if you really want to make money, you have to have more than just that. Your table is there to promote your stuff. All of it. In as many forms as you can possibly create. Draw some posters. Make some buttons (ridiculously popular, and also ridiculously cheap to make). Get quotes on t-shirts (the profit margin is amazingly high). Make some keychains. Shrinky-dink some celphone charms.

Most of all, don't limit yourself to only one way of selling your artwork. Enjoy creating your art, first and foremost, but never lose sight of the fact that it is also a business, just like any other, and if you want to succeed, you have to be willing to be at least a little mercenary.

[aqutalion]

I wish there were more conventions near where I live. I'd love to go do commissions at one.

[HorrorFrogPrincess]

Artist's Alley is for artists to sell their stuff, regardless of media. As long as it's their own. That stuff that wasn't anime related? Did you look at it? Did you ask them about it? They probably could have explained why they had it. It was probably related to other unique properties they created. I personally see no problem with an artist selling prints, t-shirts, or other items in Artist's Alley, as long as they pertain to their creations. Were your comics hand-drawn there at the table, or were they printed beforehand? If printed beforehand, how is that different from selling posters or lithographs?

I've worked plenty of Indie Press/Artist's Alley tables over the past couple years. We had our core product that we were promoting, and yes, we also had t-shirts, buttons, posters, insignia badges, make-up prosthetics... You get the idea. They were all related to the core property.

If you want to make a living doing what you do, you can't be afraid of diversifying. You have a comic, which is more than can be said for many, many people in this particular fandom (believe me, people were floored that we had a finished product in a tangentially related one). But if you really want to make money, you have to have more than just that. Your table is there to promote your stuff. All of it. In as many forms as you can possibly create. Draw some posters. Make some buttons (ridiculously popular, and also ridiculously cheap to make). Get quotes on t-shirts (the profit margin is amazingly high). Make some keychains. Shrinky-dink some celphone charms.

Most of all, don't limit yourself to only one way of selling your artwork. Enjoy creating your art, first and foremost, but never lose sight of the fact that it is also a business, just like any other, and if you want to succeed, you have to be willing to be at least a little mercenary.

Actually, most of the print artists weren't the actual artists. They were using other people's art. Not necessarily with permission.

And I wasn't just selling comics. I also had buttons and bookmarks. Not a lot, but there was a time constraint. The buttons were rather popular, especially a certain design.

Trust me, I get the business side. I'm just annoyed that COMPANIES who should be in the DEALERS ROOM are taking up space, and any original artists who would have been there either missed out or just didn't bother trying.

I work Security for a number of conventions out here in the Midwest throughout the year, and the Artist Alleys at those cons tends to be pretty good. There are some that have fallen back to just selling buttons or whatever, but I usually end up walking away with a comic book or (at the last instance of the big one I work) a few graphic novels.

At the smaller cons I always make it a point to walk through AA and Vendors during setup and introduce myself and say hi (not to mention give them the standard security spiel). Artists are almost always quite friendly (though there was one this past weekend...) and it's nice to be able to wave to them and stop by and talk during my walkthroughs during the con.

There was a great security guy at the door of AA. He and I chatted a bit as I went in and out. Last day, when I had booth babes, he sneaked over and danced with us. Actually got on a chair and did what we were doing. It was hilariously aweesome.