I'm sure there's already a thread for this, but I couldn't find it.

I'm going to have an artist table for the first time at an upcoming convention (okay, it's in September) and I'm curious as to what everyone's advice is as to what to bring. I have a webcomic and a freelance art business, so I'd like to promote both. What should I display on the table? Business cards? A portfolio? Sketchbook? Freebies? T-shirts? A few naked booth babes?

Just wondering what everyone else displays (& charges) on their con tables. Thanks!

Business cards are good and ANYONE goes for freebies. Only the truly interested dig sketch books or portfolios, but it's good to bring them, anyway.

Also, I'd try to sell sketches and prints. You should look around at what other people are charging but about $10 for a print or sketch is usually acceptable, though you can go as low as 5 if you're desperate.

A nice poster of each of your endeavors is a good idea; they attract interest.

Oh yeah...Booth Babes work well!!

Ahem.

Business cards and/or postcards are good freebies. Maybe some stickers. A sketchbook is good idea because you can get away with a higher markup. Will you have a Last Call comic there? Portfolio is nice but people just kind of browse/waste time through it and say, 'nice.' But if you're looking for that, portfolio it is.

I would seriously stay away from T-shirts, unless you have a bonafide slogan, joke, image....a seller. OR, you have a fan base that would support it.

If you do commissions, bring paper and pencils.

Myself, I'll have comic books, one is a trade for $10 and one is a color comic for $5. I may or may not have prints, but if I do, they'll be $5 for letter size and $10 for Tabloid size. Commissions are $20. And then I'll probably have some sort of deal that if you buy X and Y, you get a price break or Z for free.

Good advice all around; thank ye kindly. :)

albone
Will you have a Last Call comic there?

My archives aren't that big right now, so at the moment I was thinking of just printing all of my Last Call strips on high-quality cardstock and putting them together in a little slip-cover portfolio (and then another portfolio of my non-Last Call stuff, like faeries and junk), so people could come up and take a look at it.

When I get about 100 or so strips, then I will think about putting together a book, a la girls with slingshots volume one . ;)

This is what my business card for Last Call is going to look like. Should I have any other info on it? I thought maybe e-mail address, but I don't want to clutter the card with too much info.



Yes? No? Good? Bad? Pizza? :D

I haven't displayed at a table before, but i have many friends who have. They tend to sell generic t-shirts (not just stuff that's branded with their comics). My buddy Joe's top selling t-shirt reads "Kiss My Muggle Ass."

They also have books of theirs for sale, either individual issues or trades. Some buttons are free (usually tiny ones), but the bigger ones and packs cost money. He also does complimentary sketches and signing for people who buy his books. You can do commission artwork, and certainly bring business cards - lots of them.

That's about all I can think of for now. Good luck with the con, and keep us posted on how it goes.