Showing posts with label comiccon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label comiccon. Show all posts
Sunday, 22 January 2017
Newsletter!
16:46:00
So I thought I would start a newsletter to help build my subscriber base to my blog. Whilst some social platforms are great for promoting art/comics, newsletter subscriptions are the best and most consistent way to reach people who want to keep up to date with your content creation.
Therefore I launched my first newsletter last week. To the starters who did subscribe, thank you and I look forward to sending updates on my content as well as useful articles on different aspects of comic book creation.
What kind of articles could you expect if you did subscribe? Here are a few topics:
- Updates on new articles discussing writing, penciling, inking, coloring and lettering comics
- Updates on conventions as well as my first experiences exhibiting at Comic Con
- Reviews of useful books and tools for making comics
- Updates on my creator owned comic Catapulted
- Reviews of online comic book platforms (Tapastic, Comixology, Webtoons etc.)
I kept my first newsletter light and I did mention that its not going to be a super frequent newsletter that is super long. Instead it's going to be succinct and to the point as often I find newsletters I've subscribed to lengthy and sometimes a bit spammy.
However I did receive a response from one of my subscribers suggesting a schedule so at least the newsletters are regular and can be expected. The opposite end of the spectrum is that newsletters aren't frequent enough which therefore runs the risk of getting forgotten, meaning your content never gets looked at.
Therefore I've decided to send a newsletter twice a month. Content wise I think that's all I could handle at the moment.
How do you subscribe to the newsletter?
At the top of my blog on the right is a small sign up form, pop your email in and away you go, or more so your email address.
Friday, 11 November 2016
Comic Cons 2016
21:34:00
Recently I went to two comic cons that I don't usually go to. MCM ComicCon and ThoughtBubble.
How did it go?
MCM Comic Con
I've always known that MCM has drawn large crowds historically but I wasn't prepared for how packed it would be. I only went to the Sunday but friends who attended all three days had told me that the Saturday had sold out and that it was almost impossible to walk around with the crowds.
MCM in London is typically held in the Excel Centre. But whereas London Super ComicCon (held in the same venue) takes up 3 or 4 halls, MCM took up practically all the halls, both sides!
Of course MCM is not just about comics or manga, it has merchandise stalls, film, game, food and even karaoke areas! Halls on both sides of the main corridor were used, all filled with cosplayers who had traveled from all over Europe.
Although enjoyable with lots to see and do, I prefer cons that are solely focused on comics.
ThoughtBubble 2016
Now here is an interesting convention. ThoughtBubble has always been held in the city of Leeds, something that had always put me off from attending as its a good 4 hour car journey from London.
However I did not realize that some amazing writers and artists have been attending for years! In times past Adam Hughes has attended (an artist I've always wanted to meet and chat to).
This year saw Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman and Kim Jung Ji as well as many others attend. The event is spread around the Royal Armories Museum. The benefit of this venue is that panels can be held in nice theater auditoriums where panelists can be heard clearly (unlike at the Excel Center). I attended one panel on how to make money from comics where the panelists shared their own experience which was very helpful.
Watching Kim Jung Gi was a treat, transforming a huge blank canvas into a an amazingly detailed picture before a crowd of onlookers. How he manages to do these pictures, without reference and planning will always amaze me.
I got to buy some sketch books and a piece of original art from artists in artist alley, include Dean Beattie, Dave Stokes and also got to speak to some creators including Chris Lewis who I met at Kapow Comic Con years ago when he first self published Drones before IDW picked it up.
I had entered the yearly art competition, from which the top three entries get published in a ThoughtBubble anthology published by Image comics. Unfortunately I didn't come in the top three but it was a good experience to complete a one page comic within a finite period, something I often struggle with.
On the bright side I put the comic into a format that would be suitable to Tapastic and I think it will be an ongoing series of short 'slice-of-life' strips.
Check it out in the link below! Tapastic also has an Android and IOS app for you to enjoy comics. Search for 'Sebastian Chow' or 'Art Imitates Life' and subscribe and like the comic. Alternatively you can view it on their site without an account by clicking the link.
https://tapastic.com/series/Art-Imit
Leeds was also a lovely city to visit and in the main shopping center there was a replica of the 1989 Batman Batmobile (my favorite look of all the films). Needless to say I took some snaps.
I would love to go back to ThoughtBubble and even hire a table for commissions and selling art however I know this can be difficult with many being turned away due to the high volume of requests and limited space.
Onward to LSCC 2016 which now has a new venue and new dates...
How did it go?
MCM Comic Con
I've always known that MCM has drawn large crowds historically but I wasn't prepared for how packed it would be. I only went to the Sunday but friends who attended all three days had told me that the Saturday had sold out and that it was almost impossible to walk around with the crowds.
MCM in London is typically held in the Excel Centre. But whereas London Super ComicCon (held in the same venue) takes up 3 or 4 halls, MCM took up practically all the halls, both sides!Of course MCM is not just about comics or manga, it has merchandise stalls, film, game, food and even karaoke areas! Halls on both sides of the main corridor were used, all filled with cosplayers who had traveled from all over Europe.
Although enjoyable with lots to see and do, I prefer cons that are solely focused on comics.
ThoughtBubble 2016
Now here is an interesting convention. ThoughtBubble has always been held in the city of Leeds, something that had always put me off from attending as its a good 4 hour car journey from London.
However I did not realize that some amazing writers and artists have been attending for years! In times past Adam Hughes has attended (an artist I've always wanted to meet and chat to).
This year saw Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman and Kim Jung Ji as well as many others attend. The event is spread around the Royal Armories Museum. The benefit of this venue is that panels can be held in nice theater auditoriums where panelists can be heard clearly (unlike at the Excel Center). I attended one panel on how to make money from comics where the panelists shared their own experience which was very helpful.
Watching Kim Jung Gi was a treat, transforming a huge blank canvas into a an amazingly detailed picture before a crowd of onlookers. How he manages to do these pictures, without reference and planning will always amaze me.
I got to buy some sketch books and a piece of original art from artists in artist alley, include Dean Beattie, Dave Stokes and also got to speak to some creators including Chris Lewis who I met at Kapow Comic Con years ago when he first self published Drones before IDW picked it up.
I had entered the yearly art competition, from which the top three entries get published in a ThoughtBubble anthology published by Image comics. Unfortunately I didn't come in the top three but it was a good experience to complete a one page comic within a finite period, something I often struggle with.
On the bright side I put the comic into a format that would be suitable to Tapastic and I think it will be an ongoing series of short 'slice-of-life' strips.
Check it out in the link below! Tapastic also has an Android and IOS app for you to enjoy comics. Search for 'Sebastian Chow' or 'Art Imitates Life' and subscribe and like the comic. Alternatively you can view it on their site without an account by clicking the link.
https://tapastic.com/series/Art-Imit
Leeds was also a lovely city to visit and in the main shopping center there was a replica of the 1989 Batman Batmobile (my favorite look of all the films). Needless to say I took some snaps.
I would love to go back to ThoughtBubble and even hire a table for commissions and selling art however I know this can be difficult with many being turned away due to the high volume of requests and limited space.
Onward to LSCC 2016 which now has a new venue and new dates...
MCM Comic Con
ThoughtBubble/Leeds
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