FA+
Shop
General Busy-ness
18 years ago
General
It's been very busy since the convention (Further Confusion 2008), so I have had no time to write up a con report. I hope I can rectify this at some point, but I am not sweating it.
Here's what has gotten done since my return from the con:
--paid for the ViSA deposit for the Sin Factory Comix (NSFW!!!!) site and sent off the final application approval papers
--processed a ton of orders which came in while I was gone
--processed all the credit card sales from the con (I don't trust the wireless internet in hotels, not when Other People's Card Numbers are at stake)
--prepped our application for an Anthrocon table
--answered a bunch of email (still desperately behind, sadly)
--posted a bunch of auctions (gotta make back that money I spent on restaurant-eating at the convention)
--did a bunch of paperwork
--went out and bought more mailing supplies
--bought some groceries, hooray rice and pasta!
--paid the internet/cable bill (hooray, the internets will stay on!)
--wrote up the June solicitation information (must send it off today)
--called to cancel our San Diego Comic Con table reservation
Yes, you read that last bit correctly. We will not be getting a booth at San Diego Comic Con this year. The expense just far outweighs the benefits, and it is already almost impossible to find a place to stay. (And they haven't even opened the official reservations yet! Whole hotels are already booked solid!) Quite honestly, last year, we blew over $4000 just to do that show, and that does not include little things like food. We made back about $1500 at the booth. Needless to say, that is WOEFULLY unprofitable, and we are still paying off the expense of last year. So, as much as it pains me to miss showing at SDCC (and to potentially lose our exhibitor history), the cost is just unjustifiable anymore. I could print three comics or one very fat graphic novel for $4K, so I would rather spend the money on that.
If we can afford it (and can find a hotel space!), we might go to attend, but will not set up anywhere and sell.
In other, cheerier things, Trump-san has agreed to be on our adult site. I am beyond thrilled about this! There are also big changes coming up for Furrlough, mostly in the form of a schedule and format change (six times a year, but with more pages per issue). And we're getting a good start on plans for our new revamped, webcomic-centric Radio Comix site redesign. So, lots of new and interesting stuff on the horizon. I am all fired up to get working!
Bonus: I seem to have dodged the con crud that was circulating at FC08. I guess because I was still on the end of my antibiotics... yay!
Here's what has gotten done since my return from the con:
--paid for the ViSA deposit for the Sin Factory Comix (NSFW!!!!) site and sent off the final application approval papers
--processed a ton of orders which came in while I was gone
--processed all the credit card sales from the con (I don't trust the wireless internet in hotels, not when Other People's Card Numbers are at stake)
--prepped our application for an Anthrocon table
--answered a bunch of email (still desperately behind, sadly)
--posted a bunch of auctions (gotta make back that money I spent on restaurant-eating at the convention)
--did a bunch of paperwork
--went out and bought more mailing supplies
--bought some groceries, hooray rice and pasta!
--paid the internet/cable bill (hooray, the internets will stay on!)
--wrote up the June solicitation information (must send it off today)
--called to cancel our San Diego Comic Con table reservation
Yes, you read that last bit correctly. We will not be getting a booth at San Diego Comic Con this year. The expense just far outweighs the benefits, and it is already almost impossible to find a place to stay. (And they haven't even opened the official reservations yet! Whole hotels are already booked solid!) Quite honestly, last year, we blew over $4000 just to do that show, and that does not include little things like food. We made back about $1500 at the booth. Needless to say, that is WOEFULLY unprofitable, and we are still paying off the expense of last year. So, as much as it pains me to miss showing at SDCC (and to potentially lose our exhibitor history), the cost is just unjustifiable anymore. I could print three comics or one very fat graphic novel for $4K, so I would rather spend the money on that.
If we can afford it (and can find a hotel space!), we might go to attend, but will not set up anywhere and sell.
In other, cheerier things, Trump-san has agreed to be on our adult site. I am beyond thrilled about this! There are also big changes coming up for Furrlough, mostly in the form of a schedule and format change (six times a year, but with more pages per issue). And we're getting a good start on plans for our new revamped, webcomic-centric Radio Comix site redesign. So, lots of new and interesting stuff on the horizon. I am all fired up to get working!
Bonus: I seem to have dodged the con crud that was circulating at FC08. I guess because I was still on the end of my antibiotics... yay!
There were 125,000 people at the con last year, and it was seriously pushing all my social anxiety/not liking to be touched in crowds buttons. Bleah!
I have a motel room in Lemon Grove, which is a suburb about ten minutes from downtown and the con. If you'd like to try to come and need some crash space, contact me. A notice here will be sufficient.
(Say, has Trump ever been to ComicCon? Compared to Comics Market I would expect he'd be non-plussed, but on the other hand, he wouldn't just be stuck at a table for the whole event.)
The bonus of not going to the con as exhibitors but instead going as attendees would mean we would not be limited to hotels close to the convention center. (They are INCREDIBLY strict about exhibitors opening their booths ON TIME. You can get kicked out just for being ten minutes late, like if you miss a trolley or get stuck in traffic in a cab. This meant last year, I was up at 5:30-6:00 am every day to make sure at least I could get to the convention center on time every day. IT SUCKED.) As attendees, we could get a place to stay on the trolley line, or within taxi distance, and it wouldn't be an issue if we rolled in late. A lot of our crew want to go just to go, so we're definitely looking at that! (Plus we have friends who live in San Diego, so we could possibly stay with them...)
It'd be weird to go as an attendee. I'd finally get to see panels and booths and stuff, something I never get to do when I have the booth to run. It'd be nice.
Sadly, we haven't gone back because once Wizard took it over the prices went through the roof. We're talking almost $3000 just for the booth. It's way too expensive for a company of our size, sadly. :/