New York Comic Con wrap-up

Once again, my crew and I attended the ever-growing New York Comic-Con at the HUGE Jacob Javits Convention Center.  This year, we were presenting a brand-new BluRay featuring my newest short "The Loneliest Stoplight" plus a cool collection of my newly remastered greatest hits, like "Your Face" and "Guard Dog".

Another big success was my offer to do caricatures of fans for $50 each - since I started my professional career as a political caricature artist, I've always loved drawing people's faces.  To me, it's the ultimate artistic subject.  If I see an artist who can draw the human face well, I know they've got talent. 

It's great sometimes when I have a continuous line of subjects - I get into a comfortable Zen-like mindset, where the drawings just flow out of my hand and the art becomes subconscious, so the drawings become exceptionally exaggerated. 

For me, one of the highlights was the panel headed by the creator and wunderkind genius, Rebecca Sugar.  I met her a few years ago, when she was at SVA and I greatly admired her short film.  She had a terrific style and sense of humor.

And now, a few years later, she's a superstar.  She's got a book on the best seller list.  She had a standing room only rapturous audience at Comic-Con, plus she writes and sings her own music!  Whew! Here I am, struggling to get my films out in the cinemas, just barely making it from paycheck to paycheck, and Rebecca Sugar is a superstar at 25 - where did I go wrong?

Whenever I got a break from drawing, I was able to cruise around the floor and check out the other artists.  Artists Alley is especially cool, that's where most of my friends were.  The great Peter DeSeve had a table there but never showed up (at least, not while I was there).  The same with the wonderful Bobby Chiu and Kei.  I was able to visit Bob Camp, one of the creators of "Ren & Stimpy" and also the terrific Geoff Darrow of "Matrix" fame. 

It seemed like all of the fans who really loved true artists, and not just collections of samurai swords and t-shirts all hung out in Artists Alley.  I'm considering getting a table there next year, I think that's where I belong. 

All in all, the New York  Comic-Con is a great experience.  Attendance was rumored to be over 160,000 this year, that's bigger than the San Diego Con!   So, I hope to see you all next year at the New York Comic Con. 

Enjoy the photos of costumed people below, taken by my booth manager, John Holderried.

Thanks,

Bill