NYCC Wrap-up and "Slide" Festival screenings

Hey, Plymptoons fans and Scribble Junkies - 

I know it's been a while since I wrote anything, but I suddenly became very busy.  I wanted to get something posted about the New York Comic-Con before it gets too late - we had a great time over four days in October at the Javits Convention Center!

While I was there at NYCC, I got interviewed by Mary Fan of the Workprint, and I got to talk about the progress on "Slide" and when I expect the film to be finished and released, and you can read that interview here:

https://www.theworkprint.com/nycc-2023-cartoonist-and-animator-bill-plympton-on-slide-his-most-personal-film/123

The NY Comic Con is a big sales event, for sure - I got to do some caricatures for my fans who were willing to pay for the privilege, and this is always a big thrill for me also, I love to draw people and to see their faces light up when they what they look like as one my cartoons!

It's also a chance for me to connect with some old friends - like Bob Camp, animator for "Ren & Stimpy", we go way back and we've been neighbors in Artist Alley in previous years!  Also Mike Richardson, head of Dark Horse Comics, he came by my booth also. 

On Sunday there was a group signing at the Z2 Comics booth, for a hardcover comic called "The Illustrated Al", where different artists took the opportunity to illustrate some of Weird Al Yankovic's best (non-parody) songs.  I had done the illustrations for his song "One More Minute", so I was part of this group of artists who each illustrated a song and put their own spins on it!  What a great opportunity to meet all of these talented people and sign some books together!  My thanks to Z2 Comics!

Of course, I'm there to sell my own stuff, too.  Selling art from my animated shorts has become a big part of my business plan, so I brought about 4 portfolios of art from "Your Face", my "Simpsons" couch gags, "How to Kiss" and "25 Ways to Quit Smoking", plus art from a few other films.  But people on Friday were asking me if I had any art from the Kanye West music video "Heard 'em Say", which I animated years ago.  I didn't think to bring any on Friday, but I stopped by the studio on Saturday morning and grabbed some, and I'm so glad I did!  These teenagers bought up 10 pieces of art from that video - they must be big fans, of either me or Kanye!  (Probably Kanye....

Then a few days later, I had to jump on a plane and go to Taiwan for a screening of "Slide" at the Taiwan International Animation Festival!  More about that next time, I guess.  But I hope everybody had a safe and fun Halloween, and I'll let my office manager post some of the great costumes he saw at the NYCC below!  

You might remember this first costumed guy, he came to my booth last year dressed as a dinosaur in a leather jacket, and he bought a few of my DVDs.  Well, he came back dressed as Donkey Kong, complete with a banana gun and a banan-dolier full of bananas!  And he bought a few more DVDs, which is great!  I'm always happy to sell them!  And he brought his whole family, all dressed like Super Mario Bros. characters!

That's all for now, catch you at the next screening of "Slide"!

--Bill P.