FRANCO’s FREE-FOR-ALL FRIDAYS!
By FRANCO
New York Comic Con. It’s happening right now. Books to promote. Artwork to sell. Connections to be made.
I wrote this about a week before you’re reading this. What happens at NYCC happens because of what happens before NYCC. Some conventions are easy to get into. You get an invite. They pay for travel and hotel and it’s all peace of mind in that area of prep as you’re a guest (although there are issues related to that sometimes, too.) And then there’s NYCC. You are invited to submit to Artist Alley. If you’re accepted, you have to pay for your space. You need to procure your own hotel and travel.
As this is my backyard — I live north of the city — travel means either train or car. Car means parking as well as hotel. Train means having to lug some heavy suitcases full of books through the streets of Manhattan to the hotel. Hotel is a relative thing, as I don’t live too far (but far enough) and every year it begs the question: Do I spend the money to get a hotel or do I travel back and forth each day, ensuring I don’t get enough sleep and possibly miss any morning meetings I might have because of alarm clock malfunctions or traffic or train schedules? As you can see, a lot goes into the show way before the show even happens.
Even Batman and Catwoman need directions.
I’m lucky enough that I do get contacted for commissions by people and am always grateful to have the chance to do them. They do help mitigate cost going into the show and then I’m always hopeful I will make enough at the show to cover cost. (If I’m speaking honestly, that doesn’t always happen.)
All this to say that here’s some artwork I was commissioned for before the show. Yeah, I get asked to draw Batman or Spider-man and I love doing that, but I also do get asked for some pretty obscure characters sometimes, like these guys.
Can you even name them?
If you’re attending NYCC, and you happen by Artist Alley, come say hello at table A1-2 and buy a book or some artwork. Goes a long way. Hope to see you there.
Peace.
Happy Friday!
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Want more FRANCO’S FREE-FOR-ALL FRIDAYS? Come back next week!
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MORE
— Marvel’s EQUINOX: An Obscure Villain Who Helped Me Pass Science Class. Click here.
— THE GREATEST LITTLE LUCHADOR EVER: There’s Still Time to Support the Kickstarter. Click here.
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Franco and his forehead have traveled the world and he writes and draws stuff. Franco is the creator, artist and writer of Patrick the Wolf Boy and Aw Yeah Comics! Franco has worked on books/comics, including Tiny Titans and Superman Family Adventures. Franco was also a high-school teacher and is one of the principal owners of Aw Yeah Comics retail stores. Dan made Franco add that he has won three Eisners.
