Anyway. Anyway. Let’s talk about something sane, such as conventions! Well, saner, at least.
Convention season is in high gear, and I find myself planning to attend more than a few that boast a sizable webcomic presence. DragonCon has been an annual trip for me, but this year I’ve added Otakon and Baltimore Comic-Con to the schedule, largely due to the fact they take place basically next door.
To be honest, I had not truly realized how much webcomic presence had grown at conventions – I knew that there was usually a strong showing at SDCC, but this summer it seems like every five minutes I hear about another dozen webcomics being featured at whatever convention is coming up next. This isn’t a bad thing, of course, but I was surprised how much more visible webcomics seemed to be than in previous years.
Maybe it’s just me, or maybe there has simply been more of a push for publicity rather than an increase in activity itself. Hard to say.
In any case, the main purpose of today’s post is to look for some advice. With Otakon being this weekend, I was thinking of bringing along a sketchpad and seeing if I could get some sketches from the various webcomic people there – does anyone know what standard etiquette is with such things? My con experience has usually focused on gaming more than guests, but I’ve seen others post about coming back from cons with sketches from their favorite artists, and was wondering if it was a regular practice or not.
Damn Good Comics 
Most webcomic artists I know are more than happy to just give away sketches – just ask. I wouldn’t request anything too particular or complicated, though.
The last big convention I went to, Alex was giving away 5-10 minute drawings for free, but some many very popular webcomic artists will charge a little… in which case, they’ll probably have a sign up, so you’ll know.
Speaking as a Webcomic WRITER, I’m always happy to attempt a quick sketch… why should the artists get all the fun?
Good point – and if any writers are willing to give it a go, I certainly wouldn’t turn them down. 😉
Usually you just ask, and unless that only do super detailed stuff it will probably be free or in exchange for a favor like hand out some cards to promote the site or make a coffee run for them.