Denver Comic Con 2015

Whew! It's been almost three weeks since the end of the 2015 Denver Comic Con and I am only now getting around to finally writing about it. Sorry about that but, as they say, better late than never.

This year's con was absolutely crazy! I've been attending the big Denver con since they began in 2012 and they have just grown by leaps and bounds since that first year. I think the number of attendees the first time out was around 28,000. This year it topped out at a little over 101,000! That is a huge jump in attendance after only four years and you could really feel it this year.

For me, to be honest, this year felt a little overwhelming. I tried to wander through the convention a few times but I always ended up just running back to my table where it was safe. It was a very loud convention, both audibly and visually. If I had to describe it in some way I'd say it was like the internet had come to life and everywhere you looked there was something vying for your attention.

But, even though it was busy and very exhausting, I had a great time.

We had a booth at the end of the hall this year and, because I had no one beside me on the end, I got to build my space out a little bit and added Ryan's hockey jersey and guitar to the display to accompany my usual art. Although, I did learn, if you put a guitar that close to where kids can touch it, by the end of the weekend you're going to have one very sticky guitar. I had new banners created to sit behind me and I also had a kind of picnic spread banner to put over my table. The whole thing really came out nicely and I was happy with how our space looked.

I sold a bunch of books, both old ones like OCD #1 and the newest books like OCD #2 and a print copy of the book I created for the 24 Hour Comic Challenge. I was hoping to get a new album of music done before the convention but getting a really bad cold in the weeks beforehand put the kibosh on that plan. Ah well, there is always next year.

And, as busy as it was I had a chance to catch up with some friends, solidify some contacts I made last year, and meet a bunch of very cool people. Probably the coolest part was that Dave Dorman of Dark Horse Comics and Star Wars fame was seated in the table right behind mine. After peeking through my banners to see if he was free I had a chance to sit down and talk with him for a bit. That was really cool and he's a super nice guy.

And, yes, Monika had a great time as well. She dressed up as something different each day. The first two days she cosplayed as characters from my comic and on the third day she left my world to play Wonder Woman. I'd be jealous but, honestly, it's hard to beat Wonder Woman. It was great having her there and she made the whole weekend a lot easier. She's definitely the best convention partner I've ever had.

So, yes, I had a great time and I can't wait to do it again. Maybe by this time next year I can finally get another OilCan Drive album done. I can't be sick all the time!

Have a great one and I'll see you all soon!