First Steps...and Next Steps

 "You've taken your first steps into a larger world."

-Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know that last year I published my first 22-page comic, Stan & Me. I've been selling copies to people in person, in stores (One store actually sold out and bought more!) and done some online sales as well.

But I also knew that eventually, I'd have an opportunity to sell copies at a show. I recently joined Panel One, which is a non-profit group here in Calgary for local comic creators. I was at home early last month informing me that as a member, I would have an opportunity to work the Panel One table at Calgary Expo.

Naturally the first thought that came to me was, "No."

Now before you ask whether I'm stupid or not, don't worry, I asked the same thing of myself a second later but before I did I had quite the thought process.

What was I thinking? A lot of the people who go to these shows have more than one book or product to sell. They have books, stickers, prints, merchandise galore that makes it impossible to ignore.

I just had one comic.

But then I thought, So what if you have one comic? You're also being given a chance to have a table to yourself to sell your comic at the second biggest convention of it's kind in Canada and the largest in Western Canada. This is two hours of prime real estate being offered for free and you want to turn it down? Also you don't have some half-ass comic; Marcelo's art is beyond eye-catching and Carl's lettering is the kind that people would fight over. 

I put in the application for Friday night. My thinking for that was my dad would be coming with me again on Saturday and Sunday and I didn't want to lose any time with him. Also, while Saturday is a busy day, it can honestly get too busy, to the point where it feels extremely cramped. Also Friday was a day that a lot of parents bring their kids and my book, despite some language, I think all ages could enjoy. There's nothing in my book that isn't worse than what's said in a Marvel movie.

So I got accepted for Friday between 5:30 & 7:30. My boss gave the green light to me leaving early and was even excited for me doing this. I had a cash float, I had signs, I had everything I needed. Thursday night, I was ready.

Come Friday morning and I could feel a cold coming on. Calgary was once again being hit by snow and my immune system was deciding to be a bit uncooperative. I didn't feel 100% but also didn't feel sick, however I could sense that my body was teetering close to feverish. I medicated throughout the day at work, kept drinking cold water. A part of me wanted to say, "I can't do it."
But I also knew that as soon as I said that I would regret it.

My boss had the foresight to let me leave earlier than anticipated.
"If you get done everything, leave at 4pm," he told me.
Well I had everything done by 3 and spent the last hour just taking it easy and psyching myself up.

When I got to the BMO Center I called Hartley, my contact for this event. She came outside the building, found me and quickly gave me my lanyard so that I could get inside now as a vendor. As I was being lead to the Community Zone where my table would be, it felt different. I wasn't here as a fan, I wasn't here as someone to buy, I was here to sell.

And let me say, the Panel One table was amazing. I had a big table to myself, they had little display stands where I could show off the book, I laid them out as best I could.

As I put everything together I thought, this is it, this is the real deal, no backing out now.
I had told my boss earlier, "If I sell just one book, I'll consider it a success."

Moments after arriving and trying my best not to look nervous

I hadn't even been at the table ten minutes when this young man came by and after looking through it and asking questions and shortly after that became my first customer at a show.

I won't bore you with the details of the entirety of my time there but I considered my two-plus hours there a success. That kid was not my only sale and there were plenty of other people who came by and looked at the book.

I had to help them hold the book at his paws were just a bit too big.

So in short, my time there was a success. Despite not feeling my best, I held on, sold some copies and even the next day I was able to make a sale. 
John Delaney is a frequent guest at these shows and we've become quite friendly over the years. He had wished me success leading up to the show and the next day even ended up buying a copy of the comic. I didn't have a marker on me to autograph it but (And I know I'm sounding like a huge dork saying this) when he handed me his marker, it was like a Jedi Master handing a Padawan his lighstaber and saying, "Use this."

So, my first show as a creator was at the second largest convention in Canada and the cool part is I'm already lined up for my next show.
On June 8th I'll be at the Panel One Comics Art Festival but this will be different because this time...I'll have two books to sell.

Coming soon...

I'll talk more about this story later but Marcelo and I have teamed up once again to tell a story that's very different from any other comic I've written before but...you'll see how.
And with publishing already underway (Books should arrive next week) we're already starting to make plans for another upcoming comic.

Four and a half years ago, I didn't have the courage to put any story I'd written online.
Three years ago, I thought the only comics I could write were just fan-comics.
Two and a half years ago I told myself to write an original script every month.
A year ago I only dreamed of selling at Calgary Expo.
And now I'm thinking about year from now and how I'll have more than one comic to sell at the 2027 Calgary Expo.

More first steps into larger worlds.