[Spotlight Post] North Texas Comic Book Shows
Originally published at Rhonda Eudaly. You can comment here or there.
Oh, yeah, Friday. Tomorrow I’m doing something for Fan Day’s Saturday Night Shindig, which reminds me I didn’t get to talk about North Texas Comic Book Show last week.
North Texas Comic Book Show (NTCBS) is a similar but much smaller show than Fan Expo. Chris is the organizer and focuses on the artists and cosplayers - at the moment. It might expand in the future, because it does seem to be gradually getting bigger and better for the attendees.
The attendees that currently come to NTCBS are a core group. Some were friends of the organizer and/or the artists - but it does appear those core people are telling people. And this last show, News Fix 33 (CW 33) came by and did a story - which is awesome. Though I do have to question their title - “Comic Book Show Draws Thousands” - thousands of WHAT they don’t say, because it wasn’t PEOPLE.
Don’t get me wrong there were people there over the two days - but they were a lot of the SAME people. Hundreds maybe, but not thousands - because if there were, we’d’ve been shut down for breaking a bajillion fire codes - which is always a good problem to have.
This was a “squeaker” show for me. I made just over table costs - but barely and not until the last few hours of the show. I sweat the show. I did, because though it’s NOT all about the money, that’s a major factor. The other major factor was, and is, meeting people and trying to attract new readers. The comic books shows are a harder sale to make - because these are folks generally looking for specific things. They’re not always there to look for prose, but I get some - and they’re not people I’d necessarily meet anywhere else.
It’s completely worth it. THIS show… though not as flashy (or expensive - WAY, WAY less expensive) as Fan Expo - it’s got heart. It’s got GOOD people involved. Even if I’d not made money at this particular show, I would go back. In fact, I “strayed” to do the bigger show and have come back just because it’s less expensive and more intimate. I can get to know people here. I can’t at the big show.
So if you’re into comic books - really into comic books - and comic book art, consider coming to the next NTCBS (I hear they’re doing a Spiderman theme) and support a growing show.