Ali Showkati's Blog

I am currently sitting in a coffee shop in Omaha, NE. I’m sitting here, watching the rain outside, unable to believe that my first “real” experience exhibiting at a convention is over. Last Friday October I flew out to my parents house in San Jose, meeting up with Joenis and his girlfriend Ana, who arrived there the day before from LA. We quickly hashed out some last minute ideas for the booth, loaded up Joenis’ truck, and headed up north to beautiful San Francisco, to represent TNP Press.

We got there a little late, around 7 or so and checked into our friends Cassie’s house, where we would be staying for the next few nights. Everything was happening so fast, that I never really had a chance to fully understand the weight of what we had accomplished. After a familiar bout with SF parking, we finally got to the exhibitor mixer with just enough time to pick up our badges and meet the lovely Phillipa Rice of My Cardboard Life, who came from across the pond, to join us for the expo. The next day we arrived about an hour early, and thats when it finally hit me. Hundreds of other people already there. Not attendees, but other exhibitors. They were furiously scurrying, to get their booths up and setup. The floor was a big mess of PVC, boxes, and table cloths. I realized then and there that finally, we are professionals. Or at least can afford to spend enough, to give the illusion.

It was definitely a thrill, exhibiting amongst names like Steamcrow, Topotaco, Little Vampires, and Eros Inc. We got all setup and then they made an announcement that the doors were opening. With our booth fully setup, we stood there in anticipation and awaited the public. There were many passerbys and casual appreciation for our work without sale. They were a bit frustrating at first, but paved the way to ultimate satisfaction when we did make a sale. My blood is still racing over my first in-person sale. The look of genuine appreciation and delight on a customer’s face over my work, is something I will soon not forget. The pleasure of signing my own book in front of a patron is unlike anything else.

That night we went to Isotope Comic Book Lounge, a comic book store unlike any other. The owner had thrown an APE exhibitors after party. Although any reason is valid when there is an open bar involved. The owner of the store James Sime was definitely a character. The way I’ve been describing him is a cross between the Joker and Lex Luther. He walked around the whole night pouring champagne for the fellow exhibitors. Later in the night, he gave us a speech about APE and handed out an award to one of the webcomic artists. It was like something straight out of a movie. We were all new to this world and it felt very surreal and dream-like. We were like infants, taking in the overwhelming world around them.

The next day, Sunday, while a bit slower, was equally as exhilarating. It went by much quicker than day one, but it gave me a chance to walk the floor and see what other artists had to offer. As this was my first official expo, I made sure to pay attention to the various setups, to see if I can make any improvements to our booth for the next convention. Before we knew it, the show was over… for now. APE made us realize that this can be a worthwhile business venture, if we play our cards right. The key, seems to be merchandise. Over everything else. Which makes sense. So we’re looking onward to other major conventions and hope to be able to participate in more and more as time goes on.

See all the photos at my photostream.