Nerdvana presents Small Press Saturday – also known as Lessons Learned Self-Publishing Comics
It may have been two weeks since San Diego Comic-Con, which is an eternity these days in terms of news and trends, but you can’t attend an event like this without feeling its lingering aftereffects. This year I attended more as a fan than a maker, hoping to recharge my creative batteries, and I dare say my mission was accomplished.
This year, I left SDCC with three poignant thoughts. They haven’t coalesced into a specific mantra (yet), but while I’m still processing them, they’re certainly fueling my creative energies for my next experiences making and exhibiting comics. Here’s my short list of takeaways from San Diego Comic-Con 2024! The third one might shock you!*
1. Comic-Con can still be a funny With.
For the past few years, I’ve lamented the gradual takeover of Comic Con by pop culture. Comics have been overshadowed by everything seemingly inspired by them – movies, television, video games, collectibles, and cosplay have pushed comics out of the spotlight.
This year I wanted to focus on comics and their creators. Being familiar with the layout of SDCC, I put together a personal experience that gave me a very fulfilling day. I avoided the center aisle, where the big corporate exhibits offered everything I just listed, and instead headed to the edges of the hall, to the artist alley, the small press pavilion, and the groups of comics and art dealers. I met some legendary creators, discovered new independent work, and filled in a few gaps in my collection with old issues. It was exactly the Comic Con I remember, because that’s how I did it.
Well, I was only there for one day and that seemed to be just enough to accomplish my goals. Had I been there for two or more days, I might have gotten a little distracted and ended up feeling overwhelmed and unfocused. It turns out that, for all its awesomeness, San Diego Comic-Con is a great one-day convention.
2. The market for original art is booming.
As I crowded the walls of the exhibit hall and explored all the comic-focused exhibitors, I discovered more original art vendors than ever before. These vendors deal in comic book pages—the actual drawing boards that eventually become the comics we love. I own a few pages of original art from some of my favorite artists—but the prices I paid years ago pale in comparison to what I saw at SDCC this year.
I love Norm Breyfogle’s Batman and I saw his cover for an issue of Detective comics featuring one of my favorite villains from his era, Anarky. It only cost $44,000! Granted, Breyfolgle died a few years ago, but that price is not far off from the work of others I have seen. To confirm my observations, last week a Dead Pool by Rob Liefeld was estimated at $7.5 million at auction, a record sum for original comic art.
I can understand why. Just as any of Breyfogle’s work is now very limited, so is all comic art as digital drawing and comic creation becomes more common. Soon, “original comic art” will be nothing more than JPG files on the artist’s tablet – still a visual experience, but not a tactile one. I LOVE seeing the faded ink, yellowed paper, and white-out textures on an original piece of art. The pages become more than a storytelling vehicle; they become organic extensions of the artists themselves.
I don’t know if you can put a price on that, but for some people it can, and the amounts start in the five-figure range.
3. Originality is not yet defeated!
Since I spent much of my day in the small press department, I got to know several up-and-coming artists – my own cartoon colleagues. I was thrilled to see so many original, independent comics appearing in the usual, flabby format of the mainstream comics you find on any new releases shelf on Wednesdays. This may be an odd observation, but I’ve noticed a trend in recent years that emphasizes packaging over content and aesthetics over story. Most of the small press creators I met had solid proposals for creative comics, and I supported as many as my wallet would allow.
This year, more than any other, I’ve made an effort to follow the artists I’ve met on social media, and I plan to continue to follow their work. I’ve picked up a lot of cards and flyers over the years, but as someone who’s in the midst of self-publishing myself, I understand what these simple gestures of support really mean. More than any product launch or celebrity autograph, this is what a Comic Con means to me. It’s a glimpse into the future of this medium that I cherish.
*I’m not sure if the third point really shocked you, but I hope it inspired you to read on!
My Maker Mantras, aka Small Press Saturday: Insights from Self-Publishing Comics
