Anime Boston 2017 – Part 1 of 3
Anime Boston is this recent gem of a con that I was invited to attend two years ago, and was a featured artist two years in a row (something I’m told has never happened before). This year was the first time I was just a regular artist in Artist Alley, but that didn’t stop the excellent treatment and amazing staff and volunteers from treating me like family. This was another incredible year for me at this show, and I can’t wait to tell you all about it.
THURSDAY:
I flew into Boston early in the morning, giving me plenty of time to get my boxes, grab some lunch, and relax before checking into my hotel. I also had time to get registered, standing in a line for artist alley badges that was quite long. It only took a few trips to get my books over to the convention center, though, and then I left set up for the next morning (hey, it’s exhausting to fly). I headed to a local pub and grabbed the tastiest thing on the menu: Beef-tips!
First-night whiskey and coke, a much needed social lubricant
Beef tips with potatoes – the kind of dinner you NEED after a hard move in
I quickly filled up and headed to the local store to grab some snacks for the weekend, and then headed to bed.
FRIDAY:
I got up early in the morning, and since the hotel didn’t have a gym, I grabbed breakfast and went to the convention center to set up. I had premium placement – just to the right of the entrance, and impossible to miss as people were walking in. I chatted with the staff of the show as I continued to unpack my books and displays, anticipating a long day of great sales. I was not wrong.
The table, all set up and ready to sell
A little after noon, I started to get ready for my first panel of the weekend: Making Webcomics. I was going to be joined by Spinnerette creator Krazy Krow, and once my helpers showed up to watch the table I ran off to the panel. This panel has always been extremely well attended in years past, and this year was no exception. The room was full before we even got there – over 200 people standing room only, and all eager and excited to learn. We did our usual joking answers, had a lot of fun with the audience, and then invited them back to our tables to buy.
My helpers got me some lunch once I got back to the table, and I kept selling late into the night. During that time, fans new and old stopped by – and I even got a visit from guests of honor Johnny Young Bosch (Power Rangers) and Greg Ayres. Good buddies of mine.
That night I was on my own for dinner, and found a little pub to hang out at and enjoy a meal. I had to go to bed soon after that, though, because a 13+ hour sales floor mixed with early mornings and late nights = a tired Trevor.
