The first convention I’ve attended without a table in almost a decade.

C2E2 is a favorite convention of mine, and I absolutely love being at this show. It’s like a family reunion where you love everyone who comes. I love the organizers, the fans, and my fellow creators. This is a “can’t miss” show for me, but…2020 was an odd year, and I wasn’t able to get a table (instead, I got into Emerald City Comic Con – but that show was cancelled due to the national lockdown caused by COVID). So instead, I got a professional pass and hung out at the con for two days.

This is the first time I’ve done a convention where I didn’t have to be behind my table the whole time, and it was a unique experience. I got to see people I rarely get to see during the show hours, their booth setups, and also got to do some (gasp!) shopping! It was a lot of fun, and it shows just how fantastic ReedPop is at organizing their events for both creators and attendees.

Walking around, signing books, and supporting charities.

I came into the city each day by train, and took the El over to the convention center. Day 1 I was helping people setup and bring in their stuff (which I would do when I would exhibit, so it was just habit). I’d say hi to friends, stop by tables and buy some stuff, check out new books I’d never heard of before, and even walked into the back of the convention with the dealers (where I almost never get to go during a show). There was a lot of really cool stuff to check out and take in.

I brought my lunch on the first day to help save some money (and time, standing in that lunch line can be a bit overwhelming), and snacked at the Channel Awesome booth to hang with friends while I ate. It was nice to get to see that crew, and they exhibit at a show very differently from how I do it.

I walked about the floor and saw some old friends, like Jason Faunt (Power Rangers: Time Force). I didn’t get to stick around for dinners or after hours drinks at the hotel bar, sadly, but I had to go back home.

I was back early the next day for signings with some comic related charities, signing copies of limited edition books that we put an original Albert the Alien story into. I was signing from early in the morning until late into the afternoon. After the signing ended, I wondered the floor to say goodbyes (which felt strange to do on a Saturday, but my pro pass didn’t extend into Sunday), and then headed over to China Town to meet up with friends for lunch.

All in all, not a bad way to spend a weekend (and my final convention of 2020), but something that definitely left me thirsting for more cons again soon. Something that makes me eager to come back again soon – with a table and new books – to make it a full con experience. Fingers crossed for 2022!