So how was LA?

The Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention. A name, as Mr. Lucas would say, to conjure with.


In every way purely to do with us, Integr8d Soul, the team, the two of us, passed with flying colors. Our table with every size and design laid out neatly for passersby was centered with the first of several new comics. No other new comic book was there to be launched by an individual.

Our Convention finding efforts were rewarded with valuable experience, and we weathered the worst it could be without losing our cool.

One comic book, signed to Sarah, who generously offered a fiver to the starving artists she jovially paid respect. One t-shirt, soon to warm the heart of the girlfriend of the vendor beside us. She will love it and look really great. Those two sales mean a lot to me, as did the score of meaningful looks accorded our brand new merchandise.

This we sold, in exchange for:

One $115 table. Two tickets for $48, round-trip. $31 road expenses. One twenty hour day.

While we attended with all-original material:

Most of what was "brand new" on sale was previous inventory, as though numerous overburdened collectors and stores converged to liquidate. The average purchase was like my own: about nine dollars. My six Hellblazers, four Jack of Fables, my copy of What Th---?!?, and four indie titles I'd never tried and a beat up old copy of Hulk #300, which I've never read, were pretty indicative of the sorts of sales after ten thirty all over the conventional setting. All the steals that could be pumped for a profit in stores and collections were the subject of the first hour's pillaging, and during that time it dawned on me not to lose hope for good things, but we were in the wrong place, LOL

Most of what was "brand new" on sale was previous inventory, as though numerous overburdened collectors and stores converged to liquidate. The average purchase was like my own: about nine dollars. It was one huge bargain bin, a place you can bring your kids and find some cheap out of package toys---and hey, that's no bad thing for a local show.


In absence of anyone's helpful advice, we figured out a lot from this, like a number one ranked team dropping a shocker, only...in the long term conversation, it made clear what we want, what we've got, where we belong, and in the competition to be our best, we nailed it. What i didn't really get, going in, was the nature of Figeurosa Ave.'s neighborhood equivalent of a Comic Con. The other subtle differences in definition will be instructive as I plan the rest of our summer, I bet you.

I won't get into the hot dogs nor the burned Chinatown pot noodles. The local Jack in the Box was not the local color I sought but that company really is successful with friendly employees, in every franchise I've visited (we go about 3, 4 times a year?)

Please don't think my spirits were down, by the time I had a meal and a few jokes with Angela and an issue of the Jack of Fables afterwards before taking the Metro back to Greyhound. An old Indian man spent about ten minutes giving me the low down on traveling the buses in downtown and pointed out the subway, and along with a clue dropped by a patron at the Con and a flyer that came by, the top of my list to research is the con in Long Beach. I can't wait to work on new material this week, I've always depended on the arrival of merciful muses! You won't forget my latest:


The trip back came with a great insight into how to finish the first issue of Not Another Comic Book, then a nap, then, thanks to Angela, some good ass music: I awakened with "The Pretender" in my ears, and then "Gin and Juice" as we rode through Long Beach on the way back to San Diego, then "Rockin' in the Free World" and "A Hard Day's Night" and "My Hips Don't Lie" and "Under Pressure" on the way out of Ocean side!

Call it Quixotic if you will. The friendly faith of just one single person at a time means we are all watching a dream come true, mine, and in your own world, yours. That inspiration, I wish to be found in every life. I will find inspiration in any life of mine.

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