Oh, we were at WonderCon all right.

D+Q has never exhibited at WonderCon before and it's been years since I've personally been but this year they asked Seth to be a special guest and since San Francisco is anybody's favorite city to visit, we thought we should attend.

WonderCon looks like a mini-SDCC. It's in a huge convention center with all the major publishers displaying; it's still crowded, but it's far more navigable most of the time. There's lots of cosplay (dude, I was wearing a v-neck sweater and a tie and was accused of doing Seth cosplay by a kid with a multi-colored mohawk) and the occasional celebrity (we were near the DC booth and at one point a crowd gathered and squealing ensued and while we couldn't see who it was I say it was Blake Lively and Jessica says it was Ryan Reynolds. Please don't tell us the truth.)

I attended one panel and it was the odds-and-sods graphic novel panel with Seth, Eric Shanower, Andy Ristaino, Miriam Libicki, and Hope Larson. They all had decent advice about how and why they do graphic novels with the highlights belonging to Eric when he delivered smackdown advice to young hopefuls (or older hopefuls). He said something to a young artist wondering what to do to keep inspiration flowing along the lines of "I'm not sure if you want to be a cartoonist if you are asking that question." Seth replied with "there is no inspiration only work" (I'm paraphrasing here). Mostly the cartoonists lamented how long it takes and how little it pays but that the slog is worth it for artistic piece of mind. Also, Eric said that he didn't care what form people saw his work in as long as they saw it and that the comics pamphlets of AGE OF BRONZE have lost money for the PAST EIGHT YEARS but the collections do very well. Andy talked about Chris Claremont as a long form comics writer and there was way too much discussion about THE DEATH OF CAPTAIN MARVEL (mostly between Eric and Seth). Hope told a marketing horror story where she had heard publishing people refer to specific prose novels as "graphic novel-ly."

Then Jessica and I raced up Haight Street to an onslaught of sidewalk performing punk bands until we reached the Edo Gallery where Ron Rege Jr was debuting a little show of recent drawings and performing music with Clare Rojas. I enthusiastically recommended that they play on the street like every one else, they accepted the challenge without demur and quietly, oh so quietly, knocked out a tune for close friends while a party raged inside.

Saturday, we were back with spirited signings from Seth and Vanessa Davis. We weren't really sure what to expect in our inaugural trip to WonderCon but the people showed and books were moved.

Here we have young Woody White chatting with another Seth fan as Seth knocks out another sketch. {See Mimi this is proof that he was at the show like he said and not at some beach house kegger.}

The always delightful Vanessa Davis talked about her new book about the men in her life past and present. While we favored her working title it likely will not make it to press-Visualize Boners. {I am so sorry, Mrs. Davis.)

Oops, late addition. Our friend Chris took a few pics including this one of a nerd with his bounty. Why, yes, that is a copy of Dell's Marge's Blythe. Fans of hastily written blog posts about lost children's and teen comics rejoice.

WonderCon was a good show in a fantastic city. Jessica and I really had a great time. The WonderCon staff was available and attentive, sales were strong (we sold out of nearly everything. We need to bring more books next time.) Set-up and breakdown was a breeze. Thanks to everyone who worked the show and everyone who came out to say hi!

And then I flew into Las Vegas, tired and alone, for the FSG sales conference, arriving at 1am. I did not play the tables until dawn. I swear.

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