Ok E here you go,
I got there on Wednesday morning hooked up with Albert(AKA Balto on RS) outside the airport and got interveiwed by A local TV crew, that was fun.
I think it was all the boxes of animation I was putting on a cart that they wanted on camara, It did make it to there show that night. COOL.
We dropped off my baggage at the hotel and met up with Alberts friend Matt (AKA Ink,Paint&Fur)on RS and a friend that came with him to the show she was kind of shy so I'll not name her here. Very Nice guy.
About 1:00PM we headed to the Con got there about 2:00PM , We got in the professional line thanks to Albert for badges as he has shown and draws his art at the artist tables.
Let me say this the place is huge times 3, It's about 3/4 of a mile long and 1/3 of a mile wide full from one end to the other with all kinds of art, From anime to playboy art every love of art is covered.
Animation art dealers are at one end then independent comic dealers selling there wares, Then comes the big boy comic companys, Then the TV show folks then movie houses hocking there new shows.
Next is the small production companies of just about any kind of art you can think of.
Then the book type stores are covered and then more comic dealers of old and new comics.
At the far end of the show floor is the artist booths were you can get any type of art done for a fee, and in some cases free if you buy there comics or one of there drawings/prints/paintings. this was a very cool spot to start your day at as all the artists are there and eager to sell there art brite and early, and don't have writers cramp yet and will do there best work at that time of day, I would say if you go to this Con next year hit this spot first, And work your way to the other end.
We got in early because of the Professional badges on pre-view night it nice not to have to fight to get in with the crowds.
Be ready to stand in line for a while if you do not get there early, so try to get there 2 to 3 hours before it opens and bring a nice book and a folding chair to sit on.
pre-view night is a good way to scope out the layout before the main rush hits the next day.
Thats the end of day one.
Day two started out early but we still had to stand in line like everyone else to get in but we already had our badges so that saved some time.
Alberts friend Matt is good buddies with the Mondo folks and got us some Exhibitor badges from them and after that as soon as the doors opened for the exhibitor's we got in also,BIG THANKS TO THE MONDO FOLKS FOR THE BADGES and a special THANK YOU TO MATT for getting them for us. THANKS MATT!!!!!
After we got in we met up with Mary Ann from Lewis galleries, She is one of Alberts friends from way back and she gave us the low down on the Con and a place to sit down if we got tired.
Thanks Mary Ann.
The rest of the day was used to fast walk the floor to scope out what dealers and artist I wanted to meet with.
End of day two.
Day three or friday was a very busy day at the con this day was use by me to talk to animation art dealers and to get a few drawings done by some of the artists Albert knows and a few I just met up with though out the day.
End of day three.
Day four or Saturday.
This was a fun day, Albert set up his booth to do his art, Let me tell you Albert can draw his butt off he had lots of folks he knew stop by his booth to do drawings for them, He did some commission work and some of his own comic art but one piece sticks out he had a fellow stop by and ask him to do a Dragon holding a glass ball this artwork turned out to be one of the best he did all weekend it took him a few hours to get it right as he said.
But it was worth the extra time he took.
Here is the dragon he did.
http://www.rubberslug.com/member/inv_info.asp?ItemID=123993
This day I got the bulk of my sketches done and did some trades for cel art at some of the dealers booths.
I got Stan Sakai to do my Young Usagi and Sensei piece this day he did me a favor and only charged me 60 bucks to do it, this is what he charges for a small pencil drawing, but Albert once more came though for me and he knows him therefore, I got a piece that took him 2 1/2 hours to do that was not only pencil but inked as well,("Thanks Stan" for the wonderful art you did for me).
Here is the pic of stan after he did the sketch.
http://backlotanimation.rubberslug.com/gallery/inv_info.asp?ItemID=124119
Here is the sketch he did for me.
http://backlotanimation.rubberslug.com/gallery/inv_info.asp?ItemID=123693
This piece was shown on local TV by two stations in San-Diego as he was doing it and I got interveiwed by both, Lets see thats three interviews in four days I'm on a roll.
Jason your Rubberslug T-Shirt was on TV three times and I made sure it was seen!!!!
This day we also met up with Greg Evans and he did a nice sketch for me in my sketch book and signed and remarked three of his books for me."Thanks Greg"
Here is the sketch he did for me.
http://backlotanimation.rubberslug.com/gallery/inv_info.asp?ItemID=123696
later that day I met up with Adam Hughs the artist for The show He-Man and he did a wonderful Sorceress sketch for me , Very nice guy. ("Thanks Adam")
Here is the sketch he did for me.
http://backlotanimation.rubberslug.com/gallery/inv_info.asp?ItemID=123761
This day I also met up with a old school artist from the 60s that worked for Underground Comics.
Clay Wilson he does not draw anymore but I talked him into a trade for some cel art for one of his sketches and he did a full page for me.
wild stuff, I need to put a adult tag on it so the kiddies don't see it because it is 60s adult type art if you know what I mean.("Thanks Clay")
Next I met a young guy By the name of Alex Szewczuk and his writer Kevin Mason they do a comic called Sleeping Dragons, Nice book and art in it.He did the sketch (Becca and bow) for me inked and all nice work he does.("Thanks Alex and Kevin for the art and the signed book.")
Here is the sketch he did for me.
http://backlotanimation.rubberslug.com/gallery/inv_info.asp?ItemID=123695
There was a few more artist I got sketches from today, There art is in my gallery.
End of day four.
Day five, Sunday.
This day started out kind of slow as we all were pooped out by now.
I used this day to get my kids some goodies from the dealers and some of the give aways that happen on the last day of a Con.
I also got some more sketches done and did alot of trading for cels as this was the last day to get this done I traded cels like a mad man for 4 hours and made many trips to the car to store the goodies I had traded for.
I got interviewed one more time by local TV because I had my hands full of cel art I guess it made for good TV or something and was asked alot of things about the Con, and this was a live feed I was told after the interview I hope my hat was on strait, So that four TV interviews in five days. What a hoot. yaaaaa!!!
I went back to Alberts table and a guy he knows stoped by and told us of a after show get together for what is called "furries". This is one wild bunch in more ways that one. HAHAHA.
After all the trading was done and the Con closed for this year we all went out to eat and then back to the hotel to get some much needed rest.
End of day five.
Day six, The day after.
Albert and I drove up to LA to meet with a artist named Steve Martin he does whats called Furry Art, He did some the sketches in my gallery, I also got some very nice prints from him and he is going to do some commission work for me.
we spent the rest of the day watching him do our artwork and then said our goodbyes and drove back to San-Diego and I dropped off a very tired Albert at his home an
