Monday 22 April 2013

Comica Comiket Report April 2013


 Here's the obligatory photos of my stall at Comica London on Saturday. For this show I went down on the train very early in the morning and came back at night. It was a shame to miss the drinking and talking at night, but I couldn't afford a hotel, plus I had to do a farmers market on the Sunday. I'm very tired now, it was a long weekend.

I was worried about this show after all the news about them not doing any advertising until the last minute, but in the end it went very well. I sold lots of comics and met a lot of people I haven't seen for ages. As there are so many shows now, and its getting difficult to get tables at them, I don't see everyone as often. The show started a bit slow but got really good about one o'clock.

Even though I sold a lot of comics (for me, it's the most I've ever sold at a London show which is cool!) I didn't manage to make a profit on the day due to the price of getting to London and back. If the organisers can announce these shows earlier so I can get a cheaper train ticket I would go again, though I'll probably only do one London show a year. Slightly cheaper tables would help too.

Here's my haul of stuff I bought, traded and was given. I got 'The Dessinators' from Francesca Cassavetti which is the book they did for Angouleme this year. From Douglas Noble I got 'Certain Events in the Years Prior to the Death of Abernathy Saint' which was really interesting and a part of his 'Lives of the Saints' story.
I really enjoyed OD Pomery's 'Between the Billboards - Part One', I'll have to get some more parts of this story as it's really good. Colin from Accent UK kindly gave me a copy of Josh Kramer's 'One Place, One Cheese' about making cheese in Vermont as I am a cheesemonger.
I bought Hirst and Wells 'Department of the Peculiar - Part Two' which I liked a lot. I thought it was better than the first part as the story is getting going now. Sarah Graley gave me a copy of her Hourly Comics Day comic which was fun.
Also I traded my 'California' series with Dan Berry for his 'After we Shot the Grizzly' and 'Hey You' books which were great. I especially liked his sketchbook from Algiers and his 'Grey Man' stories.

Thanks everyone for looking at my stuff at the show! Its all on sale at my website.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

It's such a shame it's not announced earlier. I did ok last year, but it does feel like just selling comic for a couple of train rides.

Glad you did well Rob!

rob jackson said...

Thanks Joe! We need three months notice at least, Comica organisers. The Autumn ones meant to be announced earlier but I don't think I'll have enough new stuff.

Colin M said...

Great to catch up with you Rob and glad sales picked up. It was the same for us, after a slowish start, we sold steadly the rest of the day making it the best of the 5(or 6?)Comica shows we've done.

We too came down by train so a long day but we like the one day format rather than have hotel expenses for the usually slow sunday.

Looking forward to reading 'The Storytellers'.

Hopefully see you again later in the year and if not before at the next Comica which I think they said will be 27 October?

Colin M
Accent UK

rob jackson said...

Great to see you too, Colin. Thanks for buying my book! I'll keep an eye out for your new comic getting released.
I liked the one day format too, it did feel weird though going all the way to London and not doing anything else.

John Robbins said...

A brazen Rich Johnston videoed the event here: http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/04/20/a-walk-around-comiket-2013-video/. Spotted you, Rob; and Colin, presumably, at the Accent table.

rob jackson said...

I'll have a look at that, thanks John.