FanExpo

While it is entertaining to see celebrities at FanExpo, I get more excited about meeting local artists I've only known online. So it was a real pleasure to finally meet the folks over at Zombie Liquorice.

I didn't have a program map with me at the table, so I decided to go hunting for them in the horror section. It wasn't long before I spotted their shiny new banner and made my way over to introduce myself.

When I asked who the person was that's been on the other side of all the twitter tweets, they pointed me to Jason (who may spell his name Jayson...I can't confirm as we only spoke and didn't write letters to each other).

Big strong handshake. Always a good sign in my book. Besides, he's a fairly big guy with broad shoulders, so a weak handshake would have been exceptionally bad.

It was their first year at the convention, but they did so well and had such a positive response, they'll be back again in 2011. And why not? Besides having some really cool designs on their t-shirts, the shirts themselves are really well made. No plastic feel to the print. Good quality.

End of day one. Not sure if I'll have time to type up a post in the morning, so I thought I would get this one out of the way tonight (Friday).

Going back to the convention for a second year presented some lovely moments. Saw so many familiar faces from last year - and I don't just mean vendors. Dozens of people who visited my table in 2009 came by once more. And the best part was the reception they gave me, and the stories they had to tell.

There were two people who found me today, thrilled to see the eyeball plants again because they'd decided to wait to buy one and then were disappointed to discover I'd sold out by the Saturday. My favourite quote: "I'll wait to buy everyone else's items, but I am getting this plant RIGHT NOW."

Lots of "I bought one of your plants last year and now I keep it (insert entertaining details here)." One person uses it to torment coworkers. I heartily approve.

Meghan, who follows and comments on this blog, came by the table and snatched up the last remaining Underbiter, Oogie. They are now officially all gone, and I'm pleased this last creature went to Miss Meghan.

Also talked with some twitter folk (*waves to Trischa*) and loads of others I've met at shows other than FanExpo.

The first item sold from the table (before I'd even finished setting up) was this little minion (pictured above and below). He went so fast I haven't even had time to name him, and will leave it up to his new owners. I really liked him because he's probably the toughest looking minion I've made.

Remember back when you'd been on twitter or Facebook for a couple years, and mainstream media picked up on it, and Oprah did a show on it to let the middle class suburban masses in on this great new hip discovery well after it had grown in size so that it wasn't any sort of secret (and Facebook already had one foot deeply cemented in a boot of lame?) And the show was all about teaching you how to be 'with it' too?

Or better yet, remember when Martha Stewart and Rosie O'Donnel did a segment on KidRobot's Munnys, and you looked over to your vinyl toy collection and sighed, a bit hollower than you were 3 minutes before?