VanCaf Reflections Part 6 of 6: Moen, Boumeries and take aways

June 10, 2015 | Kat Thorsen

Fabulous afternoon at VanCaf Day 1- the Vancouver Comic Arts Festival on May 23, 2015!

I have broken down some highlights from my visit into 6 blog posts:

1. Julian Lawrence, Drippy the Newsboy, Conundrum Press: BLOG LINK

2. Kat Verhoeven, Towerkind, Conundrum Press BLOG LINK

3. Emily Cowan, Boundary Comic BLOG LINK

4. Jasmine Schuett, Spaceclub Comic BLOG LINK

5. Inspector Pancakes BLOG LINK

6. Erica Moen, Boumeries and VanCaf takeaways/notes

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6. Erica Moen, Boumeries and VanCaf takeaways/notes

The only problem with my visit to VanCaf was that my visit was too short and my budget too low.

But I learned so much from all the artists and my daughter and I made some great notes regarding tips around my own work and what I hope to be a future table at VanCaf.

TAKE AWAYS/ TIPS/ NOTES:

1. Point of purchase- clear signage

2. Cash/debit/visa

3. iPad email signup

4. Portrait offer (limited to 20)- then release some more offers

5. Secret code/password

6. Quality publication. Tight presentation

7. Branding

8. Simplicity

9. Small broadsheet release as sneak peek

10. Multiple price points

11. Never leave booth empty

12. Elevator pitch

12. Engaging product

13. Thematic booth

14. Welcoming

15. Talk to people

16. Question whether or not to show original art work panels- leave something to mystery.

17. Not t-shirts or clothing

18. Get the right reps (the 6 second/13 second rule)

19. Not too much product

20. Have an “everything for $…” deal

21. Research/question ComicCon/Fan Expo attendees/friends- what draws you to a new artist?

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And so, I end my VanCaf 2015 posts with two new favorites.

I was encouraged to search out Erica Moen and Boumeries by my son and his group of friends. I am just getting to know the work of these two- so my post about them is limited- but from what I have seen so far, I am HOOKED! They both share the ability to be transparent, honest and funny as hell. Gorgeous slick artwork on both parts- filled with the raw joy of REAL LIFE.

ERIKA MOEN:

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BOUMERIES:

The teddy bear! My heart!

VanCaf Reflections Part 5 of 6: Inspector Pancakes- lessons on marketing

June 9, 2015June 9, 2015 | Kat Thorsen

Fabulous afternoon at VanCaf Day 1- the Vancouver Comic Arts Festival on May 23, 2015!

I have broken down some highlights from my visit into 6 blog posts:

1. Julian Lawrence, Drippy the Newsboy, Conundrum Press: BLOG LINK

2. Kat Verhoeven, Towerkind, Conundrum Press BLOG LINK

3. Emily Cowan, Boundary Comic BLOG LINK

4. Jasmine Schuett, Spaceclub Comic BLOG LINK

5. Inspector Pancakes

6. Erica Moen, Boumeries and VanCaf takeaways/notes

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5. INSPECTOR PANCAKES

I am often drawn to children’s books- the whimsy, the colors… but what truly drew me to the table of Inspector Pancakes was the clever and very simple marketing tools. Big sign, simple layout, a few clear offerings, elevator pitch… I took note.

It was somewhat unusual to have a “children’s” book per se in a room full of independent comic book artists. But the book is more than that. It has a parallel adult story line in fine print (though I know my three year old nephew would demand to know what it says) and audio. And it is about crime investigation and murder mystery. And it’s edgy! Hello!

“Written by Karla Pacheco and beautifully illustrated by Maren Marmulla, this 18 page atrocity follows the adventures of an adorable dog helping the President of France solve a series of horrific murders. At least it does if you’re an adult. If you’re reading this to a child you’ll be learning terribly inaccurate things about France while a dog in a hat looks for a croissant.” – SOURCE

Unfortunately, I didn’t pick up a copy of the book- my budget very limited and strategic (sort of)… but…

Being a crafter, I HAD to have the make your own stuffed Inspector Pancakes merch. Duh. Again, I took note.

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A great lesson in simple marketing!

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VanCaf Reflections Part 4 of 6: Jasmine Schuett, Queer Artist, Cartoonist, Space Club

May 29, 2015May 29, 2015 | Kat Thorsen

Fabulous afternoon at VanCaf Day 1- the Vancouver Comic Arts Festival last Saturday!

I have broken down some highlights from my visit into 6 blog posts:

1. Julian Lawrence, Drippy the Newsboy, Conundrum Press: BLOG LINK

2. Kat Verhoeven, Towerkind, Conundrum Press BLOG LINK

3. Emily Cowan, Boundary Comic BLOG LINK

4. Jasmine Schuett, Spaceclub Comic

5. Inspector Pancakes

6. Erica Moen, Boumeries and VanCaf takeaways/notes

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4. JASMINE SCHUETT, QUEER ARTIST/ CARTOONIST, SPACE CLUB COMIC

It’s hard to find the right words to describe how much I adore Jasmine Schuett’s art and vision. MUCHO, GRANDE, JÄTTE MYCKET, OTROLIGT, SO VIEL…

Jasmine Schuett in front of her painting “Pack: Not All Wolves Run On Four Legs,” 2012

There is such humor, kindness, edge, humility, honesty, assuredness in Jasmine’s work. She approaches her life as she does her art- with a cutting wit and alarming charm.

What I learn from Jasmine is how to stay INSPIRED by artists and life. Inspired to keep at it, keep working, keep delivering.

I love following her various projects and was delighted to add to my collection of Jasmine-y things last Saturday! Every project is a true delicious gem!

Check out Jasmine’s web comic, Space Club:

SPACE CLUB is about ALICE, a human girl traveling through space with her new friends: some rando aliens she met while clubbing one night! Over time she comes to realize this wasn’t the best idea, for several reasons.

Space Club is also about exploring how relationships can change, queer identity and community, the unstoppable tragedy that is time, loneliness, coming to terms with your negative aspects, coming to terms with how you have hurt others in your life, and other fun and horrible things!

Space Club does not have violence or sex in it but it does have cuss words! Shh don’t tell your mom.
– Jasmine

And her art blog:

and GIRL DATE…

A common piece of creative advice is to make the work you want to read. All I want to read is comics about girls going on dates. So here it is: 10 short comics about girls going on dates. Nice dates, bad dates, first dates, last dates.

Emily Cowan and Jasmine Schuett at their VanCaf 2015 table, C4:

VanCaf reflections Part 3 of 6: Emily Cowan, comic artist

May 26, 2015May 27, 2015 | Kat Thorsen

Fabulous afternoon at VanCaf Day 1- the Vancouver Comic Arts Festival last Saturday!

I have broken down some highlights from my visit into 6 blog posts:

1. Julian Lawrence, Drippy the Newsboy, Conundrum Press: BLOG LINK

2. Kat Verhoeven, Towerkind, Conundrum Press BLOG LINK

3. Emily Cowan, Boundary Comic

4. Jasmine Schuett, Spaceclub Comic

5. Inspector Pancakes

6. Erica Moen, Boumeries and VanCaf takeaways/notes

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3. EMILY COWAN, COMIC ARTIST, BOUNDARY COMIC

I adore this artist. For so many reasons. It has been such a joy getting to know her more and more this past year!

Emily has an impeccable eye for character study and environment. Her comics also drip of authenticity.

I was elated to see her set up at her VanCaf booth (table C4), displaying her delicious product.

I learn so much through my interactions with Emily and her art. We are certainly soul-sisters when it comes to our desires to work fulltime on our art as hermits in our personal caves, riddled with anxiety and self-doubt, but driven nonetheless.

I do love that Emily demands honesty and exploration of identity in her own work. Be it the gentle, masterful strokes of her pen, the quirky aspects of her characters, the conversation with environment or the metaphoric imagery of inner angst.

Indeed, she has inspired me to embrace and really explore my own identity. Identifying as an asexual, pan-romantic, cis-woman artist at age 53 is fabulous and LIBERATING! Bad ass, even!

BOUNDARY is a long-form comic about being stuck, difficult families, changing friendships and the different kinds of boundaries in our lives. Mostly though, it’s about adolescent frustration and the unbearable tragedy that is being fifteen.

The worst part of being fifteen is the monotony. That’s what Paige thinks anyway. Doing the same things, seeing the same faces, hearing the same opinions and going to the same places: day in, day out, forever – it’s driving her crazy! Add a teacher’s strike that completely stalls the school year, friends who don’t seem to think monotony is a problem, and parents who think EVERYTHING is a problem and Paige feels ready to tear her hair out from the restlessness. She can’t wait for a few more years to pass so she can finally DO SOMETHING – because after all, once you grow up you can finally make things happen for yourself.

…Right?

Check out Emily’s experience at VanCaf in her 365 Project:

VANCAF reflections Part 2 of 6: @VERWHO and Towerkind on @ConundrumCanada

May 25, 2015May 27, 2015 | Kat Thorsen

Fabulous afternoon at VanCaf Day 1- the Vancouver Comic Arts Festival last Saturday!

I have broken down some highlights from my visit into 6 blog posts:

1. Julian Lawrence, Drippy the Newsboy, Conundrum Press: BLOG LINK

Update: Julian’s book is a FABULOUS READ and VISUAL FEAST! Truly the kind of comic you read lying in the grass under a tree in the park, by yourself, cover to cover, with a big smile on your face. Surprising and dark, quirky and wonderful. This is obviously work with history, tradition- done with love and humor.

2. Kat Verhoeven, Towerkind, Conundrum Press

3. Emily Cowan, Boundary Comic

4. Jasmine Schuett, Spaceclub Comic

5. Inspector Pancakes

6. Erica Moen, Boumeries and VanCaf takeaways/notes

2. KAT VERHOEVEN, TOWERKIND, CONUNDRUM PRESS

I met Kat at her booth and was honored to have her draw inside the front cover as she personalized my copy of Towerkind. [I was very hyper, having just arrived at the festival and totally over-stimulated. Sorry, Kat!]

[Photo of Kat: SOURCE]

Never judge a book by it’s cover?! Are you kidding me?! I judge! And that is what drew me to Kat’s book in the first place. The book is tiny and delicious and beautiful. With an engaging and intriguing cover. So I had to have it.

I devoured it yesterday and it was a magical and strange journey- frightening, sad, eye-opening, dream-like, a warning.

Kat Verhoeven is a maker of comics by web and by print from a small studio in Toronto. She’s a dabbler in indie game making.

Crafting tales in fantastical colour or stark black and white, hers are stories of loneliness, struggle and inconclusive endings. Somehow there manage to be jokes. Kats ongoing work is the web comic Meat&Bone about eating-disordered Anne, her room-mates, and their cat. You can read her short stories in KUS, Puppyteeth and Wolfen Jump among other anthologies. [SOURCE]

Towerkind is an oblique end-of-the-world story seen through the eyes of a diverse group of children in Toronto’s St James Town, a neighbourhood of densely populated high rise apartments. The kids in this “towerhood” become aware of an impending catastrophe through a number of supernatural abilities. Among other characters, super strong Ty is a self-proclaimed monarch, Mackenzie uses her death magic to meddle, and language savant Mose would prefer to be left alone. Something is revealing itself through cracks and crevices, and through the children in the neighbourhood. Birds are falling from the sky. Originally done as a series of minis that was nominated for an Ignatz Award, Towerkind is a true page-turner. [SOURCE]

VanCaf reflections Part 1 of 6: Julian Lawrence and Drippy the Newsboy

May 23, 2015May 27, 2015 | Kat Thorsen

Fabulous afternoon at VanCaf Day 1- the Vancouver Comic Arts Festival!

Such an incredible treat to take it all in- immersed in the work of great artists. I was struck by their insatiable drive to create and share and the realization that I have finally found “my people.” And today really lit fire under my ass to work towards standing at my own booth at VanCaf next year!

I have broken down some highlights from today into 6 blog posts:

1. Julian Lawrence, Drippy the Newsboy, Conundrum Press

2. Kat Verhoeven, Towerkind, Conundrum Press

3. Emily Cowan, Boundary Comic

4. Jasmine Schuett, Spaceclub Comic

5. Inspector Pancakes

6. Erica Moen, Boumeries and VanCaf takeaways/notes

1. Julian Lawrence, Drippy the Newsboy, Conundrum Press

I was initially too shy to approach, but luckily my daughter pushed me to talk to Julian Lawrence at the Conundrum Press booth. I ended up having a wonderful conversation with him (and was delighted to hear his positive and insightful feedback about the publisher).

Julian just launched his TinTin-esque book: The Adventures of Drippy the Newsboy Volume 1.

In this first volume of a trilogy based on the writings of Stephen Crane, Vancouver artist and animator Julian Lawrence brings his iconic Drippy the Newsboy to life! Here the naive Drippy gets pulled into the world of the Forbidden Zone by Harry and his alchoholic pals. His papers do not get delivered and his mother is concerned. But after his darling mother grows ill Drippy sees the error of his ways. Lawrence is known in Vancouver’s underground press as a co-creator and editor of the free monthly Drippy Gazette and publisher of numerous Drippytown comic anthology spin offs, but here his cartooning chops are on full display. The Adventures of Drippy the Newsboy harkens back to adventure serials like Tintin, complete with nostalgia and epic storytelling, but with much more drinking, gags, and carrying on. Will those papers ever be delivered on time? [source]

I can’t wait to hop into the bath and dive into my personalized copy!

KATARINA THORSEN

Creative Process

Vancouver Comic Arts Festival

VanCaf Reflections Part 6 of 6: Moen, Boumeries and take aways

6. Erica Moen, Boumeries and VanCaf takeaways/notes

VanCaf Reflections Part 5 of 6: Inspector Pancakes- lessons on marketing

VanCaf Reflections Part 4 of 6: Jasmine Schuett, Queer Artist, Cartoonist, Space Club

VanCaf reflections Part 3 of 6: Emily Cowan, comic artist

3. EMILY COWAN, COMIC ARTIST, BOUNDARY COMIC

VANCAF reflections Part 2 of 6: @VERWHO and Towerkind on @ConundrumCanada

2. KAT VERHOEVEN, TOWERKIND, CONUNDRUM PRESS

VanCaf reflections Part 1 of 6: Julian Lawrence and Drippy the Newsboy

1. Julian Lawrence, Drippy the Newsboy, Conundrum Press