So as not to “bury the lede,” yes, I got Covid – more about that after I talk about my experience at WA Summer Con. Here goes!
Washington Summer Con 22 was my most successful con experience since I started doing these in earnest last year with Summer Con Again in August ’21. At that con I only had the first issue of Hellbound Slant 6 for sale, along with a few prints and some original art. Most of the prints I had at that show were Hellbound Slant 6 covers, which, come to find, don’t sell at all. I did alright at that con. I sold a couple of prints, a couple of original pieces, and quite a few copies of Hellbound Slant 6 #1. The booth fee was $120. I grossed $195 in sales, and netted $75. Folks asked if I made money on it, I would have made more over the three days of the event working a minimum wage job for a day, but for me generating income is not the point of these cons – they’re marketing events. $ales isn’t my biggest metric of success, I’m there to build an audience, to spread the word about Hellbound Slant 6, and about my work in general. By that metric, WA SummerCon 22 was my best event to date! It’s not just that I’ve got more to offer, it’s also a bit that I’ve picked up a thing or two about how to set up my booth, and I genuinely love to geek out with people if they want to stop by and chat. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a true fan of comics, fantasy, science fiction, and many geek staples. I’m a fan of the medium of comics as well as cinema and storytelling in general. I love chatting with other fans. I’m super grateful to everyone that stops by my booth just to chat, look at my work, or buy my stuff!
In addition to a dozen bundles of Hellbound Slant 6 #1 through #3 plus Devil’s Daughter, here’s a gallery of prints and original works that went to good homes during WA SummerCon –
This was also the first chance I’ve had since before Crypticon to work on Hellbound Slant 6 #4! I knew May/June were going to be swamped for me, but it felt great to get back to the book after nearly 2 months away. I better get cracking if I want to have it done by the Grit City Comic show in October! (I don’t think I’m going to make it) A couple weeks before Crypticon I started working on a few original pieces to sell at Crypticon, (sold 2 of 3 of them there) then I had a trip to Mexico with my wife and some friends to catch Roger Clyne’s “Circus Mexicus” music festival, and back to WA in time for WA SummerCon the very next weekend.
Which leads me to the COVID. Aw, snaps. It finally got me. I don’t know if I got it while travelling back from Mexico, or if I got it at SummerCon, but I got it. We returned from Mexico late Tuesday June 14th. I had the 15th and 16th off work to recover from my trip and prepare for SummerCon. On Friday the 17th I headed out to SummerCon, and had a blast of a kick-ass weekend at the con. The morning of Monday the 20th I woke with a headache, some congestion, and a sore throat. Now, seasonal allergies hit me particularly hard in late May, early June, but they hadn’t been really bad this year. By Tuesday my symptoms had worsened, and Wednesday I tested positive for COVID19. I was vaccinated in 2021, and got a booster earlier this year. I’m at the tail end of that booster’s effective range. I’m lucky the virus didn’t hit me too hard. It really was like a bout of terrible allergies/head cold. I’m very fortunate, and did my best to inform people I’d been in contact with that I’d caught the dreaded ‘rona. I always saw vaccination as a civic duty. This virus is a threat to our people, and the best way to combat it is a unified front, and standing together. Y’know, like a nation should do in the face of a clear and present danger.
Anyway, I’m still kinda icky from my COVID experience, so I’m ready to be done talking to you now. Thanks for stopping by! – Ken
KenzoFKC 