Well Crypticon Seattle 2016 is over and I had a scary good time.
Sales were slow but this was a new market for me. I had never attended a horror convention before and going in blind was always a worrisome aspect of this experiment. There seems to be very little overlap between my fan base and the attendees of Crypticon. But where others may see that as a downside - I see it as untapped potential. I just need to retool my set up. Work up a few new ideas that better serve the tastes of the horror fan, and I think I could make a real go of it next year. Assuming that there IS a next year.
My rough polling of other venders suggests that sales were down for everyone. Having never been before I can't say if attendance was lower than normal ~ but one insider did say that the con didn't do as much promotion or advertising as they have in the past - and with so many other events happening on a memorial day weekend perhaps that had a dampening effect on the crowds.
On the upside, the fans that did come seemed very happy to be there. Spirits were high, and the media celebs that were in attendance were very friendly and approachable. Including Cassandra (Elvira) Peterson. Whom my wife and daughter got to meet and chat with. (I did not sadly - I was chained to the booth all weekend trying to make back the cost of the table and the few times I went on walkabout, the line for the Mistress of the Dark went out the room and down the hall.)
I made one new print for the convention. It was of the "Sassy Lassie with the Classy Chassis", and my wife managed to give one to her personally. whereon, I'm told, it was praised for capturing Elvira's classic valley girl sneer that few fanart depictions ever go for.
If you'd like one of the only remaining prints for your dungeon wall, head on over to the Art Print Shop and pick one up while they last. I only have (at the time I'm writing this) eight left and when they are gone I do not plan on making more.
