About Comic Con?

[endeserben]

Hey guys, thanks a lot for taking your time here, To Deth and Dfbovey, those are really good advices. I think I'll be going to the NYCC instead of San Diego. I'm more interested in meeting editors and publishers. Maybe it is much more crowdy than others, but I'm thinking that it will be a good place to start.
Inkthinker, Thanks a lot for let us know your opinion, it was really helpfull. And g0b1in, thank you so much for sharing your esperience. If you're planning to go to the 2011 NYCC, so do I, maybe we can find over there in about a year, hehe.

Thanks to everyone guys, I didn't knew that SDCC would be such a crazy thing, I do imagine that it would be crowdy, but not that much that makes it almost impossible to talk to whom you're willing to. Maybe NYCC it's a bit of the same, but for now it's the choice. And maybe after that I could get to a smaller one. Because, I live outside the US and it's kinda difficult and expensive to attend to cons, that's why I was thinking of something a little bigger, something that aside of meeting editors, I could meet some more artists and creators like me, looking for a chance to break in. I don't know if NYCC is more like a small con, or a big con. But well I would also like to see the city and it's museums.

Now I need to start honing my crafts, so I can get a better chance when I get there. I'll be posting at the forum my pages to get some great advises from you guys and improve my skills. Also if anyone is thinking of going to the NYCC next year (2011) maybe we can make a plan together and save some of the hotel costs. Or something.

Well, thanks again everyone, and if someone else have an experience about the NYCC that would like to share, it still be very helpfull, (I can still change my mind, hehe).

[g0b1in]

I’ve attended the DC orientation in San Diego and found it very insightful. The only way to get them to view your portfolio, however, is to submit at their table and, should they find your work up to their standard, they’ll post your name on a list during their portfolio review session which is usually on the weekend. They made it quite clear that they’d only be calling on those who were up to a working standard, so if you’re going with the intent of getting pointers on improvement, it’s not something they’d offer you.

Their primary interest is in sequential work. You’ll need at least 6-pages of sequential artwork. It was then that I truly realized how much work I had ahead of me if I were to be a pro working for DC.

Marvel held their review on Saturday the both times I attended SDCC but I was never able to go. They made no mention of an orientation being required.

I never tried signing up for a review session with anyone else though because the lines were incredibly long and my time was limited. Plus, I did got there mainly to have fun and see everything.

Not sure how NYCC is at all but I may go to the next one. I learned that a lot of people plan their entire year around SDCC so it is a crazy crazy time.

[Inkthinker]

Oh I had no trouble seeing people, just trouble having any sort of meaningful interaction.

As I said, it's a little better after-hours, but then you're impinging upon someone's leisure time, and that's tricky business that varies from one person to the next. I'm told it's much easier at just about every convention outside of SDCC. I've had no problem talking to people at Dragon*Con or MegaCon or APX, but at SDCC it's crazy-time.

It's still a totally worthwhile trip, if only because everyone is there and you never know what might happen. But I wouldn't go to SDCC expecting anything other than a four-day circus.

[Symson]

Your experience has been very different than mine Inkthinker. Even before SDCC set up the Portfolio Review areas and DC and Marvel set up their own systems to get portfolios reviews by registering, I've never had a problem seeing who I intended to see.

[Inkthinker]

San Diego was a great place to meet other artists, for certain. Just not a good place to meet editors.

[dfbovey]

Yeah, I got a full 20 minutes from Joe Quesada at Pitt con. Where I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been able to even see the dude in San Diego.

[Deth]

your better off going to a smaller con

if you want to improve then SDCC is awesome. get good crits from hundreds of artists.

but getting an editor to take a good look at your work is hard

[endeserben]

NYCC is extremely laid back by comparison. Of course the times I've been there were spent walking around on a Sunday morning (after having a review with Tokyo Pop someone hooked me up with) and spent a Friday afternoon manning a table in artist alley.

I know for both DC requires you attend an orientation before you even have a chance to be reviewed. Not sure if Marvel does the same thing.

So, based on your experience, do you recomend to attend to the NYCC instead of the SDCC?
I've read about that orientation of DC, I think it's about letting you know that not anybody is ready for breaking in, or something like that. I think they gave it at the first day of the con, isn't it?

Anyway, thanks a lot for your response, it also has been very helpfull.

[D.C.]

I've been to SDCC once and NYCC twice. At San Diego there was a portfolio review area for a few companies where you wrote down your name and waited to be called on. I spent an entire day just sitting and waiting there. Got reviewed by a couple companies (Dark Horse was very nice and quite helpful) while others used up their allotted time before even getting to where I was on the list. Had no luck just walking up to editors on the floor. They were too busy to take a look though at my stuff but did accept a business card and a couple wrote me back at a later time.

NYCC is extremely laid back by comparison. Of course the times I've been there were spent walking around on a Sunday morning (after having a review with Tokyo Pop someone hooked me up with) and spent a Friday afternoon manning a table in artist alley.

I know for both DC requires you attend an orientation before you even have a chance to be reviewed. Not sure if Marvel does the same thing.

[endeserben]

Honestly, are the giant cons like SDCC even much use for portfolio review/editorial networking? The floor is insane, the crowds are ridiculous, and nobody should be expected to be able to give you their full attention.

The after-parties and impromptu drawing groups and such are better, but even there it's people on their off-time who probably just want to relax, and it may not be the best time to look for professional interaction.

I've never been to NYCC, but SDCC is more like a weekend theme park for media entertainment (with an emphasis on comics and comics-related properties), and not so much like a conference or convention that allows folks to interact effectively with professionals in the field.

Hey Ink, this was very helpfull, thanks a lot for sharing your experience. Since I'll be going essentially for a portfolio review and to meet professionals and people inside the bussiness, I'm starting to think that maybe it would be better to go to the NYCC instead of the SDCC. I don't know how big and crwody the NYCC could be, but it seems somewhat easier trying to speak to professionals there.

Now I want to ask, have anyone ever gone to the NYCC?

Thanks!

[endeserben]

Thanks a lot for everyone who has taken their time to answer me. Based on what I'm reading here I could start thinking of a NYCC trip better than a SDCC. But if anyone else has something to say about this topic, would still be very helpfull!

Thanks everyone again!

[Inkthinker]

Honestly, are the giant cons like SDCC even much use for portfolio review/editorial networking? The floor is insane, the crowds are ridiculous, and nobody should be expected to be able to give you their full attention.

The after-parties and impromptu drawing groups and such are better, but even there it's people on their off-time who probably just want to relax, and it may not be the best time to look for professional interaction.

I've never been to NYCC, but SDCC is more like a weekend theme park for media entertainment (with an emphasis on comics and comics-related properties), and not so much like a conference or convention that allows folks to interact effectively with professionals in the field.

[Eric Henson]

I agree. Just attend where you can and the possibilities (as far as comics) will be pretty standard across the board for these lager cons.

[Symson]

You will have the same chances at both.

[endeserben]

Have you checked the site to see who is attending? If it is a company, artist or editor that you respect I don't see how it makes a difference. Good luck!

Thanks for answering Will, well I don't know now who will be attending, since I'll be able to go until the next year events (and there isn't info about the 2011 events yet).
And well, I think that the big two (DC, Marvel) would be there in both cons. But I'll like to know if the oportunities are the same, if could have similar chances to meet several publishers and editors in both cons, or if there are more publishers at one and fewer on the other.

Anyway, thanks a lot for taking time to answer to my post dude!