This weekend is Greece’s Comic book convention.
COMICDOM CON
I’ve been to it, I’m not going to go over the whole thing again right now, but if you would like to know what I thought of the show and how it compares to shows in the U.S.A. that blog is HERE
If you would like to see some of the books I got from Greek artists those pics are HERE
The long and short of it..is this is one of the best shows I have ever been to, for a lot of reasons BUT the only one I’m going to mention today is the level of talent at that show.
“They have comic books in Greece? …like…made by non Americans?”
Yes, I was as amazed as you…like…what’s the point, right? That’s like having Greek rappers or something…get your own sh*t yo! This is an American thing. ‘MERICAN…comprende? It’s just going to be a pale imitation of ‘Merican stuff…why bother?
…much to my surprise. These Greeks are pretty f*cking good. I often think about moving there, what gives me pause it the idea that I’d have to compete with those people on a regular basis, instead of lazy Americans.
Step back now…I am NOT some hipster douchebag who thinks Europe is great and everyone is better than us and we suck and blah blah blah. I Like America…we kick ass, we invented everything that matters and improved everything else. The rest of the world had wooden boats from the time boats were invented…until WE said “this sucks, let’s make them out of metal”. If we hadn’t come along they’d still be making boats out of wood…by candle light…and shooting each other one at a time. It took us one civil war to jump from a musket to a Gatling gun…’MERICA!
SO…I say they are great, not out of hipster European fetishism…but out of pure level headed assessment. Walk down any artist alley in a Amercian Comi-con…what do you see? 75 guys selling prints of characters they don’t own in the drawing style of who ever is hot that year and about three people who actually decided to come up with their own ideas. It has become PATHETIC. Which…is great for me. I have no fear of the next generation of American comic book makers passing me up…because there are almost none. What there are is a ton of JERK OFFS…STEALING other people’s intellectual property. Which is against the law..but more importantly, it is stupid. Doing prints and fan art of Marvel and DC and whatever is dumb short term thinking.
Blog on that HERE. Read it, It may help you actually have a career.
Want proof that is it dumb? I am proof. I have worked for Mad Magazine, Image comics, Valiant comics, New England Comics, ect ect ect. I got those jobs because people saw MY book and MY stories. I didn’t draw a bunch of Spy vs Spy prints of XO Manowar prints and then the editors came up and saw them and hired me. They saw my book, saw I could make complete stories from scratch and liked what they saw and…You know what? I am WAYYY off track. You want to know why doing nothing but prints of other peoples characters is dumb-Blog on that HERE.
In Greece however…I saw NO ONE doing this. I saw not one single booth selling only prints of other people characters. They were ALL peddling their OWN ideas…and what concerns me even more than that…most of their ideas were very good. and pretty much ALL of their art was very good. Pound for pound they have the MOST talented artist alley I have ever been to. anywhere…PERIOD. So yeah…f8ck moving there, what good is it to be an artist in a city full of hot women, if all the hot women are better artists than you? I get a lot of milage out of being an “artist” over here among women who don’t know any better. Over there I’d just be some a-hole with bad credit who only draws four different faces.
In case I do ever have to flee this country though..best to start sucking up now right?
…I put the word out on my FB feed that is any Greek artist who would be at Comicdom Con wanted a plug, they should contact me. Only a few did, probably I should have put the word out last week, not the day before the show…but I was busy.
So..here is just a sample of what you can see at this years Comicdon Con! If you are in Europe, you really should go. If you are an American, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE AN AMERICAN WHO WANTS TO MAKE COMIC BOOKS, I suggest you click on some of these links and commit yourself to being better than these people…”THESE PEOPLE”…because this is OUR medium, remember? This is like a Japanese basketball team beating the Chicago Bulls. It’s not supposed to happen. and one day I’ll be dead..or on team Greece and you’ll be one star player short, so start picking up the slack!
***If you are a Greek artist and just now saw this…post your link to my FB page HERE and i’ll try to keep updating this blog all weekend***
CLICKING ON THE PICTURES WILL TAKE YOU TO THEIR PAGE
More of her links are here Koumaki.tumblr.com Koumaki.deviantart.com
Komiotis
and of course the full stable of talent at Jemma Press
Jemma Press of course also publishes THIS Fine collection!
Also…to you Greeks going to this years show…
Αγαπητοί μου Έλληνες φίλοι και αναγνώστες: Ήθελα όσο τίποτα άλλο να μπορέσω να παρευρεθώ στη φετεινή Comicdom αλλά δυστυχώς δε μπόρεσα, λόγω κάποιων έκτακτων deadlines. Έχω προσληφθεί ως ο νέος σκιτσογράφος για την υπερηρωική σειρά Δε Τικ. Αποφάσισα να γράψω αυτή την ανακοίνωση στα Ελληνικά, επειδή δεν έχω ενημερώσει ακόμη τους αναγνώστες μου στις HΠΑ για αυτό. Σας εύχομαι μόνο τα καλύτερα για τη φετεινή Comicdom! Uα μου λείψετε όλοι και εντάξει, αν όχι όλοι, τότε σίγουρα οι περισσότεροι. Θα φροντίσω να είμαι κοντά σας του χρόνου!
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When Douglas is not complaining he and his work can be found at www.arseniclullaby.com
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