Events
Convention Report: NYCC 2012
New York Comic Con is the second largest comic convention in the country. I’ve had the distinct pleasure of being an invited speaker and guest of the show for a number of years now, representing Reading with Pictures and putting on panels for the kids.
NYCC takes up the entire Javits Center in New York City, and it is a massive show that must be experienced for yourself.
THURSDAY:
4am I hopped in a cab and took a red-eye flight to NYC, arriving at LaGuardia and being picked up by my good friend Phil Chan (Digital Pimps). We headed over to the convention center and unpacked our tables.
It was at this time I realized I made a rookie move: I had left my table cloth and book stands at home.
A quick run to K-Mart (several blocks away) followed by lunch at Lucy’s (it’s like Hooters, but with short skirts and Mexican food), we headed back to finish set up before the show floor opened for preview / professional day.
The RWP booth
Day 1 was surprisingly solid in terms of sales, and RWP had a panel that day which always results in a lot of traffic to the table. We were in small press, located on a main isle, so there was tons of traffic throughout the entire weekend.
I admit to being a little nervous about how traffic would go, since small press was separated from the publishers by a large area of construction. Thankfully, however, my fears were unfounded. The show had actually decorated the tunnel connecting the two sections as a branded Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles tunnel, promoting the new animated series on TV.
After a solid short day of sales, I met up with my good pal Karl Custer, better known as nerd comedian Uncle Yo. I was crashing at his place, so we took a train back to his neighborhood and had dinner, followed by sleep.
FRIDAY:
Karl and I headed to a local bagel place, and then took the train into the city and walked to the Javits. The show had told us the day before that, due to the massive amount of people expected to attend the show, the show floor would actually be opening earlier than scheduled.
Friday was surprisingly strong for sales, with a good flow of people coming up to the table and asking about the organization and the books. It’s always great when people generally want to know about you, making the interactions easier.
After the floor closed, we headed off for a quick bite at a Thai place on 9th Ave, and then headed to Times Scare for the Channel Awesome after-party. Karl and I had been invited by the cast of the site to attend, and had a fun time listening to live music and checking out the Halloween-themed bar.
We took off a couple hours later, and headed for home to get some rest before the biggest day of the show.
SATURDAY:
A quick train ride and delicious warm bagel sandwich later, and Karl and I arrived at the convention center. The place was already packed, and the stream of people through the isle by the booth was never-ending.
People were generally in high spirits, and a lot of single-day passes showed that people were really just checking the show out for the first time. Lots of cosplayers were running around, which is always a joy to see.
Trevor at the RWP booth
I had a chance to step away from the table briefly to check out Artist Alley, which was on the exact opposite side of the convention building from our booth. The place was a little off the beaten path, but thankfully this didn’t seem to discourage people from finding it and shopping.
I had some great conversations with my artist friends. There are too many to list, but basically I knew about 1/4 of the entire AA section. Always a pleasure to see them, and sadly I couldn’t stay longer to chat with them more.
I finished the day at the table and we packed up to leave for dinner. We headed to Burgers and CupCakes with some friends, and had a great time before heading home for the final day of the show.
SUNDAY:
The final day of the show is kids day, and tends to be a strong sales day for RWP. We decided not to open the table until after our 11am panel, which was a live reading of RWP stories for the kids.
Typically we have an hour to do this, so we invite kids up to the stage and have a blast interacting with them. This year was a little different because our time on the stage was shortened, due to us being the opening act for Sesame Street.
Karl was kind enough to join me on the stage and do the reading, since my voice was failing me by the 4th day of the show. We read several stories from the book, and everyone had a blast listening along.
After the reading we headed back to open up the booth, and proceeded to have our second strongest sales day of the show! We met a lot of great people, got interviewed by a few major publications, and had a fun time.
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NYCC continues to be a strong draw for hard-core comic fans, and it’s a must-attend show for anyone in the industry or looking to break in.
Special thanks to Karl for letting me crash and being such a gracious host, and for helping out at the live reading on Sunday. And to Reed POP for being a continued valued partner of Reading with Pictures.
And to the new friends and fans I met over the weekend: without you, I wouldn’t be able to do what I love.
A thousand times, I thank you!
October 19, 2012
in Events
Tagged new york comic con, nycc
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RWP at NYCC 2012!
Reading with Pictures will be at New York Comic Con this weekend, in small press booth 3139. Look for Marketing Director Trevor Mueller manning the table, selling copies of the anthology and some brand new original books of his own: Two brand new Albert the Alien books!
We will also have some panels throughout the weekend, including:
Changing the Game with The Graphic Textbook
Date: Thursday, October 11
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Location: 1A01
Speakers: David Rapp, Janet Lee, Josh Elder
Description:
The Graphic Textbook from Reading With Pictures raised $77k on Kickstarter and was featured on NPR, Wired.com and the Chicago Tribune. And that was just the beginning! Meet the creators and educators behind this groundbreaking book that promises to revolutionize the role of comics in the classroom and find out how you can get involved!
Reading with Pictures Live Reading
Date: Sunday, October 14
11:15 am - 11:45 am
Location: Variant Stage
Speaker: Trevor Mueller
Description:
Come learn about how getting comics in the classroom can be fun and educational. There will be live read-alongs of our favorite stories from the Harvey-Award nominated anthology, and the latest news about how you can help get comics into schools and libraries near you! Hosted by Reading with Pictures Marketing Director Trevor Mueller. Come join us for this engaging panel that’s fun for all ages!
October 10, 2012
in Events
Tagged new york comic con, nycc
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Reading with Pictures Convention Appearances
Below are the remaining convention appearances for Reading with Pictures this year. Hope to see you at one or all of them!
CONVENTION: Mid-Ohio Con
LOCATION: Columbus, OH
DATES: September 29-30
Look for Marketing Director Trevor Mueller in Artist Alley booth #1203
CONVENTION: NYCC
LOCATION: New York, NY
DATES: October 11-14
Look for Reading with Pictures in Small Press, and be sure to stop by our numerous panels throughout the weekend (more details to come)
CONVENTION: Kollision Con
LOCATION: St Charles, IL
DATES: November 23-25
Look for Marketing Director Trevor Mueller in Artist Alley, along with numerous contributors including Russell Lissau and Gabriel Bautista
August 20, 2012
in Events
Tagged conventions
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Convention Report: Wizard World Chicago
Wizard World Chicago 2012 was this past weekend, and it was an event to behold. Last year, WWC was my biggest sales show of the year. By a lot. And this year it was just shy of repeating that title once again. Definitely a strong show for sales - and a fun time for all. Continue reading →
August 16, 2012
in Events
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Midwest Game Developers
We are excited and grateful that Midwest Game Developers have chosen Reading With Pictures as their recipent charity for the 2012 Midwest Game Developers Kickball Tournament. There are several teams playing this year. Check them out and choose the team you wish to support here.
July 20, 2012
in About Us, Events, Featured
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Kickball Fundraiser!!!
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July 20, 2012
in About Us, Events
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Reading with Pictures at Summit City Con
Reading with Pictures will be attending Summit City Con this weekend in Fort Wayne, IN.
Marketing Director Trevor Mueller (Albert the Alien) will be joined by fellow contributors Russell Lissau (The Batman Strikes!, Strawberry Shortcake) and Steve Horton (Amala’s Blade).
Look for the RWP banner at booth C19 for the latest information on RWP initiatives, to buy copies of the anthology, or to learn about how you can help get comics into classrooms!
May 8, 2012
in Events
Tagged appearances, Russell Lissau, steve horton, Trevor Mueller
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C2E2 signing schedule
Reading with Pictures will have a number of celebrity signings at our table (Booth #211 near DC Comics) throughout the weekend during C2E2 this weekend in Chicago, Il.
The awesome lineup includes:
- Gabriel Bautista
- Phil Chan
- Joe Dunn
- Janet Lee
- Tom Stillwell
- Nadja Baer
- David C Cohen
- John Bivens
- And so many more!
Additionally, contributors Russell Lissau and Marketing Director Trevor Mueller will be running the table all weekend, selling copies of the two-time Harvey Award nominated anthology (and some of their own all-ages works). Special prizes, and panel programming will be offered throughout the weekend.
C2E2 is going to be an awesome time for all ages, so we hope to see you there!
April 12, 2012
in Events
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Fund the Mission
Reading With Pictures is growing and we need your help! We'll be rolling out some major projects in the next few months and donations help make sure we can continue our mission. Your donation is fully tax-deductible too! Click the link and be a hero today!
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