GenCon 2016

Well, it's been a few days now since my first real convention experience. I say real because the only other convention I've been to was Spectrum Fantastic Art Live in 2015, and compared to that GenCon proved to be a shocking experience. I say shocking because of the sheer mass of people, publishers, booths, artists, creators, and fans that came to Indianapolis for the long weekend of gaming. Over 70,000 people attended the show, which is about 7x more people than the population of my hometown of Cleveland, MS. If nothing else, Gen Con is an awe inspiring event.

a rare Giant Pikachu worked security for the event, using Fly to keep an eye over con-goers

Going to Gen Con for me was a chance to experience new things like that. As an illustrator it's easy to spend some days never leaving the house, opting instead to focus on the work at hand. With the Internet, that's become a lot easier to accomplish and still stay in touch with the outside world, but nothing compares to the real thing. I wanted to get in touch with other artists like I did at Spectrum a year ago, and besides that I wanted to connect with the different companies and people that work to produce the kinds of games that I loved growing up and continue to love today. I knew it would be an exciting experience to meet and talk to others knowing that we all had the same passions for the genre bringing us together.

Tyler Jacobson was the guest of honor this year, and always a source of inspiration

With much of that in mind as I traveled, I wanted to approach Indianapolis as more of a fan than a professional. This proved easy enough at the art show where I could see both new and old faces and bodies of work. In one corner I could find and finally chat with Claudio Pozas and Kayla Woodside, who I attended SmArt School with in the spring. In another I could introduce myself to the likes of Larry Elmore, Sam Flegal, Mark Poole, or Wayne Reynolds. In yet another I could see Alex Stone, Tawny Fritz, Priscilla Kim, Tyler Jacobson, and Justin and Annie Gerard who I'd met a year ago at Spectrum. It was also fantastic to experience some gorgeous new work from other artists for the first time. I've said it before, but the fantasy art community is like a family. Whether following online or meeting up in person I've never found a group of people so warm and welcoming. It proved a real challenge to step away from the beautiful haven of the art show and venture out toward the rest of the convention.

a picture with Justin and Annie Gerard in a rare lapse of traffic to their booths

Alex Stone and I contemplate pros and cons
get it?

As I proceed to write, here, I at first set out to share my experience as a con-goer, but as I started I realized that there was simply too much information to write down in a concise and timely manner. When I started this blog, I wanted it to be a place to share my journey as an illustrator, so I feel instead that it would be better served to talk about the experience for and from an artist's perspective.

Like I may have mentioned, GenCon was huge, giant, mammoth! My first day there was like stepping into a strange new world not knowing how to speak the language. Of course there were familiar sites to see, like Paizo publishing with the art of Wayne Reynolds wall-papering head to toe of the convention and even some restaurants abroad, or Magic card booths everywhere the eye could see, but there was also a huge variety of names that I experienced for the first time. It was hard enough to catch my breath much less get my bearings!

the ever-astounding Larry Elmore- a true goliath in the fantasy industry

Being a fan wasn't as easy here as it was at the art show. Since I started an actual career in painting gaming has taken a back seat. I still have a semi-weekly game of Dungeons and Dragons with friends abroad, but outside of that my knowledge of the genre has become fairly limited. Companies are constantly popping up or changing/releasing titles on the board or table that makes it near impossible for a casual player to know even half of the brands that showed for Gen Con. One of the biggest challenges of going as an artist was the difficulty to talk shop with some of my gaming peers. If we were to speak about the histories of the Forgotten Realms, Lord of the Rings, or Star Wars I felt right at home, but anytime I approached a conversation of others discussing rules and statistics of a game, then they were definitely speaking another language to me. I came away thinking- knowing- that I needed to take my time and stay up to date with some of the names I really admired instead of just their artists. I still haven't actually read the 5th edition of D&D and you can bet that's first up on the list of books to open.

Claudio Pozas and I were finally able to meet up!

As an attending artist, one thing I knew I had to do was show my work to the right people. Prepping myself for success, I printed out a hard copy photo book of my portfolio to show, along with cards and postcard prints to give to any friend or publisher. Even if just having a casual conversation I felt I needed to leave my contact info and a reminder of my work. Having more than just cards to leave helped me a lot, and from having a physical portfolio book at Spectrum and now GenCon I can tell you that it pays itself forward as a pleasant relief among troves of digital iPads and phones. Remember that most companies are selling printed work, and having someone hold an object makes that encounter feel much more real in their mind. You never know how many people an art director will talk to that day, so do everything you can to make your brief time together memorable. I stored all this material in a satchel I kept organized at my side so I could hand out anything on the fly.

As a professional I wanted to only approach those companies that I felt was doing work I wanted to be a part of. When I see my career in the future I want it to be built on the things I can be proud to be apart of. This isn't to say that other companies and titles lack merit, just that they don't appeal to the expression I want to achieve in my own work. I also wanted to talk to companies that could push me to explore new avenues such as science fiction or horror, genres no less amazing than fantasy but foreign to my portfolio. I think that a path to artistic success can be built on stepping stones, but if you don't know where you want to go when crossing that river then your steps can be just as dangerous as the torrent below and you might find yourself where the grass isn't necessary greener.

A part of making these informed decisions, besides a few cases, was to browse the work they had on tables. I had the benefit of knowing some of the work already, but a majority of it I had to take a moment and flip through pages. I wanted to read some of the material of course but also to see what kind of art direction they were heading in. Then, I'd formally introduce myself to a director or employee and ask to show my portfolio. 70,000 people is a lot of customers and opportunity for someone at a booth, so I wanted to make my encounter as direct as possible about who I was and what I wanted to do, always handing my card and stepping away saying, "I'd love to show you what I can do for you. Have a great GenCon!"

you can barely make out Brent Woodside among the crowd of collectors at the art show

I wanted to learn a bit about having a booth at a convention as well. I talked to several artists about their own costs for the show, as I've never had one myself. There was a lot of information to take in like everything else at the convention and I'd be inclined to write about it once I actually do it (for more info on this you might consider joining the One Fantastic Week Facebook Page, where there's always open discussion about the business of freelance art). I can tell you that I'm excited and plan on reading every article on One Fantastic Week and ArtPACT before I do it. One big thing I'd be interested in is the numbers difference between walking around and showing a portfolio to get work vs owning a booth to sell and get work. I never made any money at the show, but I guarantee that I showed my work to more companies than an exhibitor. It's not hard to figure out that a lot of people just didn't have the time to leave their areas.

Another thing were the portfolio reviews I asked for. A lot of them fill up fast so I've never had a former one before this. I had mine with Wizards of the Coast (Mark Winters and Cynthia Sheppard) and for a brief 15 minutes I was given the tools to future success as I go forward. I also took the time to ask other artists I admired their opinions of my work and what avenues I could head toward for future work. This is something I highly recommend. We're all a big family and even if they're very busy you might leave your card and ask to revisit the topic by connecting online.

Avalanche stopped in from the Midgar area.
I was way too excited, but Cloud told me I'd look cooler if I didn't smile.

GenCon for me consisted of about 7 hours of walking and shaking hands a day. I rarely got the opportunity to sit down, always finding some excuse to move to the next thing, so having a plan for the night's rest is a must. The convention is busy and often it's easier to connect with peers after the show for a chance to actually have a conversation. A lot of the actual networking I did could be found over drinks and food as we all took a deep breath after a long day. It should never be the intention for such an affair, but we're all there for a reason and that's to work and learn, which a body should never stop doing.

Tiny Yuna shares some sunshine around the food court

There was never a moment at GenCon where I wasn't exhausted. It's an exhausting experience, but it's also equal amounts of fun. There were gorgeous cosplays and amazing people from all over to talk to at every turn. Indianapolis was a beautiful city with beautiful and friendly people, made all the better for the attendees and exhibitors that visited for the weekend. I've given a lot of information here, but I'd like to top it off with saying the experience is one that will stick with me. Never have I had the experience to mix traveling, art, and gaming before in my life. For that alone I have to say thank you GenCon for that opportunity! And thank you to all of my friends there. You are and will remain a giant and very safe stepping stone in my own journey.

-Allen

I also want to give a big and personal thank you to Alex Abel, who came with me on this journey and is a true friend, to Claudio who helped me navigate the steps to convention success and introducing me to some amazing people, to Alex Stone for always being an open and genuine person, and to Tyler Jacobson and Justin and Annie Gerard for making me feel so welcome.

-A