Cherry Capital Con Recap

Wow. So, I had a booth at Cherry Capital Con up in Traverse City this past weekend, and I have to say: This show far exceeded any expectations that I may have had. It was truly a fantastic show to be a part of. How do I know this? Well, it's been over for two days and I still can't stop thinking about it.

There's something special about that little show up north and I think it all has to do with the community; from the people who put the show on, to the creators , to the fans… everyone was great.

From an outsider's perspective, there seems to be a very tight knit community that centers around Top Comics, the local shop in Traverse City. It seemed like everyone knew everyone: The artists knew the volunteers/knew the owners/ knew the significant others/knew the fans/knew the places to go, etc. People were positive and happy and willing to spend a few bucks on something that they thought was cool. There was excitement in the air and we were welcomed into this community with open arms.

Whether it's the proximity to water or the climate, I'm not sure, but the folks up there were pumped! The volunteers were awesome and friendly. The fans wanted their comics and were there to buy. It was awesome… Kind of a perfect storm for con greatness.

The selection of attending artists was pretty awesome too; not only from a talent stand point, but from a personal one as well. It was cool to be able to hang with these guys and pick brains for a bit. I met so many awesome artists at the show that I can't wait to see again at the next show.

I've only had a booth at 2 shows so far… the first one was terrible and the second time was at C3. I was really bummed out after the first show and thought I'd never do a con again, but I must say C3 restored my faith. It felt like a con for the fans, by the fans... it's only purpose was for fun. My only regret is that I didn't really get enough time to hang with my fellow artists after-hours. I look forward to fixing that next year, when I go back to Cherry Capital Con.


Here are a few commissions that I did at the show:

Yellow Jacket and Wolverine:

Hulk & Frogman (Thundercats):

The One Above All & Hellboy:

Captain America:

There were so many amazing artists at the show and so many things that I wanted to get, but the most coveted item I purchased from the show was an empty Guinness bottle drank and then signed by Steve Dillon. He even drew a Punisher logo on the bottom of the bottle! So cool!