Things were crazy leading up to Pensacon last week. Days before the convention, I sold some of the Magic the Gathering artist proofs that had color art on their backs that I was planning to take to the convention. Now, with a lot less inventory to show, I had to squeeze in some time to make some replacements. As I have been asked to draw a lot of Pokémon lately, I thought it would be fun to create some more Pokémon-themed artist proofs. While some cards did sell at the show, I have the remaining cards now available on my store!
Over this past weekend, we enjoyed ourselves at Pensacon 2026. Pensacon is the start of our convention season and is one of our most fun events. They take amazing care of us at Pensacon, and it is an absolute blast sharing the Grand Bazaar with so many people. We were in our usual spot along the artist ring above the vendor floor. I do not have enough good things to say about Pensacon, and a massive thanks to Mike Ensley, Julio Diaz, Lemmie Crews, and the entire Pensacon team for making a truly special event. And a shout out to the art family that we are surrounded by at the show. I have been incredibly busy with writing and working, which left much of the preparation for the show was done very last minute. I was writing until the last moment and then some while at the show. But in the end, I needed a little break from things, and Pensacon was the perfect choice. Here are some images and thoughts from the show.
The Grand Bazaar at Pensacon 2026!
I did a lot of drawing at this show and had a blast doing it.
The beach was doing its best to be uninviting.
This was the second cover that I have done for this collector, and this, by far, was my favorite thing that I drew this year at the show. Working on the colored paper with its surface was very reminiscent of my normal paper, and this felt very natural.
And some more monsters!
I did a bad job this year with taking photos. I say that, but in reality, I was in the moment talking to people about the Grand Bazaar, art, games, and more. So instead of taking photos, I was enjoying myself at the show. That said, here is a look at the vendor floor. Saturday definitely had the crush of people that got a little intense.
And even more monsters.
On the day we left the beaches cleared up... and the temps dropped.
Oh well, not this time.
That is all for another exciting Wednesday on the blog. See you back here on Friday! Until then...
For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability, head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com
Pensacon, and the start of my conventions for the year, starts this coming Friday, February 20, in Pensacola, FL. We love Pensacon, and it is always a wonderful start to the year. We can't wait to reconnect with old friends and to meet new ones. You will find us once again in the artist alley ring above the vendor floor at Artist Table 10N (north side of the ring). I do not have enough good things to say about Pensacon, and I hope to see you there!
I will see you at Pensacon from February 20-22, 2026!
A look at the booth in 2024 at Pensacon!
I will be offering MORE discontinued prints in mystery bundles, allowing collectors to obtain prints that are no longer available or were never made available. Each mystery bundle contains three randomly selected prints. All of the prints come signed, and if you are lucky, you may find a print with an ORIGINAL DRAWING along the border, a SURPRISE FOURTH PRINT, or a CERTIFICATE FOR A FREE DRAWING. These were meant for Gen Con last year, and as we had to cancel at the last minute, nearly all those bundles are now coming to Pensacon!
The return of the Mystery Print Bundles!
Get yours at Pensacon, February 20-22, in Pensacola, FL.
Each pack has a potential value of up to $200, and you can obtain one at the convention for only $50! I have a great selection of prints available, and they run the gamut of my work over the years. Included are many fan favorites, high-profile projects, and hidden gems. There will be some of the same prints previously offered at Pensacon, as well as many new print offerings! Prints available in the bundles may include:
• STAR WARS (LOTS!!!) • DUNGEONS & DRAGONS (LOTS!!!) • A GAME OF THRONES • PATHFINDER • LEGEND OF THE FIVE RINGS • CALL OF CTHULHU • KAIJUDO • Various MONSTERS • The GRAND BAZAAR of ETHRA VANDALIA
A look at just some of the prints you can find in the Mystery Print Bundles!
Each bundle comes sealed, so there is no peeking. As before, I have drawn on the lower corners of many of the prints. To be honest, I did my math wrong and ended up drawing on WAY more prints than I should have, meaning that your chances of getting an original drawing on your print are very high. I think nearly half of the bundles have prints with drawings.
In addition to the drawings on the prints, there is a bundle that contains a surprise fourth print. And there is a single bundle that includes a certificate for a free drawing. You MUST return the certificate to me at the convention to get the drawing. I will not be shipping the drawing to the winner. I will repeat that - if you find the winning certificate in your bundle, you must return it to me at the convention to receive it.
Here is a look at just a few of the many drawings on prints that you might find in the bundles!
Are you feeling lucky?
If you are, you might find one of these original drawings in your mystery bundle!
While it is possible, I am confident that I will not sell out at Infinity Con. If we did, that would be amazing, but we planned to have plenty left for Gen Con. It is at Gen Con that I expect to sell out, so if you want to get your hands on these, I will see you at Infinity Con or Gen Con this summer.
My Mietze got involved this time, and you will notice his face stamped on this grouping to mark it as the second wave of print bundles.
And for the first time at Pensacon, I will have the Grand Bazaar stickers this year. They were a late addition last year and were not ready in time for Pensacon 2025.
The Crest of Ethra stickers!
Get yours at Pensacon, February 20-22, in Pensacola, FL.
That's all for another exciting Wednesday on the blog. See you back here after Pensacon! Until then...
For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability, head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com
I am THRILLED to announce that I will return as a guest to Pensacon in a week and a half! Starting next week, Pensacon runs from Friday afternoon, February 20th, through Sunday ,the 22nd! I will be bringing the Grand Bazaar back in all its glory, as well as some exciting surprises. We LOVE Pensacon, and we always have a fantastic time there. I do not have enough good things to say about Pensacon, and I hope to see you there!
I will see you at Pensacon from February 20-22, 2026!
In addition to myself, there will be a TON of amazing artists, guests, and vendors at Pensacon 2026. It will be SO much fun, and there will be many amazing things to see and do. This is the year not to miss. I will update next week with more details on what I have in store for Pensacon 2026!
That's all for another exciting Tuesday on the blog. See you back here on Wednesday! Until then...
For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability, head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com
There and back again. Our ninth Pensacon is in the books, and so marks the completion of the first convention of 2025. As with most Pensacons, it was a blur of folks and fun. This year,3 things were a little different. The impending threat of bad weather required a complete reorganization of the guests and artists. This meant those outside the convention center needed to be moved into the center at the last minute. And when I say last minute, there were three of us who had just arrived to set up and were told to wait while everything changed. In the end, the outside people moved into the area the guest artists usually held, and all of the guest artists got an upgrade down to the celebrity floor. They were able to fit us in, and we received more room, better lighting, and a chance to rub shoulders with some of the celebrities. We were in the room with two actors from the Mandalorian. Here is a look at my larger, better-lit booth from this year!
The Grand Bazaar at Pensacon 2025!
With all the changes, it was hard to gauge this year's Pensacon to the previous few. Sales were a little down from last year, but last year was a crazy, fantastic year, so I am not considering this year as a step-down. Our average sale amount for most of the con was up overall. Even though we were in a different place, on a different floor, people found us, and we saw so many familiar faces. The big hit of the con was the Mystery Print Bundles that sold out early on Sunday. I could have sold many more if I had them. I couldn't be happier with how they were received. I will definitely need to dig deeper into the boxes and see what else I have.
I didn't have any panels this year, and we kept things quiet for the most part after hours. We enjoyed meals with friends and with just the two of us. There were a lot of laughs and a lot of fun to be had. Needless to say, I returned home NOT exhausted, which is a welcome change. I am already hard at work on the next piece for book two and looking ahead to the rest of my conventions this year and Pensacon in 2026. Here are some photos from Pensacon 2025.
Another shot of the booth with over 15 linear feet of monsters and art.
The new retractable banner was a dream, and I am so happy it arrived in time for the show.
I drew on the backs of a few Magic the Gathering artist proofs this year.
This was a fun commission at the show. Their only request was that it needed to be a monster.
This was my big splurge of the convention, to get a commission from Mr. GI Joe himself, Larry Hama.
I commissioned a drawing of my first GI Joe figure, Flash, and I could not be happier. It is now framed and hangs just to my left as I type this. It makes me SO happy!
This was the big event of the show.
This is the largest piece that I have ever created for the books and one that was a personal challenge to complete. I am thrilled it is going to a good home where it will be loved.
We couldn't go to see the droids, so the droids came to us.
There may have been a war criminal among them.
This Jawa was PERFECT! No notes!
I finally remembered to get some shots of the room we spent the weekend in. At times, it was utterly packed, and they had to limit the number of people coming in at any one time.
Another shot of the room from the corner of my booth.
The most excellent Allan Henry (AKA Kong) and Jessica Etchells!
It was a true pleasure to meet Allan and to have a chance to hang out and talk over dinner and at our booths. You need to look him up; his resume is impressive, his work impeccable, and he is one of the nicest humans I have crossed paths with recently.
Allan gave me a full Kong demonstration, and it was AMAZING!
This is the magic of Pensacon!
A MASSIVE thanks to the entire Pensacon staff and volunteers, especially Mike Ensley and Julio Diaz (and too many to list - sorry, you were all amazing, and we couldn't have had as great of a show without you all!!!!) And heartfelt thanks to everyone who came by the booth this year. You all keep me coming back and ensure that the next book keeps getting closer and closer.
That is all for another exciting week on the blog. See you back here next week! Until then...
For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability, head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com
Pensacon, and the start of my conventions for the year, starts this coming Friday, February 14, in Pensacola, FL. We love Pensacon, and it is always a wonderful start to the year. We can't wait to reconnect with old friends and to meet new ones. You will find us in the artist alley ring above the vendor floor at booth N10. I do not have enough good things to say about Pensacon, and I hope to see you there!
I will see you at Pensacon from February 14-16, 2025!
At IX this past October, my retractable banner (that never did work quite right) fully failed. It worked enough to see me through the event but needed to be replaced. I had many months to address this issue, but I never really remembered until two weeks ago. Thankfully, Jason Rak was there to save the day and had a new and improved banner made and shipped to me in time for Penascon. Here is a look at that new banner!
The new and improved retractable banner just in time for Pensacon!
I have had several banners over the years, but this is by far the best quality with the best functioning mechanics I have ever had. It is overall smaller, lighter, and easier to use while being the same presentation size as my former banners. A win on every level. I could not be happier with it and can't wait to use it at events.
And do not forget at Pensacon that for the first time, I will be offering discontinued prints in mystery bundles, allowing collectors to obtain prints that are no longer available. Each mystery bundle contains three randomly selected prints. All of the prints come signed, and if you are lucky, you may find a print with an ORIGINAL DRAWING along the border.
Mystery Print Bundles!
Get yours at Pensacon, February 14-16, in Pensacola, FL.
Each pack has a combined value of up to $150, and you can obtain one at the convention for only $50! I have a great selection of prints available, and they run the gamut of my work over the years. Included are many fan favorites, high-profile projects, and hidden gems. Prints available in the bundles may include:
• STAR WARS • DUNGEONS & DRAGONS • A GAME OF THRONES • THE HOBBIT • TALISMAN • LEGEND OF THE FIVE RINGS • Various DRAGONS • Various MONSTERS • Various CTHULHU monsters • Roller Derby Posters • The GRAND BAZAAR of ETHRA VANDALIA
Each bundle comes sealed, so there is no peaking. Here is a selection of cropped images from just some of the prints you can expect to find in each bundle.
Do you like Star Wars? Dragons? Or monsters of every shape and size? Then, be sure to pick up one of my Mystery Print Bundles and test your luck to see what prints you will take home!
If you are lucky, there are five bundles that contain one print featuring an original drawing along the border. Each is unique and one of a kind and is related to the art on the print. These were a lot of fun to make, and I hope the lucky people to find them enjoy them. Here is a look at three of the five drawings you might find.
Are you feeling lucky?
If you are, you might find one of these original drawings in your mystery bundle!
That is all for another exciting Wednesday on the blog. See you back here after Pensacon! Until then...
For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability, head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com
I am pleased to share one of the surprises I have in store for Pensacon (and possibly beyond) next week! For the first time, I will be offering discontinued prints in mystery bundles, allowing collectors to obtain prints that are no longer available. Each mystery bundle contains three randomly selected prints. All of the prints come signed, and if you are lucky, you may find a print with an ORIGINAL DRAWING along the border.
Mystery Print Bundles!
Get yours at Pensacon, February 14-16, in Pensacola, FL.
Each pack has a combined value of up to $150, and you can obtain one at the convention for only $50! I have a great selection of prints available, and they run the gamut of my work over the years. Included are many fan favorites, high-profile projects, and hidden gems. Prints available in the bundles may include:
• STAR WARS • DUNGEONS & DRAGONS • A GAME OF THRONES • THE HOBBIT • TALISMAN • LEGEND OF THE FIVE RINGS • Various DRAGONS • Various MONSTERS • Various CTHULHU monsters • Roller Derby Posters • The GRAND BAZAAR of ETHRA VANDALIA
Each bundle comes sealed, so there is no peaking. Here is a selection of cropped images from just some of the prints you can expect to find in each bundle.
Do you like Star Wars? Dragons? Or monsters of every shape and size? Then, be sure to pick up one of my Mystery Print Bundles and test your luck to see what prints you will take home!
If you are lucky, there are five bundles that contain one print featuring an original drawing along the border. Each is unique and one of a kind and is related to the art on the print. These were a lot of fun to do, and I hope the lucky people to find them enjoy them. Here is a look at three of the five drawings you might find.
Are you feeling lucky?
If you are, you might find one of these original drawings in your mystery bundle!
Depending on the remaining stock and interest, I will have any remaining packs at my other shows this year. But the good folks attending Pensacon have a way of buying all of my stock, so we shall see.
That's all for another exciting Wednesday on the blog. See you back here on Friday! Until then...
For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability, head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com
I am THRILLED to announce that I will return as a guest to Pensacon this coming February! In 2025, Pensacon runs from Friday afternoon, February 14th, through Sunday the 16th! I will be bringing the Grand Bazaar back in all its glory, as well as some exciting surprises. We LOVE Pensacon, and we always have a fantastic time there. I do not have enough good things to say about Pensacon, and I hope to see you there!
I will see you at Pensacon from February 14-16, 2025!
In addition to myself, there will be a TON of amazing artists, guests, and vendors at Pensacon 2025. It will be SO much fun, and there will be many amazing things to see and do. This is the year not to miss.
I will share more information, secrets, and a panel list when we get closer to the show. There are some fun and exciting things planned, and I can not wait to share them! Again, if you are in the Gulf Coast area and want to have a super fun con experience, then I highly recommend Pensacon!
That's all for another exciting Wednesday on the blog. See you back here on Friday! Until then...
For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability, head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com
I speak highly of Pensacon for a reason. There is something about this show, well, there are a lot of some things about this show. Do not get me wrong, all of the shows I do repeatedly year after year mean something to me, but they are all different and unique. Mike Ensley and his team make an amazing show and a wonderful con to be a guest at. The attendees are great and are always super excited and happy to be at the con. The returning artist family continues to grow, and seeing them every year is such a treat! Pensacon stands out as the start of the convention season for me and sets the pace for the rest of the year. And if Pensacon was any indication for the year, it is going to be a crazy, fun time.
The Grand Bazaar at Pensacon 2024!
When I returned to Pensacon post-COVID, I did not know what to expect, and what I found was my sales more than doubled from 2020 to 2022. I assumed it was a fluke, but my sales were slightly higher in 2023. That was, of course, a fluke as well. Then we come to 2024, and sales have doubled from 2022. I had my single best day yet at a convention and the best total sales at any convention to date. I also sold an original for more than I have ever sold a piece of art. What does this all mean? I have no idea. But I know I need to get my second book finished! People want more!
Besides record sales, there was a singular moment for me at Pensacon this year, and that would be the Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel Q&A panel that I was on with James Marsters and Charisma Carpenter. For years, I believed it would make for a good panel if you had cast and crew together talking about the same projects from their respective viewpoints... and it turns out I was right. I had SO much fun! James and Charisma were welcoming, and we had loads to share. I brought the few remaining artifacts from my time on Buffy and Angel, and the crowd went wild. I will be honest, LA was very hard. It took a lot to live and work out there, and at times, it felt like everything was working against us, especially some of the people I worked with. At times, I found myself in very hostile working conditions. This is something I haven't really spoken publically about, and one I will continue to leave vague as much as I can. This is not the time for that whole conversation. But I would like to say that being on this panel has brought me so much closer and peace with what I went through out there. I am in a really good place now, and my memories of LA and working in the film industry are a whole lot brighter.
I launched the Kickstarter for my book at Pensacon in 2020, and to continue to return there and to have more and more people telling me how much they enjoyed it, how much it means to them, and how excited they are for book two means more than I will ever be able to express. It is wild to be selling a book to someone, and to have someone walk by and tell me how much they love the book is tremendous. Thank you to all of you who have journeyed to the Grand Bazaar.
We focused on the con during the day and ourselves in the evening. We didn't have any late nights or big adventures this year, and I was fine with it. It is better to miss out on a few things and to be rested and ready for a long day at the booth. We had meals with wonderful friends and saw so many familiar faces. From start to finish, this was an amazing Pensacon and one that will be hard to top. Again, thank you to Mike Ensley, Julio Diaz, Lemmie Crews, Roland Paris, Mark Maddox, Steve Wise, and way too many others (sorry that I am not mentioning you all) for making Pensacon so wonderful for the both of us. Here are some photos and additional thoughts.
The final evolution - hopefully for a long time.
After Gen Con 2023, we invested in our own trailer to make events much easier and cheaper. Then, on the way to IX, my car's transmission died, and we had to get a new car on the return trip from IX. NOW, after all that, we have a trailer and car fit for the road and convention season. This was the first time out for all of this, and it was perfect. Also, having a trailer and the convention set up no longer in storage, I have saved around six hours of work that went into getting the trailer, driving around town, loading the trailer at storage, etc. AND then the reverse of all that at the end. SO happy to be done with all of that.
We have stayed out at the beach since 2022, and while it is away from a lot of the excitement of the con, it does allow us some peace and quiet.
The calm before the storm! The vendors are on the ground level, the artists are on the third-story ring, and the celebrity guests are on the second floor under us.
I always have the best neighbors, and they make beautiful art.
Saturday was the big day for many reasons, and it started like this.
James started the panel by getting the crowd excited and cheering for the camera.
It was a packed house with standing room only in the back and the second tier. It was impressive!
23 years ago, I worked with these folks on some shows. I never thought I would see them again, let alone be on a panel with them. They were gracious and made sure to include me in everything. I could not have asked for a better time.
BEHOLD! Thanks to folks in attendance, I have some fun photos to share.
Those in the back couldn't see the heads I brought, so I ensured they could.
Again, the packed room and some heads.
And again, James, Charisma, and I.
See, I told you I worked on some crazy things at the beginning of my career!
And here is some of the panel that has been uploaded to YouTube.
Sunday Funday! The last day of the show did not disappoint!
I got to meet a war criminal.
We sold out of hardcovers!
Even though I brought more books than I did last year, I still sold out an hour or two before the show ended. I even ended up selling the well-loved display copy. This hasn't happened to me yet, and it was a shock and a thrill.
Lastly, my one purchase was an Anguirus drawn by Toshihiro Ogura, who just so happens to have been the suit performer in the Anguirus (among others) in the Godzilla Final War. He stopped by the table early in the show, and thanks to Jessica Etchells for making this happen!
That is all for another exciting Wednesday on the blog. See you back here on Friday! Until then...
For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability, head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com
