Pensacon 2024 Recap

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

Color MtG Artist Proofs for Pensacon!

*UPDATE* - All have sold. THANK YOU!

As mentioned over the weekend, I will be returning as a guest to Pensacon this coming Friday. I have some special surprises planned, and I can share one of them today! I plan to have (already completed) color Magic the Gathering available at all my convention appearances this year - and moving forward if the interest is there. As Pensacon is my first event of the year, it will be the first convention I am taking color proof that I have completed ahead of time. I will still be taking color orders at the show to complete after it is over, but this way, you can get one now and not have to wait or worry. I am sticking to the basics for this first group but focusing on some of my more popular cards. Here is how the Ancient Carp, Blufferfish, Festering Mummy, and Gudul Lurker turned out.

My Ancient Carp, Blufferfish, Festering Mummy, and Gudul Lurker Magic the Gathering artist proofs with color handmade art on the back.

Marker, ink, and acrylic paint of card.

For these, I wanted to pull directly from the original drawings for the card art. I have been working on a method to transfer images onto the backs of the cards, and this allows me a lot more options for my artist proofs. Historically, one of the biggest hurdles for me is working this small. I enjoy drawing much larger, and so getting a sketch on the back of the proofs that I was happy with has been a big challenge. Thankfully, I believe I have a solution, and these cards, along with many of my more recent offerings, are proof that my concept is sound. I am not sure if I will be making any unsold cards available online after the show or if I will be rolling them over to the next convention. I guess I will cross that bridge in a week. Here is a closer look at each card, and if you keep an eye on my socials, you might see some videos of the cards!

 Ancient Carp - SOLD

 

Blufferfish - SOLD

 

Festering Mummy - SOLD

 

Gudul Lurker - SOLD

That is all for my first surprise. As long as things get announced and finalized before Wednesday, I will have a lot more surprises for you then. If not, I will have a couple of surprises.

That is all for another exciting Monday 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

Pensacon 2024 Guest Announcement - AND IT STARTS THIS WEEK!

I am THRILLED to announce that I will return as a guest to Pensacon this week! Pensacon starts this coming Friday afternoon, February 23rd, and runs through Sunday the 25th! 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 23-25, 2024!

 

In addition to myself, there will be a TON of amazing artists, guests, and vendors at Pensacon 2024. 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 be sharing some of my secrets this week before I head to the convention as well as my panel list. 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 is all for another exciting surprise Saturday on the blog. See you back here on Monday! Until then...

For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability, head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com