Zub Tales

By the time I have a moment to type up some thoughts about Emerald City Comicon last weekend in Seattle, I’m already on the road again. I’m in Boston for PAX East this weekend and, after a busy day setting up for tomorrow’s show launch, I’m finally settled at the hotel and chilling for a bit.

Last weekend in Seattle was a great weekend. Incredibly busy, but the kind of crazy chaotic busy that reminds me why I do all this stuff in the first place. The difference from last year to this year was huge. Last year Skullkickers was an unknown book with a new trade paperback launching at the show. This year we’re still small, but the recognition from people was immediate and strong. Without trying to sound corny, we have fans. I mean, I know we have faithful readers because I’ve received emails from them and heard from them on Twitter, but this was the first show where there were a really substantial number of people coming by in person to tell me how much they enjoyed the book, that they were recommending it to friends, that they’d been collecting and are pumped about the series continuing. It was intense and it was wonderful. After our months long hiatus between story arc 2 and 3, it was exactly what I needed to hear.

The two panels I was on were equally intense. The Writer’s Unite pitching panel was slammed. They turned people away at the door because it was standing room only. All the writers on the panel were taken aback by the response. It was amazing. I knew there were tons of people who wanted to learn about the process of writing, but I didn’t expect that level of response. Just amazing.

The Con Horror Stories panel on Sunday was a riot too. Katie Cook and I held court for an hour straight, telling stories and keeping the crowd entertained. The double-sized panel room they gave us started half full (which was incredible) and actually filled up by the end as people were lured in from the hallway by the uproarious laughter that shook the room. It felt more like a stand-up comedy routine than an actual convention panel, but I don’t think anyone minded. It felt good to cut loose with some of the convention stories I’ve related to friends and small groups in the past and have them go over just as well with a room of a couple hundred folks.

All in all, Emerald City was a real morale booster for me. With so many projects going on right now and a really brutal work schedule I’ve had bouts of exhaustion and fear that have mentally brought me down as of late. Having such a great convention experience gave my head a shake. Things are good. Really good.