This year I didn’t spend as much time in the alley as I usually do. So I’m not too keen on making any overall observations about what was there this year. I will say there seemed to be a lot more artists making comics, fan or original, than I’ve seen in years past. Oh how I wished I could have gotten more!
Anyway, this is mostly a shoutout post for the amazing artists that I picked stuff up from at this year’s Otakon.
With a tagline like “Delinquent Animals!” there was really no way that my first purchase wasn’t going to be Cry to the Moon an original comic anthology by Love Love Hill (Twitter: @love_love_hill). They had a ton of other comics as well, and now I wish I had picked up more.
I added a number of other prints to my collection, the range of styles on display was just fantastic. I picked up a Detective Conan print which was a Yotsuba parody by papricots (Twitter: @papricots). A gorgeous pastel-y Full Metal Alchemist print by Corrie Young (Twitter: @coryoungart) I couldn’t pass up. A perfectly colorful Joseph and Caesar from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 2 print by Animus Rhythm had to be added to my pieces. And a rare Slayers print by Kim Madison (Twitter: @deadsidekicks) was a treat to find. I couldn’t pass up a Saint Tail postcard by Chu (Twitter: @chumaruko).
Not surprisingly Fire Emblem Fates stuff was out in full-force. Since I wasn’t all that happy with the game however, I was glad to still see Fire Emblem Awakening stuff about (as usual very little other FE titles). So I picked up a delightful Fire Emblem Awakening fanbook by Emmy (Twitter: @shaburdies). She even drew a little Cherche on the inside cover for me!
Along with the book by Emmy, I got a Splatoon postcard. I saw a number of other squid-related pieces in the alley. I got another postcard, this one advertising the roller by Milkbun (Twitter: @milkbun). And I picked up a squid sisters button by Sara Wawa (Twitter: @sararawawa)
Other buttons I added to my collection are a License-less Rider from ONE-PUNCH MAN button by Voidbug. A Fukurodani logo from Haikyuu!! button by Cosmic Crown. Another set of Joseph and Caesar from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 2 buttons, these ones by J. Calderone.
No surprise, I got another Link from the Legend of Zelda button but in this one he is using a bow and it was made by Maya Kern (Twitter: @mayakern). I also scooped up a cool Zelda double-sided bookmark (one side was shiny!) by lani (Twitter: @lanimani).
A unique booth by Cara Mcgee (Twitter: @ohcararara) was selling tea blends, each themed after a character from a series. The blends were in tins with custom artwork and made about 3-4 servings. And strangely enough there was tea based on Rainbow Rowell’s novel Carry On. Not anime, but a very unexpected find all the same, and I couldn’t pass it up. I picked up Baz Grim-Pitch tea.
Being me, I rounded things out by buying some dog stuff. I picked up a dog button from Lauren who I’ve gotten things from in the past. And I found a beautiful print of Japanese Spitz breeds by Naomi Romero (Twitter: @NaomiRomeroArt).
Last, but certainly not least, I want to mention Katie Tiedrich (Twitter: @katietiedrich) the artist of Awkward Zombie. She was not in Artist Alley but in the Dealer’s Hall selling books and prints, plus signing and sketching as she did so. When I bought a book, she asked, “Who is your favorite Fire Emblem?” I answered the only correct way, “Lyn.”
~ kate
Filed under: Conventions, Editorials, Events, Otakon
