Merph. The answer is... busy. Between a massive computer meltdown and a bum wrist typying out massive descriptions has been pretty darn near impossible especially with a very large convention this weekend.

Convention?

YES INDEED!

Rhode Island Comic Con is hosting me! I was one of the first artists they asked as the people who run the show run a small local one too
SouthCoast Toy and Comic -which I have been a guest at since it started. As this is the first con in Rhode Island they are doing it up in a big way. Artists Alley is pretty big for a 'first time' show not to mention the 'celebrity' list kinda surprises me with how many people I'm geeking out over.

1riginal Battlestar Cast Reunion. YAY! I remember watching re-runs of this with my dad!
2: Power Rangers Cast Reunion. Say... what? David Yost, Walter Jones, Jason David Frank... so the original Blue/Black/Green ranger (yes I know Tommy was eventually White and Red but this was FIRST SEASON MAN!) bestill my inner 2 year old.
3: Nicholas Brandon who I never like crunched on but I always just wanted to hang out with/met. A lot of people my age who grew up watching Buffy felt like either Willow, Buffy, or Xander were sort of like your self in this Sunndale world (some would just stand up and fight, some would want to LEARN ALL TEH THINGS and some would get snacks, and fight, and be a goober) Hi. I'm the goober XD

and a lot of others. NOT TO MENTION some great friends of mine in artists alley!!!!

Bob Almond
Scott Ambruson
Jeremy McHugh
Zeke Savoy
Scott Hamilton
Rodger Andrews
Craig Rousseau
Everett Soares
Mike Daugherty and a bunch more!

Also, I'll be there! AND I'LL BE EASIER TO FIND!!!!!!! I know some of you have come to shows looking for me  and you can't find me because of my little 'front of table' banner. Here's how

1: Usually there is a map. (not always) at larger shows it's Juli or 'Wicked Little Studio' if that helps.
2: find some really awesome cosplays like: Pink Deadpool. Booster Gold (with skeets!) Blue Beetle (with Booster Gold with Skeets), Vic Sage DCAU Question, Mera,'Hanged Justice', Mr. Incredible (that actually LOOKS like him), Daredevil with Electra there are a bunch more but those are the 'most often'. These guys will usually know where I am at shows. XD
3: So... Mr. Incredible? He really is. Story below.

Terry 'Mr. Incredible/Venom/Jayne Cobb OMG THAT DUDE IS JACKED' became a very good friend of mine at shows VERY quickly. We met at 2011 Boston Comic Con when I was trying to get a picture of him as Bane holding Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy up on his shoulders like they were nothing (he does this... a lot.) The next day he swung by my booth as Mr. Incredible with a little dark haired girl done up as Violet. 'DAAAW!' right!?

She was going thru my books and when someone wanted to snap a pic with him he just handed her camera off asked if she was okay with it (okay with what? I thought) and he put her up on his shoulder and made a muscle with the other arm. OMG BANE!? So Saturday it was a comic-costume and Sunday it was a family one? This guy is awesome... and huge.

He wondered if I did sketch books and I said rarely because they take a long time but I do them at smaller shows if you get to me early as they got a print or two and then headed along. He ended up friending me on FB and a few weeks later at Granite State Comic Con he came over with a Cherry slurpee and a sketchbook.

Why a cherry slurpee? Because I was fighting off a wicked bad sore throat and had said so XD "My daughters always like these when they have a bad throat so I thought it would help. Would you mind? Danielle is too shy to come over and ask you to be the first in her book" so we chatted for a while and he said she'd like a Punzie if I would. I agree OF COURSE and apparently he runs a lot of Magic and Hero Clix tournaments. So we see each other at shows.

Over the next year Terry and his daughter and I keep running into each other. She gets over her shyness and starts to come up to my table when I am without people and she's sick of watching the games it's a limited range but I was pretty happy he trusted me so much! She'd show me her sketch book and we'd just talk. It didn't take long but soon Terry and Danielle were my BEST customers. They bought something at EVERY SHOW and not just prints but originals or commissions! (Danielle is why I did the Amy Rose with Cream and Cheese). and at FCBD they asked me to draw them in costume and I was touched. d'aaaw

It started to become a joke with Terry and his wife and myself that I was their 'oldest but newest' daughter and affectionately I call Terry my 'con-dad-'. He's looked out for me at more than one show. Making sure I have no creepers. Checking up on me, reminding Danielle I'm there to sell to the point that if I'm without a customer she'll come over and once one shows up she'll go do a lap and then come back with a big smile. (again, daw!) and when a fan was like 'man I am totally gonna hit on her' at the game table Terry just smirked 'yeah she's taken.' 'wait, really?' 'yeah and pretty sure you're not her type. Trust me' it made me laugh.

So why am I telling you all this? Because one of the reasons a lot of people have had a hard time finding me was my banner. I didn't have one of those big jobbers in the back like most do. (they are EXPENSIVE!!!!) so I just had my little sign and was thinking of using some foam core and a stand or something. When Terry PMs me on FB saying I missed a delivery. Confused He confessed to sending me something but the 'shop was closed' now this is after I had gotten a message from DickBlick saying something from my wishlist had been ordered. I was kinda freakin' out on the possibilities.

Well after a lot of hullabaloo I ended up at UPS for this massive long box. Huh. and when I came home there was a USPS box on my stairs. HUH!

Dick Blick mystery solved. Drafting tape I had put in my cart a month ago that had been backordered XD I forgot about it.

I come upstairs with the packages and finally set down the larger box- take a picture. Open up the long box and look in it looks like a canvas presentation holder/portfolio I figure Terry might have seen how many bags I carry into shows and wanted to help with something smaller maybe? D'aaaw! I woulda been happy if it had been the tape!

But this is TOO heavy to be JUST a bag...

Hmm.

I pull it out and there is this canvas roll cover with carry loops like others I've seen at shows and it's heavy and metal on the inside... 'No'... I start saying 'no, no, omg, no, no, no this isn't, omg, no' pretty much on repeat for the next hour.

Getting the metal out of the carrying case I find my suspicion confirmed. I now have a retractable stand behind you banner with my name, my company and a piece of my art on it on a black and pink background.

FREAKING OUT with joy I am speechlessly thanking Terry and he just laughs it off with 'I know you have needed one. Your booth can get kind of lost in the sea and people don't look down for names they look up over the crowd. You mentioned you wanted one a while back and I wanted to thank you for all that you've done for both my daughters and me" (I've been helping his oldest with a few art things here and there when I can and the like with Danielle).

Of course like a baby I get all teary eyed over it. LOL.

My Dad I've said was my biggest supporter for years he was the reason I do what I do. And Halloween was kind of 'our thing' so the week of Halloween for something to show up from my 'con-dad' to help with my art and my business just out of the goodness of his heart? It was like getting a hug from my dad AND a gift that just has my jaw on the floor.

So yup... you can find me... with a banner now.

My hands hurt from typing. -.- sorry.