The Con.

8:40 am my phone screams Lisa's name, and I'm barely awake. I've been expecting this call for the past twelve hours. “We're leaving in twenty minutes, but you know we're not really.”

“Okay. I'll pack.”

“I'm going to take a shower and I'll give you a call when I can come pick you up.”

I'm excited, rolling out of bed, finding several tee-shirts to throw in my bag. Pants, too. Not a second thought about how long we'd actually be gone. I'm later told that we might be back in two days, but bring extra clothing in case. It's the International Comic Convention, and a bathing suit does not even cross my mind. So we begin our drive about 11 am to San Diego Tuesday morning, and I've barely got any cash on me, but I'm distracted by a conversation about people getting married young.

We both describe instances where relationships change people's goals in life, screw people up in their path to their goals and how so many seem unhappy, compromising. My left wrist reminds me that I will not compromise my career (or my personality) for a guy, and that gives me confidence. That conversation ends when we catch up with the rest of the sound designers and editors from the cousin's house.

Eating pizza, we all see each other again after two of the dialog editors had a month off. It's a happy reunion. When everyone is together, it is incredible to see the entire group interact while keeping in mind that were not brought together by friendship, but by an employer. And I think damn, [that employer] has an amazing sense of people. Or just lucky.... eh, probably not.

But we're on the road in no time, heading to the back of the convention center. There we meet the Freeman. They pull our booth in pieces out of the small U-Haul. Ours is tiny in comparison to Warner and IFC. All day, we put together our glass display cases and try to mount a 61” plasma six feet in the air. All this for the promotion and sale of the employer's graphic novel.

Funny enough, the company which does sound for video games and English dubs of shows on Cartoon Network is at the ICC to promote their graphic novel.

So as the story goes, the owner of the post-production sound house (the cousin's house) had a dream one night and woke his wife up to tell her. Her reaction was: This is a movie. So, as a first time writer, he decided to create a visual instrument to help sell the idea as a film. Three years ago, he went to the ICC and found an artist. Two years ago they printed their first version. This year they are releasing a special edition as well as marketing other intellectual properties which are moving through the same route to reach film and video game format. Crazy, but very effective.

So the trailer played along with several web episodes that were created using after effects with the frames from the novel. Check them out at www.preparetoascend.com and you can see the amazing train shot. That shot alone makes me want to work in animation.

We set up Tuesday and Wednesday, and then in the evening the exhibit hall opens for a special preview. We sell a few books, but mostly grab everyone's attention. I think we had one of the loudest booths, even in comparison to the large companies like Dark Horse, Warner, Sci-Fi Channel, etc.

Thursday and Friday, I talk to people who come to our booth, trying to sell books as well as sell the idea of a film, saying keep your ears open for it in the next two years. I discover how individuals from other booths come up, give business cards and try to talk to the creator about getting his book in their stores. Some video game guys come up and say they're interested in our other properties, and I point them to the creator. The ICC proves to be a great marketplace for finding content to buy/sell and get in on. Plus, there's an artists' corner. Saturday, Matt Brailey and Nico Colaleo come and greet me at our booth. They walk around the convention and discover the same potential for marketing as I do from inside the booth. Matt says they're going to try to get a booth next year and give out Happy Hour shorts to gather people's attention... not just the attention of those from Tucson who happen to turn on Access Tucson. I decide that I'm going to the con next year to network with people. Mostly to find animators to create stories written by writers I know... all with the intention of beginning a production company. And I'm well aware that sound is only 50% - but it really is a big 50. (This is where a huge smile crosses my face).

I can tell you at this very moment that I am going to coordinate writers, directors, animators and sound personnel to create art that you can enjoy on many different layers. I will reach my goal to do so, and I won't forget or get lost in it all.

Sunday, I walk around the artists' corner and discover that I am not as confident as I was in the booth. Because I knew what I was selling in the booth, but alone with a bag and some cash, I am not so sure what I am selling. I can't yet pinpoint it for an artist, let alone myself. Plus, with only an hour till the hall closes until next year, the artists' corner is mostly empty with white paper covering the rows of tables. Lots of the sketches say we'll see you next year or I'll be here till Saturday. I am a little bummed, but I know next year I'll have a much better plan. More of a product to sell: myself and my art and ideas.

We barely grab dinner after breaking down our booth much faster than setting it up. Then we go to a gas station to grab drinks, and that's where the employer/owner/creator of the cousin's house asks me to e-mail him my contact information. Lisa tells me in the car afterward that everyone doesn't want me to go in the next two weeks. Now I see what Will meant by you're not going to come back. I don't want to leave, go back to school and sit in theory classes. I want to smash LA and Tucson up in a ball such that I can work both places, cause I want to get where I'm going with all the resources available.