MetroCon: July 23-25, 2021

After last year's mass cancellation of events, I was really looking forward to going to a convention again. My first convention of the year was MetroCon, which by now has gone back to being a three-day event. With COVID-19 still at the front of everyone's minds, people were very careful about personal space and sanitation. Those that showed proof of vaccinations got a sticker for their badges, and almost everyone that I saw had the sticker. I had one of them as well. It's very reassuring to see a large event like this taking precautions.

I was running my table alone this year so there wasn't as much time to look around. However, on my brief run through the artist alley, I found some really cool stuff. My table neighbors were also nice. As is usually the case, my little corner of darkness was seated next to a vibrant and colorful display. Glitter and pastels abounded and the contrast received quite a few comments from amused con-goers. Since the color scheme for my website and most stories is black and silver tones, it's rather unavoidable. That's not a complaint; I enjoy the contrast and genuinely like seeing the vibrance of my table neighbors.

Friday was probably the slowest sales day for me, but they usually are at cons. People were looking around and planning their purchases for the weekend, talking, and enjoying the chance to show off their impressive cosplays. While I say it was slower, it was still about average compared to what I normally sell. I spent more of my time talking to people passing by and just enjoying the atmosphere.

Saturday really turned around. It was my best sales day in my convention history and effectively made this my top convention weekend overall. It also looked to be the busiest day, as far as people visiting the convention. My favorite moment from Saturday was when a father walked by with four small children. He gave the tables around me a cursory glance, then did a double-take at my table and shouted, "STOP!" He stopped the whole group to get a closer look at my art. It was immensely flattering. I ended up selling out of my NecroCat print, much to the dismay of everyone that showed up on Sunday.

Sunday was my second-best day of the weekend, which made an already top convention into an even greater success. As the convention wound down, I heard a table neighbor talk about a food truck selling crepes. I topped off a good weekend with a strawberry banana crepe and some mixed berry juice.

One thing that never gets old is seeing the different types of people that are drawn to my art. The father that stopped his children, the more gothic people in various groups, the sweet lolita that said she had a closeted dark side, the older lady that just liked the spooky cat; you really can't judge a person's taste by their appearance. This is another reason that I go to conventions. I'm looking forward to going back.