/cgl/ - Cosplay & EGL

Got a pretty good deal on a 3" button press,
Wondering if anyone has any suggestions for circle cutters that size?

Another reminder that Sega Mew fucked Holiday Matsuri by sharing the photo with prereg codes at the top, then lied about it.

>>9728676

I don't even know this person so I'm not standing up for her, but I'm curious if this act was clearly deliberate? Personally I have a fear that I will accidentally publish a photo that has sensitive info in it so I always quadruple check, but mainly because I could see this exact scenario happening by accident. If it was, she certainly shouldn't have lied about it, but also she wouldn't deserve to be crucified for it. Your posts are starting to taste a little like vendetta.

>>9728676
Story is too long to be arsed to explain again. She has pissed off a lot of people in Florida and harasses con owners. Most would like her gone.

I got con crud at HolMat and I blame being on the same aisle as her nasty second hand plush.

For those of you that do promos for buying over a certain amount (e.g. spend over $100 and get a free gift), do you find that it happens often enough to justify making the bonus item? I'm aware that "buy more get discount" sort of promos work reasonably well, but I'm curious as to if anyone's tried the above successfully/unsuccessfully.

>>9728896
Yea actually, they tend to add in smaller items from my shop to meet the goal amount. So make sure to offer items in small increments for them to addon.

>>9728896
yes, although I find that it works better on online stores than at conventions.

>>9728765
>>9728855

>doesn't know how to reply correctly
>no evidence that it was deliberate
>no evidence of accusations of harassment
>keeps insulting girl's cleanliness/hygiene as if it's relevant at all to the situation

So, vendetta. Got it.

>>9728703
>>9729037
For real. I've been lurking here since March, and I always see caps of Sega Mew show up in these threads every so often, usually someone making fun of her art... And it just reeks of personal vendetta.

>>9729070
NAYRT but every artist from Florida that I’ve spoken to at cons had something bad to say about Sega Mew so I think there’s at least some truth to these posts.

Why is every bitch in apparel low key problematic?

>>9729413
Which one are you talking about? Omocat? Arsenic x Cyanide? WeebApparel? ToshikiGirl???

>>9729413
>>9729431
that's hilarious, I was thinking of the exact same ones as anon. I honestly don't get it either. It just seems to be growing as a toxic community, they're all super competitive and willing to step on others to get what they want. Maybe exclude omocat from the mix since although she has her own shortcomings, she's leagues above the others mentioned. Most wannabe "fashion" apparel artists hail from LA though, so it must be just the personality that area cooks up.

>>9729474
Well another thing to consider is that Rei and Lissy and Michelle are all friends too so it makes sense that birds of a feather flock together.

Has anyone had success posting up a holiday wishlist for your followers to send you presents or additional art supplies?

Why is Segamew getting after people for selling bootleg shit if her entire table is bootleg?

>>9729629
Imagining someone with those sans pillow cases rattles my bones. Looking at this whole table is like a glimpse into the fetishes of a deviantart autist.

>>9729629
I don't even know how she's allowed at conventions nowadays, t b h.

>>9729629

Can you chill? If you want to start a campaign to get this girl to kill herself do it on your own, stop dragging your trash out all over this thread.

>>9729666
Please leave, Mew.

>>9729706
vendettafag get >>>>/out/

someone last thread mentioned that they made things no one else was selling and that they liked to see. and they were doing ok. if you're still here, what do you sell?

>>9729656
imagine making your own comic/game/whatever and it gets really popular and people start selling AU sex pillows of your OCs to an extent no one is surprised any more

Is it rude to ask for the source of a group order you're participating in? Not in order to be pushy, obviously, and not to ask more than once, but just so you can know which manufacturer you're going through rather than just trusting that the organizer who may have not ordered from them yet made a good decision?

>>9729756
Have you done GOs with them before? I would start by asking if they've done orders with that manufacturer before, that way it doesn't come across as looking for supplier sources for yourself.

What's the product type if you don't mind me asking? I get a lot more worried about quality based on what the product is (like those star and heart buttons).

>>9729629
how are they turning a profit? literally who in their right mind would buy these?

>>9729798
Some people only go to one con a year and aren’t aware of bootlegs

>>9729431
>>9729474
>>9729495

I know Rei is insane and tries to claim she created the letter hats, while calling others that make them "bootleggers", but what have Lissy and Michelle done? I don't follow AA drama too much.

>>9729431
dont forget fangrrrlz after that bragging about plagiarizing in art school lol

>>9729431
>>9730097

When I said every bitch I meant every bitch

>>9730097
I still think about that series of tweets and the (positive) responses to it. Seriously, what the fuck.

>>9730065
Rei's done a lot more shit. Like she got banned from the makerspace near where she lives because she burned out their lasers due to improper use. (You're supposed to let the machines rest in between big projects because they heat up.) I've heard a ton of stories from people who've met her at the makerspace and apparently she's like really rude to everyone and assumes they're out to "steal her idea" so she'll get defensive if someone asks her what she's working on. She also initially lied and claimed she asked for permission to do the hats from ATS and told that to customers at AX who kept mistaking her for ATS's booth. (not that ATS is anything special, but lol)

Lissy, afaik, has given out shitty sources to people on purpose when she first started doing shirts. She had a shitty supplier when she did her kickstarter that sent her shirts that had burn marks and couldn't be sold. She gave this source out to multiple people who asked her for shirt printer recs to discourage them from joining the competition. (I think this has been discussed in previous threads.) Personally, I find it kind of shitty that she's trying to start her own "brand" but is also selling fandom bootleg apparel? Honestly, I think she's more talented than Rei when it just comes down to technical art skill but both of them are shilling apparel for Overwatch and Voltron. If you're gonna start your own brand, fine. But mass-producing Voltron jackets/shirts makes you no better than bootleggers.

I've heard Michelle mentioned in unfriendly terms by a score of artists I've talked to but I actually don't know the details of her shittiness.

Anyone know what is going on with Lord Sticks a Lot? Everything on their site is out of stock and they have been MIA on all social media platforms.

I was hoping to get planner stickers sheets made by them instead of relying on a place with a large MOQ for one design.

>>9730149
Someone on AANI said they fell behind on orders so they’re on hiatus until they catch up. Maybe they’ll reply to email about when they’ll be back?

>>9729413
Speaking of problematic AA apparel people, I just found out from friends that Kinwamonster is Little Reddo?

It's so fucking shady to pretend like you're 2 different people so you can get 2 tables in AAs. It'd be another thing if she had a booth for apparel stuff/KM in the exhibit hall and used a proxy... but she gets 2 tables in AAs that don't allow proxies and pretends that KM is not her. Honestly lost all my respect for Kinwamonster... I thought their apparel was pretty cute.

>>9730324
Deets? Took a look at their twitters and their art styles look nothing alike.

>>9730389
If you look on instagram, you can find KM shirts being attributed to littlereddo in 2015. Friends remembered littlereddo posting WIPs of the shirts that ended up debuting under the Kinwamonster brand so I did some digging.

>>9730324
>which convention did she get two tables at??
I have seen few other artists that start another brand but didn't know this was looked down upon?

>>9730324
just did some research and both Kinwamonster and Littlereddo shared the same table for Sakuracon, 301. which convention are you talking about where she did that? I rarely see Kinwamonster at conventions so i can't really imagine that happening.

>>9730422
Weren't they at Ohayocon this year?

>>9730429
no idea? why ask me?

>>9730324
I wouldn't be surprised if littlereddo did this shit. I hear she's a nice person but I don't trust anyone in AA who has been accused of tracing and repeatedly continues to do it. I don't know her personally but I have friends who knew more about the situation/were aware of the tracing drama. I did some searching through tumblr and found these call outs from 2014. Not too sure if she traces still but the screenshots imply she was warned once and did this shit all over again around that time...

>>9730324
I thought Littlereddo and Kinwamonster being the same person was well known-- I had no idea she was hiding it?

I've always known her as reddo since before kinwamonster brand was started but I don't really pay much attention to her after she copied/traced jp fanart a few years ago.

>>9729524
That seems really tacky.

>>9730487
some of her monsters from her train monster's line are very "inspired" by monsters in yume nikki too

although i don't know of any cons where she had two tables. it is weird that she phrases it as if she were two people but she's just one person with an apparel/original art brand.

>>9730324
holy shit that is the scummiest but also smartest thing to do for lottery I can't believe I hadn't thought of it sooner

I need a place to rant to other artist and hopefully I can get some feedback.

I love my friends, but EVERY time I post a sneak peek of newly finished merch I get comments like "you should make this in orange! I'd buy it in orange!" "Can you make this look more angry?" "can you do a alternate version with different skin" etc etc. The worst was "I'd buy this if it was done in another style". I'm not overly sensitive, but I stopped showing sketches and WIP because I didn't want their unsolicited advice clouding my own design choices. I know they just want to help, but I feel like they are never happy with the way I make my own art.

Does anyone else experience the same thing? Have you approached it head on? I want to make a post to enlighten people on how it can be harmful, but I'm trying to think of the best way to do it that isn't too harsh.

>>9730661
It's gotten much easier for me just to say "thanks" for concrit that I won't implement when social media algorithms started prioritizing posts with more comments and other engagement....at least that activity is helping increase my reach on places like FB and instagram. That, and if people get pushy about the kinds of suggestions you listed, I always tell them "I'm not taking requests right now but my commissions are open", which almost always ends the conversation lol.
If it helps, when I see comments like that on someone else's post, it never clouds my opinion of the original work because I know stuff like that generally doesn't come from someone who has a practical knowledge of the media in question. But, you could always include something in the WIP post about how you're not open to concrit at the moment, and just ignore anyone who doesn't respect that.

Where is the best place to go for concrit/feedback on art? I want to eventually get into AA, but first I want to improve. I don't have any artist friends, and I seem to get very little feedback on social media.

>>9730669
I like the commission one lol thank you!! I will starting making a disclaimer in every post. I feel like I need to constantly explain why, but really short and sweet is key!

>>9730689
I usually ask friends I trust, but This thread isn't the worst place to start honestly

>>9730692
hahaha no problem. Don't forget that you owe them nothing unless they've paid you money, not even an explanation.

>>9730324
>pretend like you're 2 different people so you can get 2 tables in AAs

Do most cons not allow you to get two tables or something?

>>9730661
I have a friend who wants to do AA like me, but instead of focusing on making her own stuff, she butts into my stuff and is always asking me to let her make stuff for the table and telling me how to run my table. Its just annoying.

>>9730661
Like the other anon said, I think just saying "thanks" and moving on is generally the best course of action. Sometimes I say "ooh, thanks but I'm past the point where I can make edits because of a deadline" or something like that. I'm sure your friends mean the best and think they're helping, but it sucks when they're being overeager.

>>9730689
This thread, or if you want a less anonymous experience - the /cgl/ AA discord. We have a dedicated wip/crit channel. As long as you're not asking stupid questions that can be found in the FAQ or hounding people for sources, you should be welcome.

>>9730722
How many cons have you done anon? Most cons have a strict 1 table policy because of the sheer demand for tables. Some cons won't even let you have a booth in the exhibit hall if you also have a table in the AA (Otakon, ACen, etc). The only cons that let you have more than 1 table afaik are AX, Animazement, Magfest, Katsu, Magfest, and a handful of comic cons - and even then the double table option is usually limited and/or juried.

>>9730896
>Most cons have a strict 1 table policy because of the sheer demand for tables.

I've done a lot of cons, but most I go to are mid size cons. I guess I don't pay too much attention, I just usually see at least one person at a con with double tables.

Anyone have experiences with using picture frames for displaying charms? Wondering if it would be too heavy-handed or just look weird compared to how most tables have them on the wiregrids.

>>9730913
its not weird or heavy handed its just a pain in the ass to attach them on there, especially if you're flying in

>>9730661
Unless they're gonna put money down when you change things...their opinion is worthless. "I'd totally buy that"is meaningless without money to go with it. Basically, unless they're successful artists helping mentor you they probably know diddly squat.

a newb question. Are you allowed to ship mailing tubes/rolls using paypal? Paypal only asks for the weight and doesn't seem to care for the shape of the package, while etsy asks if it's a tube/roll and for dimensions of of the tube/roll.

>>9731128
as long as the weight is there, it doesnt matter, just make sure the bar is horizontal to the tube and not across so mail dudes can scan it easy

>>9731133
Thank you! Great point! Do i even need to check the "irregular package" box?

>>9731134
whether or not i check it has never made a difference in price when i'm mailing a package. i think it's there to knock people out of using letter pricing for packages?

>>9730661
in addition to the other suggestions, i also sometimes say "oh yea that's cool maybe if this is really successful i'll do X color too" so they feel like they're heard but you aren't committed to it. At the same time you aren't lying, if something is really incredibly successful doing another colorway never hurts.

How do you guys mail out your prints? I've done them by using cardboard flat mailers but don't know why people use tubes when it's more expensive.

>>9731307
If its bigger than 8 1/2 x 11, then i use a tube.
Doesnt matter if you put it in a flat cardboard mailer; USPS FUCKS your shit UP.
I've even had 8 1/2 x 11's show up to the buyer literally crumpled and stabbed holes through. I dont know what the fuck happens in the mailing process but i dont trust anything flat anymore and send my shit in hard tubes.

Is there a way to tell an artist that their art helped you through a dark time in your life where you otherwise wouldn’t have made it? Even now i cry thinking about it but I don’t want to freak out the artist either. I know not super directly AA related but it’s where I first found their art and see them at conventions still.

ps I plan on telling them online because I know I’d break down in person and don’t want to embarass them.

>>9731449
If you wanted to do it in person you could always write a nice letter.

>>9730138
>>9730097
does anyone have screenshots of this? i missed it but, what the fuck?

>>9731042
I only attend local cons so I haven't thought about how annoying it would be to travel with them. But have you tried it anon? Get any different remarks/thoughts from customers than before?

>>9731449
Just dont anon, youll only make both you and the artist feel awkward and no one wants that, just show your appreciation buying more at their table

>>9731449
I did this recently and I think it went over well

>>9731449
I think online is best! in person would be a little awkward cause the artist isn't prepared for that.

>>9731449
Online is best, just try to be still "professional" about it and don't gush TOO much, otherwise it might come off as a little freaky.

But if you just tell the artist that their work helped you and you're very thankful for that, that's fine.

>>9731449
I don't know about the people saying not to. I've had a few tell me this in regards to my writing, and it has really helped inspired me to write more knowing that I help others through it. I keep a lot of my personal details offline, and what people don't know is that I suffer from depression and have been suicidal. I often feel like I have no purpose in the world, so when people tell me my writing got them through their own afflictions, it actually gives me a sense of purpose and hope.

>>9728451
joanns

Clip Studio is having a sale on their physical copies. I just nabbed EX for $90 on Amazon (usually $220). I loved my (pirated) version of Manga Studio 5 EX that I jumped to buy Clip Studio Paint EX once MS5 stopped saving my files.

>>9731501
No screenshots (and everything's been deleted due to the storm surrounding it), but I follow the person in question on Twitter so I saw it all happening live. They weren't bragging, but instead matter-of-factly telling an interesting part of their college life in the form of a comic and tweets. My memory's fuzzy on the actual contents of the story, but I remember they did assignments for other people for money (not sure if they paid anyone themselves). The actual shady thing was that people were excusing it and saying, "Well, that's just art school and you gotta do what you gotta do to survive." ...I understand their feelings, but they really should have kept it to themselves.

>>9731449
IDK why >>9731579 is saying that, i've seen people do this multiple times to artist friends and my friends were always touched immensely.

I've had friends get anon and non anon messages about it, again don't need to get into specifics.That you are thinking about their comfort level means you probably know to contain yourself appropriately already. So just letting you know it's super okay to do these things.

If you really want to make it not awkward as possible just do it anon on tumblr or what not.

>>9731501
>>9731805

This is the only screenshot I have and it's them admitting that A) they had someone else draw their entrance portfolio and B) had their ex do their assignments for them. I'm not sure what 'ghost design' really entails but the first one is absolutely unacceptable to me. I used to go to the school in question and the program in question only accepts X amount of people per year. The fact that this person took a slot from someone else who tried to get in with their own work? You're right, it's not something to brag about.

>>9731449
i think this would be very sweet and not creepy at all, as long as you dont verbally say it in person. its easier to take in via text/writing. id say to give them a handwritten note at a con and tell them they can open it later, or do it online!

Anyone else linger on the idea of giving up art for good after not putting any real effort into it for years and become stricken with existential dread? And then find that your OCs that you've had since you were 10 years old have become ingrained facets of your being and that you'd quickly die without the intense escapism they afford you? And then realize that you'd have gotten so much farther in life if you didn't use them as imaginary emotional puppets for when things got tough? And part of you wants them to cease existing so that you can finally grow up the way a responsible adult is meant to be? But you can't even accomplish that because you've developed an extremely strong maladaptive daydream disorder that's stuck with you throughout all of your formative years and now you're 23 with nothing to show for it? Just me? Ok.

I remember when it used to be a simple "I just like to write stories."

>>9731835
Jeezus, this is worse than I remember. Ngl, this comes off as a dark chain of confessions resulting from deep-seated issues. Gives off a "call for help" vibe. I won't be surprised when this artist commits suicide. Not that I'm excusing their actions at all -- taking a spot from a much more deserving artist (and then proceeding to fail out with a 1.0 GPA) is a really, really shitty thing to do.

>>9731835
Ghost design is probably the same along the lines of ghost write, where you tell the specific details and what you have in mind to the person who is doing the actual work for you, specifically someone who more versed in writing/designing etc, and then you can take credit for their work. (Most people do this for autobiographies)

>>9731449
I think it's best to gauge how the artist is likely to react from observing their online interactions and go from there in terms of how you'd want to word it. You can tell from the different responses you're getting from the other anons what they'd prefer already.

>>9731841
I dunno, I appreciate that my story and characters from when I was 11 grew up along with me and are always going to be there with me when everyone and everything else comes and goes in my life. What does "responsible adult" mean to you anyway?

>>9731841
Wow. I thought I was the only person going through this. Are you me, anon? I'm at the point where I don't even want to make a comic anymore because it would be like exposing myself to the world.

>>9731315
Damn, I've only had an online print shop open for only about half a year and haven't had that happen to me but I will definitely make the change to tubes soon.

>>9731449
I agree with the other anons who say to say it online. When i'm in AA, i have too much other stuff to worry about. I think you should message them online a few weeks before the next con and tell them your stuff and ask if you could also talk to them/hang out with them at the next con.
They'd appreciate it. I love the people who write long reviews on my etsy and people who come up to my table who said they loved what they bought last year.

>>9731449
It depends on the artist, but I think it's very sweet. Just don't overshare. I've gotten weird PMs online where people will share down to their self harm habits or personal family issues, and I understand there are lots of roots to mental health and unfortunate consequences and I get really happy when I hear my art has touched people, but I don't need to know everything.

I would also make sure you don't address any vent art. I made a viral comic on tumblr about my own anxiety, and I'm glad many people found it relatable and healing in some way, but it made my inbox turn in a hell hole for a few months where people would just anon submit me their mental health troubles and it was difficult to handle.

>>9731501
It should also be in the archived threads

>>9731449
I published a light hearted comic and after it's release, whenever I go to cons I have a lot of people thanking me and saying I saved them from suicide, got them through a family death, depression etc

Whenever I am told this I am extremely happy I helped someone but also helpless that I couldn't do more for them. If the artist you admire is shy then contact them online, if they are outgoing/extrovert go for an in person talk

>>9731867
At the very least, a responsible adult studies for class without running away from it because it's not as fun as what's inside your head (and consequently screwing up your future). They take action to heal from stuff that happened during childhood instead making the characters deal with it. My characters have become a security blanket, and I used them to run away from anything that ever made me feel like I needed to be more responsible. It was fun for a while, but it's become my knee-jerk reflex any time I'm under stress. The maladaptive daydream disorder fucks with me during difficult timed exams and distracts me from my studying. It reflects my emotions at the time and frequently worsens any negative feelings. I'm off in La-La Land by default, and thus, usually in some kind of emotional state. I don't have much control over my emotions, and it's awful. I never expected this to become so... permanent.

>>9731871
I've accepted that I'll never make a comic out of it. It's far too personal, and it's been such a crutch for me that I'd be embarrassed to show anyone the reality of my inner workings. I'd be laid bare. I used to believe that this story would be my magnum opus since I would have *literally* put my entire soul into it, but I won't do it. Not to mention that it'd be severely impractical to make a solid storyline out of it. The characters' identities, personalities, motives, and appearances shift to whatever I feel like at the time. I could never settle on one design, let alone an entire story.

Anyway, thanks for attending my class in Oversharing 101. Grab a handout on your way out the door and remember to email me your assignment by Wednesday.

>>9731897
Anon, I'm so glad you did overshare though. Just knowing that there's even one other person out there like me is so relieving. Maybe I'm not a freak after all. Maybe this is actually fairly common.

>>9731841
>>9731871
>>9731897

I also experience the same shit, word for word. Pls tell me we're not doomed.

I took a semester off school and it has been the best time. Honestly had hoped that I would have taken the time to focus on making a comic and art shit in time for the summer art festival in my city, but all I did was go to work and sit on my ass scrolling through 4chan. Haven't been getting over that sense of impending failure and fear of working for nothing.

Sage for ot and blogging my feefees.

>>9731478
>>9731587
>>9731591
>>9731602
>>9731654
>>9731827
>>9731836
>>9731867
>>9731882
>>9731884
>>9731893
Thankyou so much everyone! I'm going to go ahead with it and tell them online and be sure to not overshare. I'm so happy to hear that artists like to hear from us too!

>>9731835
There was a further series of tweets where they were defending their plagiarism by saying that artists should do anything to get ahead or that anyone who didn't make it in with their own work should've just tried harder. I don't remember the exact logic, but it was fucking weird.

It sort of bummed me out because one of my favorite artists was part of the second thread and sort of dismissed Gghostly's fucked up attitude.

>>9731897
Does your school offer mental health resources? At the bare minimum, since it sounds like you're relatively aware of what's fucking you up, professional guidance could help a bit.

(That is, if you're not already seeing a therapist already.)

Otherwise, I sincerely hope you eventually reach the place where you want to be, whatever path you end up taking to get there.

>>9731897
Honestly, I'm here with all the other anons sighing in relief that we're not the only one who does this kind of stuff. I've started producing a lot more original stuff lately, but nothing concrete, and I think a big part of has just been stress piling on... but nothing that I can afford to take care of at the moment given the nature of the problems.

I hope you can get the help you need anon, but until then good luck!

>>9731977
Sorry for such a bad chop job. They're convinced that everyone's pissed because they cooked in class or w/e but completely missed the real point. I don't think they bragged but it's such a foot in mouth situation - every time they try to defend themselves, the worse it gets LOL

All the tweets are actually all still up if anybody wants to see who decided to kiss ass rather than to just simmer in salty silence.

>>9731841
Yes, and no- I differ in that I haven't had the *same* OCs forever, but I definitely crutch on: making OCs/writing fic for existing characters as escapist fantasy, and feeling that existential dread of, "oh god I'm just writing characters to have life experiences for me instead of having life experiences myself".

That said- I'm currently 28 with fulltime office ob (and AA on the side), and when I *tried* to "quit art and grow up" a few years back, I was miserable. It was at that point that I realized that- even if my art and my comics isn't my main source of income or how I support myself, that doesn't mean I have to stop drawing if it makes me happy?

Anyhow, I hope you're able to feel better, anon. For what it's worth, I think that if your OCs have helped you to get through any sort of struggle then they are already invaluable- you don't have to churn your inner self into a sell-able product. It's okay.

>>9731799
Hey I guess you didn't know but CSP and MS5 were the same program-

Rather, if you had MS5 EX and wanted to upgrade to CSP EX you could just use the same serial number..

>>9732017
It's so fucking sick, it pisses me off. I had actually supported her and bought things from her, which I wouldn't have done and won't do now.

Why is art theft and plagiarism okay to her?

>>9732017

I think the shittiest thing about these is her attitude that "they are trying to pit us against each other" like you're not allowed to be mad at a cheater for taking things away from people who actually work on their education, because it's actually the fault of the administration? No, you don't get to excuse yourself like that. You very likely hurt your fellow students with your cheating and you don't get to walk away from that. Not to mention, the whole point of education isn't competition, it's to fUCKING LEARN. Now she just copies omocat and other artists and didn't learn anything at school and it's no one's fault but her own.

Heads up Ikkicon anons. They finally sent out info. Hoping the little door things on the left and right side of the map arent bathrooms lol.

any thoughts on that animanga con? i got an email asking for me to apply(purchase) a table

>>9732426
I wouldn't do it. I got that email too but the prices are way too steep for a first year con without any industry backing. Have you looked at their attendee badge prices? It's almost as much as AX. They don't have the programming nor the guests to justify that ticket cost which means not a lot of people will show up. Not to mention the con is only a month away from AX as well. No one's gonna have $80 to drop on another con right after spending all their money at AX. If you want to sit in the fairgrounds for a weekend with shitty foot traffic, it's the con for you.

>>9732017
I first got introduced to fangrrrlz during anime boston a couple years ago. She had 3 boys working at her table when I went to buy something. I made some conversation with the boys and they said they never met her and they were just strangers helping her out at the con. I thought she was just very trusting and open but after seeing this shit she's very cunning and manipulative lol. props on making 3 complete strangers work for you for nothing I guess

>>9732395
They are bathrooms.

Have acceptances for Otakon Pro-row tables been sent out yet?

If a series has many characters (8+) like idols, etc. do you make merch of the most popular ones only? Or do you finish the entire roster, knowing that a handful of them will not really sell much? It hurts since I like everyone but the time and money costs are a bit worrying.

>>9732531
related to this im wondering if anyone got a 2nd wave email for unlimited tables yet

>>9732532

I'm neurotic and a completionist so I always do all of them, while making sure to order less product for the unpopular ones. If you do unpopular characters you will almost always get a few "I love this character but I can never find stuff for them, thank you!!" people and that always feels good even if you have some left over. Then put them in grab bags as bonus items or something.

>>9732532
momma didn't raise no quitter

>>9732532
I can draw fairly quickly and like other anon I'm a completionist. Tbh, the only series I don't complete are last minute rush flavor of the month series that I don't care about.

How weird would it be to wear a face mask in AA? My jaw/mouth on one side of my face is really scarred up and ugly from an old botched surgery and I feel like a cutesy face mask would work wonders for my confidence in talking to customers, plus it would be more acceptable to wear a cutesy face mask in an AA setting. Googled "cute face mask" and using this as just an example of what I had in mind.

>>9732532
I do the full roster, but my main products are buttons so there's not much money sunk into it.

>>9732749
Go full jfash with yumekawaii or decora or menhara and it won't look weird at all! Just part of the get up.

>>9732539
>>9732600
>>9732675
Thanks anons, guess I'll buckle up and try to get all of them done. How long does it take you to finish a charm? An hour or two?

>>9732752
I was thinking of switching over to buttons if I really ran out of time. Do you sell 1.5" round ones?

>>9732762
>button anon
Yes, I do! & I use a basic face shape/eye shape template to speed things up. They look pretty generic, but I find people don't really care how much character personality buttons have if they're cute stylistically.

>>9732772
I'm guilty of doing the same with my buttons haha. You're definitely right, customers only really care as long as they're cute. Do you display them on corkboards? The only big problem I've had with buttons if that people get overloaded with how many there are so I was thinking of adding labels to the side or something.

>>9732773
Magnet backs. The backing is a thin sheet of metal pulled from a cheap dry erase board & covered in fabric to look less cheap. It lets me put things up and move them around faster than I could on a cork board.

>>9732749
It is already hard to hear people in AA normally, a mask will just make your voice even more muffled. Just make sure you speak loud and clearly.

Also, people wear those masks all the time at con. Could even cosplay Kneki

>>9732749
no weirder than an artist wearing cosplay, jfash, or their own products. As other anon said, make sure you're speaking loudly and clearly, or have extremely visible and clear signage everywhere on your table.

>>9732532
I just draw my faves, which usually ends up being a good mix of popular and unpopular characters. I realize I'm leaving popular chars on the table but if I don't care about them then: I don't care.

>>9731841
>>9731871
>>9731897
>>9731903
>>9731936
>>9732003
Add me to the list too who is like this, the only difference is that I'm probably older than any of you at nearly 33. I feel like I screwed up my life because of this reason. I've always had mental and physical problems from a disease I had as a toddler, so no one ever wanted to talk to me since I was different and presumed a "sped". This was early 90s, so it was long before it was cool to be different.

I absolutely made characters who acted as my friends and that I used as escapism. I feel like instead of actually having a real life, I've lived a fictional one... And so I never properly learned social skills and how to function correctly. This screwed up my adulthood, and now I still lack friends and a social life because I'm an adult loser now where it's not cool to be on "benefits" like the big three of section 8, food stamps, and SSI with less than 10k/year. Relationships are non existent because the family of whoever my partner is always convinces them they can do better (and it's probably true).

Yet, all this being said, I'm also >>9731654 here.

For the past 3 years, I've been working on writing a book of all my characters, and because they-are-me, it's pretty much my life's story. The content I've shared from it let's people know they are not alone--just as what your post has generated with the responses. Since I'm so old, I never had the net like it is today growing up. I felt so isolated and it lead to a lot of self harm and a suicide attempt.

And since you obviously really loved your characters, how about fleshing them out and working with them if you can't give them up; to make a story where they can all meet and work together. Use your flaws as an advantage, Anon. Make your ocs your career and positivity to help others.

>>9732017
She's closing her store forever apparently
I wonder why, maybe backlash from those awful tweets?

>>9732395
yeah they're bathrooms, the only entrance they have is the entering arrow.

>>9732749
A lot of artists wear these when they have a cough or are sick as well! I wouldn't even look twice desu it's very common so don't worry anon.

An international package was returned to me due to the wrong address. How do I contact the buyer and explain to them that I can’t refund shipping or can’t ship again unless they pay additinal shipping without them leaving me a negative feedback?

>>9733177
Is the wrong address your fault or theirs? They shouldn’t have to pay if you fucked up.

>>9733177
See where the issue is first: Did you make a mistake writing the address, or was the address given you by the buyer incorrect? Explain the situation to the buyer and decide what to do then; if the mistake was yours, asking the buyer to pay for shipping again isn't fair.

>>9733178
>>9733179
Oh i should have made it clear. The buyer fucked up. All I did was print the address they gave me as is.

>>9733187
I wouldn't ask the buyer to pay again if i fucked up.

>>9733187
In that case, explain the situation to the buyer, confirm with them whether the address is correct and explain that shipping again will cost money. They have no logical reason to leave you negative feedback if the fault is theirs.

Going out on a limb here to ask for help,
Bought this old button maker off eBay. I have zero experience using one, the listing said it was 3" and came with a shit ton of "buttons", but lo and behold it arrived today with a shit ton of 2 1/4 sized shells only. Not mad because there's at least 1000 shells, but seeing as I have zero experience with these machines I'm not sure if it's actually 3" or 2 1/4.
Any idea this model this is? (It came dusty af.)
https://imgur.com/gallery/JLYRu

>>9733177
"hi, you appear to have given me the wrong address [insert address here]. If you could correct it, I can re-ship it for an additional shipping fee, or I can just refund you the money (but not shipping cost)"

>>9733201
I work in a museum and we use button makers like this for kids crafts sometimes.
You should have two parts for making the button with, a metal part which will become the front of the button and a back part with the pin on it. Also circles of clear plastic that fit over your design. Do you have all of those bits?
If so I can poat instructions on how to assemble a badge. It should be easy to check of you have the right size blanks though because if they are too big they won't slot into the groves in the machine.

>>9733239
Yeah I only got the front of the buttons unfortunately, so I can't really tell if they're truly the right size for the machine since I can't make one. (Don't want to buy 2 1/4 pin backings/plastic sheets if the machine turns out to be truly made for 3"... but I might have to at this point)
The 2 1/4 fronts fit right into the ridge above the plastic red ring thing. Not sure if that's the right ridge it's supposed to sit at. Is it possible this machine can work with multiple sizes then?

>>9733383
I can't be completely sure but I think the side with the red bit on is the side the backing part of the button fits into, and the side under the lever in your photo is the side where you should test the shell for fit.
All the ones I used were for one size of button only (or you could switch out the plates entirely for different sizes), but yours could be different from the ones I have seen.
If you google 'how to use a button maker' there are some good videos.
I will be surprised if you can buy backing pins and mylar/platic seperately though anon- when we ordered - the 3 parts always came as a job lot...so you may end up having no use for the bits you got sent. Could you ask the seller for clarification? Seems odd that they only sent you part of the buttons!

Does magfest have a set up time for the aa? Or do we just arrive on thursday and set up at anytime

Anyone else finding it more difficult to get accepted into cons for 2018? I didn't make it into otakon for the first time in 7 years and I only have 10 conventions lined up for the year. Last year I did over 30...

>>9733983
I haven't been accepted to a single one for next year yet. I've applied to 13 thus far.

>>9733983
I'll have two cons sending out acceptance letters in about a week or two, so i'll find out soon. One is a con I have been put on waitlist twice, and the other con was one that VERY obviously had me on the bottom of their acceptance list last year.
There is one con I attend that allows you to register for next year's con a year in advanced. I wish all cons let people do that.

>>9733983
>>9734047
AHH, I just realized I forgot to register for my favorite local con. They close registration today!
I HAAAAATE cons that don't open/close registration at the same time each year and don't email past artist to remind them. Ergh.

>>9733525
Yeah, I'm pretty sure the seller had no idea what they were selling. They said the model was badge a minit but it's obviously not. The box of shells literally says "2500+ 2 1/4" Shells only".
Oh well, I'll do some digging and see if I can find any button sellers who ship parts separately. I know badge a minit does but so far no luck finding other sellers who do it.
Luckily I found a button seller who ships sample button parts for just the cost of shipping so I ordered a few sizes. (90% sure it's true to size 2 1/4" and not 3". Cut out a 3" circle and it barely fits in the part.)
Thanks for the input anon.

>>9733983
Yes. I'm very small and only used to do about 5-6 local ones but even when I try branching out I can't get anything. I only have 1 con locked down for 2018.

There were several where I got accepted but the tables sold before I even saw the acceptance email because I was at work or something. So at least I'm not being rejected because they think my stuff is trash...I just think the competition has been growing a lot in recent years so it's harder to fight everyone for a table.

>>9733983
I've had zero success with lotteries and fcfs this year. Thank god I can kind of draw because the only thing I've got on my 2018 list so far is a couple of juried shows. I don't know if it's because more people are applying these days, or if it's just my turn since I got into almost every con I applied to last year. Either way, I'm just praying for Fanime at this point.

>>9733983
I've applied to 14 so far and got into 11. I'm not too bummed out about it since I'm trying to cut back on cons for next year anyway. Doing a ton of them has definitely burned me out.

>>9734279
That's a pretty good rate, I've applied to almost 30 now but I only had 10, most being juries with one lottery.
No luck with fcfs though :(

>>9734279
Uhh, yeah, that's a perfectly good rate. I've applied to 11 cons, gotten into 3, and been outright rejected from 6 so far. Oh well, I've been feeling burned out too. (haven't we all)

>>9734319
>>9734466
Oh yeah sorry! I wasn't trying to make it sound like I had a bad rate of acceptances. Just that I haven't really seen a drop in con acceptances personally.

It does seem like things are getting more and more competitive every year!

Do you guys think full bleed makes a big difference for print sales? Or, as a consumer, do you care?
I never have enough time to order prints online and my local print shop's prices for full bleed nearly doubles from non-bleed so I haven't considered it, but maybe in the future...
As a consumer I do prefer full bleed but it's not a deal breaker for me--though I do wonder if full bleed makes people perceive your prints as "higher quality."

>>9734494
I know this is going to be an unpopular opinion - but it honestly doesn't make a difference. I've been selling non full-bleed prints for years now and I still sell a ton of them. BUT I do have more graphic looking work than most people in AA so it tends to work for my prints. There are quite a few customers who told me that they prefer prints that are not full-bleed because they plan on framing them and full-bleed prints will get a part of the image blocked by the frame.

It honestly is a personal preference so you won't get one single answer for this. More artsy/illustrative type prints generally tend to look better as full-bleed. Graphic/pop art looking prints look fine without full-bleed.

>>9734506
>full-bleed prints will get a part of the image blocked by the frame
I am baffled that there are artists who still don't design with a safety margin for framing in mind. On an 11x14 print they're so big there's no reason not to give half an inch of breathing room around the thing. I guess most artists just don't consider that someone somewhere is going to want to frame their work.

>>9734543
I meant 11x17 but the point stands for any print size, honestly. An artist should be able to work within the limits of the medium.

Making the enamel pin leap and one of my friends suggested making my ali manufacturer sign an agreement before starting production because they ran into a lot of problems with various manufacturers while they were making theirs. Has anyone else done this? Seems excessive to me.

>>9734578
If you're using a manu that a lot of other artists use it should be fine. Kind of like how no one makes Vograce sign a contract because it's their bread and butter and leaking designs will absolutely tarnish their rep and scare their customer base.

If you're using a manu that not a lot of artists use, your friend is right. That extra security is nice. I've had art stolen by a shady manufacturer before so now I'm going to start doing that with manus I'm unsure of.

>>9734578
>>9734583
Not that I disagree with the idea, but how would that even hold up? China isn't exactly the land of IP protection. I still use Alibaba for my manufacturing, though. I just figure if my stuff gets stolen and replicated online, it is what it is. The people looking for 99 cent enamel pins on Ali were never going to be my customers to begin with.

Has anyone heard back ftom Sakura Con about their lotto? Con is in like 3 months jfc.

>>9735497
acceptances went out around the 17th iirc

>>9735513
Oh seriously? Do they not tell you if you DON’T get in? That’s so confusing for a lottery system what. I have a friend that applied too and never heard back either wtf

>>9734578
>>9735323
I feel like something like this might actually make the manufacturer reluctant/just not want to do business with you—but I guess it depends on how demanding you are or established they are? I remember working with one for lanyards and I asked them to replace some misaligned lanyards and to ensure that the next batch weren’t misaligned and they blacklisted me lmfao.

>>9735582
yeah it sucks! I never got a rejection email or notice about sakuracon. just saw a bunch of my friends talking about getting an acceptance email online

>>9735323
>>9735635
I actually know several artists who have longstanding contracts with Alibaba manufacturers without any detriment to their business relationship. You forget that factories on Alibaba do contracted work fairly often. How do you think official licensed goods are produced? I used to work in licensing and a couple of the suppliers that my company used to produce things like rubber straps, pins, and blankets are all on Alibaba. Manufacturing contracts are a business norm. Many artists just choose to forgo it because they're not mass-producing thousands of designs.

Any company worth their salt won't have any qualms about signing a contract that prevents them from exploiting client artwork. If a supplier keeps trying to dodge a contract it's either 1) You're not ordering enough or just barely meeting the MOQ that your business isn't worth the headache or 2) They plan on selling your shit on the side.

Having a contract in place protects you because Alibaba has a IP Protection Program. If you have a signed contract from the manu in question, it only makes your case stronger. If you don't pay with Alipay, you can also go through Paypal's dispute system and at the very least get your production cost back.

>>9733983
I feel like since people found out you can make 4k in 3 days, the people applying for aa spots is overflowing. Especially with the economy being so bad in how hard it is to get a "real job".
Add this underdeveloped generation in of no-social-skills-basement dwellers who just sit alone and draw, they see it as the perfect job for them.

Of course this creates a problem as shows and adopting the juried method or lottery with FCFS barely existing at this point, because all juried and lottery is code for is, "Me and my friends and friends of friends get in."

That being said, how do you go about befriending con runners without being obvious? Because it is honestly feeling like the only way you can get into the AA anymore is if you know someone.

>>9735826
>Because it is honestly feeling like the only way you can get into the AA anymore is if you know someone.

This isn't true though. I'm >>9734279 and I didn't know any staff members at any of the cons I applied to. Other anons have mentioned getting waitlisted for Otakon when they personally know the Otakon head.

Watch your salt and just get better at your art and you'll get past juries. A lot of it is luck when it comes to lottery anyway.

>>9735826
But you can't make 4k at like every show, and even mediocre cons are hard to get into this year.

>>9736089
>But you can't make 4k at like every show
Oh anon... NAYRT but I've made less than 4k at like 2 shows this year out of like 20. It's actually far more common than you think.

>>9736121
>It's actually far more common than you think.
Not even remotely true https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1im5YvarqTcAcooSZ6jCjej7DFfsv3BzHcMbGOK5NWmw/edit#gid=1145087801

The median is ~$1,500. Only the top 10% make above $4,000 and those are almost entirely west coast conventions. East coast conventions, even ones with similar attendance, bring in less revenue, so it depends entirely which cons you are able to go to.

Heck, most people don't even bring $4k worth of merchandise to their first several cons. I know I only brought $1k to $2k worth of merch at my first few cons.

>>9736182
I never said it was the average, anon. All I said was that it is more "common than people think" since >>9736089 said it was impossible to make 4k "at like every show". All I'm saying is that it IS possible.

I agree that 4k is a lot to expect as a beginner though.

Real cool of Joanna to send out Sakuracon rejection emails at 1am this morning

>>9736240
Huh, I haven't gotten anything from SC either way since my application confirmation. Looks like they haven't finished churning through the rejection list yet, guess it's pretty long.

>>9735826
Lower your salt levels, anon. I've never been rejected from a juried AA and I don't know a single person on staff of like 95% of them.

>>9736211
Anon have you ever done a con in the south? Every show I've ever done south of Virginia with the exception of some Texas and Arizona conventions I barely broke 3k at best.
Those make up a good chunk of the shows I do in the year becouse I'm fairly local and I'm pretty sure that even 2k at cons in states like West Virginia or Florida is impressive.

>>9736299
I've done several Texas, NC, DC, and Florida cons. I've made 4k+ at like all of them this year with the exception of MetroCon. I get that I'm a bit of an outlier though since I've been doing this for years and this is literally how I make a living at this point.

Florida seems to have the worst luck with cons. I pulled in pretty decent figures the one year I did MegaCon but it seems to have gone super down hill since then.

>>9736322
I've never done a show in nc but D.C. Is good for shows I agree. Otakon is huge and katsu is super good for sales.
When I say south though I'm talking about shows like awa or mechacon.

Thoughts on someone selling a traced meme?

I thought it was sketchy but everyone in the comments has been positive

>>9736412
honestly it's old enough at this point that i dont think it matters too much

one of my friends just got her steven universe stuff taken down. is it a risky fandom to make merch for?

Hi, I'm not an artist but a recent customer. I just bought something from someone's online store through paypal and my address is very clearly canadian but upon receiving my automatic store receipt (not my paypal one), it said my country was in the US. Everything else is the same, my post code and my city, so it might just be computer fuckery? I was wondering if this would be an issue that I should bring it up with the seller and if any of you have ever had issues like this?

>>9736495
probably just the automotive email being weird. I'd still send a message and ask about it though. Doesn't hurt.

>>9736412
Personally, not a big fan but not because I think it's sketchy. I just don't know how I'd feel about making sales based on memes that I haven't remixed into my own style. It's like selling rageface buttons or whatever, I would feel lesser as an artist for doing so - but money is money.

To the anons that make stickers - I’m interested in buying a silhouette or cricut to make planner stickers, but now I am wondering about the costs of ink for printers since cartridges can be pricy.

Are you able to get a decent amount of items printed per ink cartridge before they need to be replaced? Do you try to make stickers a certain way, like only doing black stickers or using a program like illustrator to limit the amount of colors that print in your designs?

>>9736521
i've learnt over the years how much leeway i need to cut them out, and by extension i can cram a ton of different stickers on a page before i run out of space, thus saving paper and ink.

sticker sheets, however, i don't make and can't help with. hopefully another anon can?

How much do heart and star buttons usually sell for?

>>9736568
I sell mine for $5 each, 2 for $8 as a deal. I’ve seen people price them around $3-5 usually.

So how exactly do lotteries work cuz I’m starting to be confused about the same artist being at Sakura-Con every year. How do they always win if the odds are supposedly the same for everyone

>>9736669
Luck? I got my Sakura-Con acceptance email a while back and I've never done Sakura-Con before in my life so I'm not inclined to believe in a secret conspiracy. Plus a lot of artists will share with their friends if they get in hence seeing similar faces every year.

>>9736299
My best conventions have all been southern conventions. I even killed it at AWA this year somehow.
Despite how the rest of the south is, I love southern conventions, the attendees at 'em are so much better than at other conventions. They really appreciate the few cons they get compared to places that have cons all the time.

What’re the big selling fandoms rn?

>>9736412
unless the meme was drawn by an unknown artist not getting paid (like the rage faces or when people were trying to sell trash dove etc.) it's kinda ehh whatever. i mean i wouldn't buy it and i wouldn't do it but i also don't care enough to say anything.

>>9736909
I've seen a lot of attention for Houseki no Kuni. I'm not sure how the drama surrounding it currently will affect sales though. Has anyone had merch sales impacted by online drama over a series like what's happening now?

>>9736412
>I thought it was sketchy
how so?

>>9736909
A Hat in Time

>>9736322
Are you a non-print artist, by chance?
>>9736299
Do you think the higher up you are on the east, the less profit you bring in? I live in the north east, and here I have been beating myself up all year for never breaking 1k at a con when I keep reading about people pulling in 4k-10k/show in these threads and sometimes on AANI... I've always noticed the people who make big dollars are fabric/plush artists, and I'm just a print one.

>>9737041
Everyone's profit range is different, for different reasons, but I think you may just need to keep grinding and leveling up your skills. You might want to try expanding into buttons or charms at least, you can probably raise your ceiling a bit that way. Back when I only did prints and some cosmetic bags, my record gross was a bit over 3k, but since adding charms, I've had several 4k cons and one 5.5k. I live in a major northeastern city. I don't mean to discourage you, but you asked.

>>9737041
Like other anon said, everyone's profits are different. I used to beat myself up for not hitting some of the numbers that some people talk about in here, but then I realized that what I make is comfortable for my situation of living and that that by expanding the type of merch I offered I saw a rise in profits. It takes awhile to grind at, but remember that we all go at our own paces, there are trends in consumerism for merchandise, and you shouldn't beat yourself up for not making what another person is making.

>>9736952
What kind of drama?

>>9737093
nayrt, I just looked it up because I just sent out for a round of charms of some characters from the series. Apparently there was a tumblr callout post saying the mangaka supports pedophilia/incest via one of her older series and anyone supporting HnK basically supports the above.

I don't have the time to delve into it further than that, but that seems to be the jist of it.

>>9736952
The people ceremoniously leaving the fandom are mostly the easily influenced young people type. They aren't really going to spend a ton of money anyway. That said, a lot more people have thrown in a largely unnecessary $0.02 in defense of Ichikawa. Once it settles in like a week, it'll barely be any different from before, most likely.

>>9737101
I was curious so I delved into it and read what everyone was dissing. The older work in question is a one shot manga from a compilation volume. It plays off of a lot of Buddhism themes like the sense of self and reincarnation, and the pedophilia/incest tint is with a character who is a plant (literally, not human), and it's specifically called out as harmful within the context of the work itself.

So like, just tumblr being tumblr again.

But because it's pedophilia being used as the hot topic button a lot of people are jumping on it even outside the tumblr sphere.

The manga in question is "The Lover of Stars" and it's the first chapter in the compilation volume, Haruko Ichikawa Sakuhinshuu.

>>9736952
Well i'll say this.
Dragon maid's author draws literal shota hentai.

Doesn't dragon maid do well? Considering hnk's artist only had pedo/incest themes and no actual porn what so ever, it's probably fine.

To those who got into Sakura Con, was there any information besides getting a table number? I'm curious if the AA will be in the basement again.

>>9736990
making money off a meme without adding much

>>9737242
what is wrong with that?...

>>9737334

Lol I can't believe people in here will bash artists that have perfectly good design sense and art styles for imitating popular aesthetics but when someone literally copies a meme onto plastic to sell then suddenly its all "what is wrong with that"

It's because it's fucking lazy and not theirs and it's a shitty charm. But I guess I can go trace some screencaps and sell prints of that because people don't care anymore about tracing shit and using something I didn't actually contribute anything meaningful to just to make a quick buck.

>>9737156
Hey, thanks for looking into it further and summarizing it. Greatly appreciated. Doesn't change the stuff I have planned and gives me some grounding if anyone gets crazy at my table.

>>9737379
The artist who made the meme charm is both 1. a legitimately sweet and kind person, and 2. a gull. We're sometimes a little less likely to diss on our own.

I raise my eyebrow at what amounts to selling traced art, but also? Who gives a shit. Repackaging and selling an old meme from a franchise is a victimless sale. It's not hurting anyone.

>>9736412
Whenever I see an artist selling products with memes on them I think less of them. Doesn't matter where it came from of if the artist is a kind person, traced art is traced art.

>>9736412
I see this artist around sometimes through a friend. Pretty sad that this is the only thing of theirs to receive any attention whatsoever, and it's a lazy trace. It looks like this was supposed to be a for-fun project with a small quantity to sell, which is fine, but now that they're producing a shitload in response to the popularity...that really rubs me the wrong way. I get that we need to do what we can to make money, but even my poor ass has more integrity than that.

>>9737451
pretty much a classic case of the art you worked the least on is always the one that gets the most attention.

>>9737451
get off the high horse lol

>>9737460
there's nothing transformative about her meme charm

i bet you're one of those jeanette hayes fangirls

Has anyone gotten their Magfest registration emails yet?

>>9737455

>>9737379
>didn't actually contribute anything meaningful to just to make a quick buck.

Most people don't join AA to change the world.

>>9737387
>The artist who made the meme charm is both 1. a legitimately sweet and kind person, and 2. a gull.

Nice people who post here get demolished for shit like this all the time. It's literally a screenshot from an animation, if anyone else did this with non meme content people would be up their ass about it. Just because it's a meme doesn't make it okay.

>>9737637

"contribute anything meaningful" means it's transformative and therefore they have some rights to it because they've contributed some work to making it, not just copied it. It has nothing to do with changing the world.

>>9736521
I'm only just getting into making stickers and printing my own stuff, so I don't have a ton of experience, but I highly value being able to print out whatever I need when I need it vs. a sticker service, and the savings and profit margins are pretty good, so to me it's worth it.

Here's my rough cost estimate breakdown:
>Full size (letter) sticker paper: 0.46

>Ink to print on sticker paper: 3 ~ 7 cents per sticker paper sheet (depending on amount of stickers and colors you use etc.)

>Lamination: ~0.26 per sticker paper

So let’s say that’s 0.79, estimating on the higher end, round that up to 0.80. 80 cents per full sheet sticker paper. HOWEVER, even just letter size sticker paper can hold multiple stickers. I can put at least 2 4x6 sticker sheets on one piece of sticker paper, so that’s 40 cents per sticker sheet, which I can easily sell for 3 dollars or even more. And larger individual stickers you can still sell up to 1.50, and then package them in groups.

So let’s say you offer 10 stickers in a pack. You can easily fit all 10 stickers on a single full sheet of sticker paper. That’s 8 cents per individual sticker which you can sell up to 1.50, so 1.42 profit margin for just the stickers—and if you package them in groups, like 10 for 7 dollars or something (you’d be surprised how high the markup for sticker packs can be), that’s even higher of a profit margin.

Of course, you have to factor in how you’ll package them and such, but that shouldn’t run you more than a few extra cents really. Let’s estimate high even and say it’s 30 cents for packaging material, whatever you use. But especially if you sell in packs, like 10 stickers to 1 set of packaging, your profit margins are great there.

ANYWAY. Hope that made sense. Making stickers on your own is a decent investment both money and time-wise to start, but with how much people fucking love to buy stickers, it’s definitely looking worth it to me.

>>9737868
Not the same anon but do you own a machine or do you handcut the stickers? I'm actually surprised that stickers move well for you! I have a handful but I find buttons to be more profitable. Maybe due to differences in series?

>>9737868
Oh, actually, I made a mistake here: the 46 cents for sticker paper is for vinyl, which you don't need to laminate. Your average sticker paper will run about 10 cents per sheet or so, plus lamination and ink costs. Just depends on what you want to go with.

>>9737873
I own a silhouette portrait, cutting out stickers by hand takes way too long. I'm still tinkering with it to get the nicest results though.

I haven't made too many stickers yet but the ones that seem to sell the most are 1. popular series obviously 2. the cutesy stuff, like dogs and cats but with planner elements to them. Adding planner elements, people love that shit.

>>9737878
>Adding planner elements, people love that shit.

I've been slaving away for days making planner stickers and I'm starting to feel like all the work isn't worth it, especially since I don't own a silhouette cutter.

I hope I'm wrong and the measly money it sells for actually pays off.

>>9737868
Question from a newbie, I'm looking at sticker paper on amazon right now. Should I buy Silhouette brand since that's the machine I'll be using or is any type fine? I want it to be decent quality at least.

>>9737882
Ah, good luck anon...I couldn't imagine doing stickers without a cutter desu. For what you can do with it I think it's worth the cost. Plus the portrait is only like what, 175 or something? And you can do more with it that just cut sticker paper. I like to cut out nice shapes for packaging stuff and thank you notes to customers as well.

>>9737883
Silhouette brand isn't worth it at all for the amount of paper you get. Generic, flimsy brand sticker paper is fine as long as you go and laminate it (I use my local teacher supply store, they have a good quality laminator there). Do Amazon, or I use onlinelabels.

The only thing you super have to consider is getting something that works with what printer your using. If you're using an inkjet don't get sticker paper labelled for laser only, etc.

>>9737888
Do you laminate due to customer or your preference? I rarely see laminated stickers though I've seen some that have the holographic films.

>>9737892
I do it because yeah, I feel like just plain sticker paper (or even glossy sticker paper) is a little too flimsy. Lamination makes it a tiny bit better. Again, I'm still new to this too so I'm looking into my options as well.

>>9737868
Thank you for the information, it’s very helpful. Do you also laminate your stickers? I was looking on some blogs and some people use laminate sheets on their stickers but I’m kind of confused on how that works, like do they print the stickers first, laminate second and then use their paper cutter machine?

>>9737996
Oh geez ignore the first question, I was speedreading and didn’t see the response to the other anon.

>>9737883
definitely spring for onlinelabels water resistant glossy sticker paper, if the silhouette is compatible with it.
every other sticker paper i've used has been garbage in terms of longevity. designs simply rub right off of most matte papers, for example.

just a warning though, the onlinelabels glossy sticker paper is still not gonna be UV resistant and isn't appropriate for outdoor use. only vinyl with a UV coating is gonna work for that.

I really want to make a zine of my own characters but every place seems like such a hassle to print. It's either way too expensive or the MOQ is way too high. At this point I'm thinking of just printing and assembling some myself. Is this realistically worth it? I'm pretty sure I could get printing costs under $2 per zine even with decent quality paper, and then just assemble using folding and a stapler. (Does anyone have one of those paper creasing machines? I could use a bone folder but damn, the machine seems nice for batches...)

Why is zine information so hard to find? Everything I do find is not oriented towards the type of zine I want to make.

>>9738012
What kind of zine do you have in mind that you can't find information? In any case, handmade ones are really charming but only when they work with the zine contents and theme. When it's clearly trying to be super slick and polished and then hand trimmed it just comes across as sloppy.

>>9738012
If you really only want to make a small quantity, like ten or so, and don't want to pay the fifty bucks or so it takes to just make it with a company, you might as well just hand make them. Otherwise it's easier both money and time wise to just go with a company.

There was plenty of zine information even when I started out making them a couple years ago, but you honestly usually don't have to go much further than knowing how to staple them by hand since that's all that most small niche zines need.

>>9738012
I don't know anyone with a paper folding machine, but I do know people who use book staplers and heavier stock matte paper to make their own zines from home. Alternatively you could make stock with racomicsdirect and kablam printing. I've used local print houses as well to make relatively cheap zines.

>>9738015
I guess I do want to make a more "slick and polished" type of zine but the only info I can find is for very low-quality looking handmade ones, like made out of copier paper types. I feel like it wouldn't be too hard to make my own and not have it look terrible though...I have a paper store near me where I can buy a ton of cheap but good paper and everything too.

>>9738016
Yeah, I just hate the idea of investing in more than 10-15 when I don't even know how well it'll sell exactly. Maybe in the future when I know that it sells enough to warrant ordering them.

>>9738018
Any place that does saddle stitching will get you there if you don't want to go through the labour yourself. It's not expensive to do, especially if you already have it printed elsewhere. I'm lazy and would personally just get catprint to print and bind for me with no minimum.

>>9738023
Woah woah woah, catprint does binding nowadays? Did they always do that? It's been years since I ordered with them, huh.

>>9738012
overnight prints has some starter sale/deal going on right now where you can print for $20.

You're welcome

How does esty handle art thieves?

In particular if an artist is blatantly coping a company's style and selling it as their own and claiming they created it when the style is being copied to a T? I came across said artist when I was searching for plush to buy.

>>9738318
welcome to bootlegging

So how did you all do in 2017 compared to 2016?
My profit went up by 25%
conventions sales up by 35%, etsy sales up by 10%. Though only 3 months on etsy were actually better than the year before, but those 3 months were dramatically better. Idk if Etsy was tweaking their search results or what, but its kinda weird how 9/12 months were around the same as last year or worse, but 3/12 months I had twice as many sales as the same month last year.

>>9738562
I managed to do 2 $4k+ cons this year for the first time (both were when I left the southeast US) and I managed to average over $1k/mo in online sales for the first time this year. For 2018 my goal is to do a $6k con, and my chances seem good as I'm going to more big cons in wealthier parts of the country.

>>9738318
Report it. Worst case scenario, nothing happens. Don't just let this stuff slide because you THINK nothing will happen, though. Etsy is bad about preventing but good about dealing with these things.

>>9738318
post comparisons here so we can see?

>>9734494
As someone who sells prints, I'm bothered when the print isn't full bleed when I'm on the customer end. However, I've been in your position and had to get last minute prints with bleed and it did not seem to bother the customers at all. If you're still worried about it, you can order the prints with bleed and often your local FedEx store will have large paper cutters that you can trim the borders off 3-5 thin prints at a time.

One of the anons asking about stickers here, I just impulse bought a Silhouette Curio that was clearanced at Michael’s for a little over $100. Was this a good decision?

>>9738562
Can't really tell since I started up my etsy a little under a year ago. Had a good amount of orders right before Christmas though. I hope this year is even better.

>>9738562

I only did two shows this year but profits were down at one, up at another. First show was down due to a suddenly bigger AA no one wanted to go through and the second one was up because of a massive influx of attendees due to popular guests. I also ended up doing a lot of investment in better quality products so my margins weren't as great as in years past. Taking those factors into account though, I still made more than last year.

I've only been on Etsy for a year but this holiday season was way down for me. Last year I could argue I had just opened up so perhaps people just saw a new shop. This year I think my sales were down because my SEO is way down as I try to dodge takedowns and can't tag the things people are searching for.

I've been doing AA for 4 years now, steadily at 2 cons a year, and I can say this was my most profitable year. It was also the hardest year for me to get into cons though (I really only want to get up to 4, maybe 5, a year though, all local-ish).

>>9738562
450% growth for me! But I also did 11 more cons than last year, and I'm fairly new, this was my second full year of conventioning.

My etsy in particular did over 10x what I did last year. I'm still reeling from how well oct, nov, and dec went. probably half my etsy sales were in these past three months.

so i've been messaging vograce about my first charm order, and offhand i asked about the shipping estimate to the US. the representative i was talking to quoted me $400 for shipping

is that, uh, normal

>>9740304
How many charms are you ordering, and how fast do you need them delivered?

>>9740304
if it helps i was ordering ~40 2 inch charms

>>9740315
ugh sorry i messed up my reply

i was ordering ~40 2-inch charms, and i don't need them any time soon

the representative gave me shipping from the "SF international line", which they said would take 4-8 days minimum and was the cheapest option, so i'm not sure if the price they quoted me was a mistake or not

>>9740323
that's way overpriced.
ask how much fedex is

>>9740304
Did they maybe mean... $40...

Who else is anxiously waiting for the fanime results

>>9740346
i shot them an email asking if the price was actually correct, i'll ask about alternatives as well, thank you

everyone i know does vograce orders as a group, so I wasn't sure if this was the normal shipping price and people ordered in groups so the shipping cost wouldn't be as brutal

>>9740347
they quoted me specifically "418.85 USD" so it's one hell of a typo if they meant $40. i honestly hope they meant CNY

>>9740354
Same.

>>9740355
Is it possible that they meant $18.85? 4 and $ are on the same key. That's what I'd assume but definitely double check with them.

For reference, my last order was 160 pcs and I was only charged $28.52 by SF International.

>>9740354
>Fanime results
>Months in advance
Lol

>>9740355
Yeah I just got charged $40 for 130 2.5" charms for DHL which is the fastest option at 2-4 days, so it's probably a typo.

So, ikkicon happened? I know a few anons went, how did you all do?

>>9740446
Results were released December last year and in January the year before

>>9740354
I'm waiting for MTAC, Momo, and hama

I was waitlisted for mtac last year, got in to momo last year, and have been attending hama for ~5 years.
They are all sending out acceptance emails within the next few days.

Does anyone suggest travelling to vend at MegaCon? It seems really big but the AA reviews worry me.

>>9740836
I live 15 mins away from it and would rather do out of state shows anon. Its changed over the years to only focus mostly on shitty comic art, literally charcoal copies of actors faces. If this is your kinda stuff, then do it. But if not. Avoid this place. There's not even a lot of money being spent because Orlando is a low-income wageslave area.

>>9740354

Anxiously waiting for my rejection letter as usual

Is it true Instagram and Facebook will ban you if they find out you bought followers?

>>9741119
If this were true, most popular /cgl/ type accounts would have already been banned.

>>9741119
I mean, YES TECHNICALLY, but who the fuck is out there reporting that? Who the fuck really thinks that Instagram/Facebook are actually keeping tabs on that- and on weeb art accounts of all things. What they're concerned about is those influencer accounts buying followers. Are you at 500K fake followers repping tumblr-kei? If no, proceed as normal.

>>9740762
And the year before that, they were released six weeks before the con.

>>9741119
Hah I wish, too many artists I know do that. It's so obvious since their likes/follows don't match up with actual comment interaction or sales.

>>9740836
I wouldn't bother with it anon. Too many tables, too tightly packed, not enough people spending money in the AA, awful staff.

>>9741086
>>9741275
Good to know! Thanks anons.

>AA acquaintances heavily discourage you from going to x or y con because "it's bad" and they did bad
>you try it and literally rake in thousands
>they ask how you did in an affirmative way ("it was bad, wasn't it anon?")
>tfw you tell them you did great and they see your success and try that con again but remain in the red and think you lied
>tfw they just suck

>>9741370
Hope to see you at Momo or AZ instead anon! You'll make much better money there.

>>9741371
Which con was it?

>>9741370
So full disclosure since >>9741371
brings up some good points.

We sell video game/anime majority of artwork, ranging from highly rendered to chibi. We did 4k at mega, but would not consider going back since we make more at out-of-state cons we already dont saturate the market near.

>>9740543
Pretty good, on par with last year.

>>9741371
Did they say they were in the red? Because "thousands" can be 2k or 4k or 12k, and for some people 2-4k is bad while to you it might be amazing.

Not saying that some people aren't just bad but.. it's possible you're the bad one too.

>>9741371
I don't really understand the point of this, hooray for you?
From my experience, those acquaintances won't be thinking you are lying, they are more likely to be jealous of your success

How much do you guys price 4x6" for? I've seen everything from $1 to $8 and I don't know where to put mine.

>>9741484
That's good. How much did you make? Print artist, all other merch artist? Did you expand on merch/prints or other? Sorry, just curious on how other artists do and if I'm on the right track?

This was my first year, I made about what I made at some bigger Texas cons.

>>9741598
NAYRT but when you ask other people how much they made it’s generally customary to give your numbers first. Have some tact.

>>9741591
$2-5 depending on how fast I want them gone

>>9741603
Whoops, thought I said my numbers. My bad. But thanks anon for the tip in manners.

>>9741484

>I made 3k+ sorry anon

>>9741591
$5, I include them as freebies in purchases above $20 tho

>tfw on twitter
>seeing all these artists get into AA
>They're all really good

How do you even compete, I get exhausted just from looking at all the great art alone

>>9741693
i dunno man. it's a mystery whenever i get accepted into a juried con. i've just found my niche that i also really enjoy drawing and im firmly planted in it.

>>9741591

I do a buy 4 get one free deal and charge 5 each (so 5 prints for 20) and they fly away pretty fast. I get fewer single buys but I get a lot of combo buys.

I was thinking of making planner stickers specifically for AA artists.

Things I'm thinking of putting

Con schedule list
Con application opening dates and times
Juried, lottery, and Fcfs stickers to mark application process
Accepted, waitlisted and rejected stickers
Stupid AA silly quotes
Inventory checklist
Con attended, budget, revenue and profit
AA times
Applied

Is this something worth doing or dumb as all shit idea?

>>9741797
This is a cute idea but most artists I know already use excel sheets for this so I don’t know if people would purchase physical copies.

>>9741797
I have like 3 sizes of planners for only AA, I was just thinking about doing planner stickers yesterday! I really love planner stickers. I like your list so far!! I'd do more for inventory though (e.g. restock reminders, order deadlines, shipping days, etc.) if that makes sense. I'd also make a lot of misc. stickers like checkmarks and x's.

Are you thinking about getting them made with clear sticker sheets?

>>9741119
>>9741126
>>9741267
Can you suggest a good follower buying site that gives you followers that don't look like porn stars and are in English?

A lot of the higher end craft and art shows around me will reject you if you don't have a large following. I don't really think it's an issue with anime conventions, but with more "normie art events"... So I need to throw down a couple bucks for some fake followers.

>>9741803
Thank you. Thought about it wandering around my job lol. This is the thing I figured too. Most people have things organized via there phones/computers. Then again phones run out of space and computers aren't the most transportable things.
>>9741804
That's awesome! and thank you! I haven't thought of the material yet but I love how clear stickers look so I may look into those.

>>9741797
I'd buy it, but I prefer paper to digital for planning stuff

>>9741807
I like my planners just because they're portable and give me space to keep notes during/before cons. Plus I try not to use my phone at cons apart from card payments.

You can get clear sheets for printing at home from onlinelabels. Smartpress does clear sticker sheet printing. Good luck, I hope you post here about them if you get them made, I'd be super interested!

>>9741797
I would so buy this.
Please link to your shop once you make them!

>>9741817
I hope to invest in a silhouette at some point so I can start printing and cutting stickers at home. I currently am going through a manufacturer for my first ever run of sticker sheets. Sad thing is there are 2 silhouettes currently on sale but I'm broke as all shit right now. RIP

>>9741824
Honestly if you're looking to get clear stickers done, I would try to go through a printing service. You won't be able to print with white ink unless you have a specialty printer, and the sheets have to dry after printing for a while. But yea, silhouettes are the way to go for regular stickers.

>>9741797
I would also buy this :0

>>9741797
Most people in AA only do 1 to 3 cons a year, so they don't need a planner, so that would be an extremely niche market.
I'd make one for the more general audience.

>>9741974
Uhhh, I don't know how true this is. There's actually a pretty sizable community of artists who do cons for a living. I thought this way too before I started doing cons full time but since then I've made a lot of friends who do this all year. Even if you don't do cons as a living, it'd be handy for keeping track of online stores as well.

If you don't have a "grab bag" style listing on your online shop, add one. For some reason, people love buying random stuff. Its a 0 effort way to make more sales.
Blind bags are all the rage these days.

Sticker anons!

I'm finally learning how to use my Silhouette and know how to cut the sticker paper alone now. I just recently bought a laminator and I'm wondering if I need to adjust the cut settings with laminated stickers? Thought I should try reaching out for some advice before wasting any lamination.

>>9742023
Seconded. I did some grab bags for the holiday rush and I sold quite a few and got rid of a ton of old stock.

I'm kind of interested in hearing how all of you guys handle AA drama. Obviously, most people are cordial and polite in person and the majority of the cattiness happens online, but have you ever had beef with other artists at cons? How did they get resolved? Have you listed people you don't want to be by in seating request forms?

I heard one of my ex-friends is thinking about starting AAs again. The last time she tabled, she ended up stealing money from her table partner to "break even" so I've been thinking about conflict in AAs a lot lately.

>>9742099
I typically ignore it and just make sure I always have someone at my table I can trust.
I have no drama, but my friend who helps me with AA sure has a lot. Nothing has ever happened in person, but apparently people are trying to get my friend banned from cons because of drama.
I just ignore unless something actually happens that actually affects someone.

How do you guys feel about artist that make merch using Shrinky Dinks? Specifically pins.

When I first started doing AA I would use Shrinky Dinks, but when I was able to afford acrylic charms I made the leap. Thing is, I have so many design ideas that it's hard to add in new designs while keeping popular designs in stock. I feel like the SD plastic will allow me to test new designs.

My problem is that I just can't shake that it looks cheap especially since it will be plopped next to my acrylic designs. That being said I keep seeing them popping up and being sold and I'm wondering if I should just go for it for quantity purposes or stay consistent and keep my products uniform. When I did them before I had no issues selling them, but I'm just not sure now that it's 8 years later.

>>9742156
I've paid $20 for a shrinky dink pin before because it was one of a kind and drawn directly onto the plastic vs being printed out. I honestly don't know if I would pay for a shrinky dink charm unless it was OOAK.

The only time I’ve ever heard of it AT a con was when tracers are called out. Or that one artist that used to buy like 10 tables but pretend they were different studios? I can’t remember their name though that was a few years ago.

>>9742160
I think you're thinking of Ramy and Amuria?

I know there was drama with that Melly girl underpricing and one time a con (I think it was AWA?) accidentally sent the "do not seat me by" requests to the entire AA mailing list.

Didn't get into SakuraCon here. I was surprised their email said "90 tables", I always thought they had 100. Are they doing the opposite of other cons and having less and less per year?

>>9742156
Maybe try testing out new designs as stickers instead, anon.

>>9742169
They're in a new room and still testing out table layouts. Probably just don't have as much space as they did before.

>>9742156
At this point it's so damn cheap to make acrylic charms that you might as well hop onto a GO and do some smaller runs to test, and use >>9742023's idea for grab bags if your tests don't sell.

I'm planning on doing what >>9742157 mentioned as commissions at cons too, just to get rid of the shrinky dink material I have lying around.

>>9742099
(this is just a general post not to you directly)

People need to pick their god damn battles. Someone using passingly similar styles to you or drawing the same generic subject matter as you or someone who types weird on twitter or was kinda rude to you that one time at some con or whatever isn't worth the time, learn to let shit like that go.

Something like blatant art theft or in this case, money theft, that's worth worrying about so long as you either were the victim/subject or you have hard evidence.

When at all possible, directly address the problem with the problem artist. Over e-mail/DMs not a public fight on twitter. Sometimes this are misunderstood or misinterpreted. Sometimes they aren't, but you have to at least attempt to get to the bottom of it. So much artist and fandom drama arises when people don't even attempt to work things out and just gossip here or gossip on private accounts.

When or if communication falls flat, do what you need to to the level that is necessary. Some things you need only personally warn other artist friends about and put them as a do not seat near. Rarely do things warrant a public call out post, but if you have to resort to a call out post AT LEAST you tried to work it out privately. Remember if you spread negative info about someone and don't do due diligence, you can come across as dramatic and untrustworthy. Be fair and realistic in how you warn people if you think you need to.

If people said to me the things i've seen them say about random artists they've never really met on here i would instantly know they're not worth befriending lol

Anybody have a good paper brand recommendation for printing your own 11x17 prints? I have a Pixma Pro-100 printer.

>>9742182
Oh no it has nothing to do with space. Sakura Con moved the AA and lessened the tables because of the Exhibitors. Apparently they are both placating upset Vendors that claim AA has been eating their business for the past few years while simultaneously banking for more successful artist shelling out 350$ for a table versus $100

In short it’s pretty shitty of them. But apparently they are in dept, so not surprising.

>>9742210
>People need to pick their god damn battles

This. Did they steal your art? Your money? Your ideas? Are they being racist/homophobic/etc? Did they actively screw you over?

No? Then leave them alone. Don't go ruining someone's business/rep just because you think they're annoying, or you had a fight about personal stuff.

>>9742099
I've had drama that was never resolved even when I try and reach out, so now I avoid them like the plague. There are actual terrible people out there so some bridges are worth burning down.

>>9742099
I've just learned to avoid getting too close with artists from Canada (was surprised since I figured them to be nicer, but guess it's just a stereotype). They're known to be super thirsty to get into US-based conventions because most of their own cons suck financially. They do a lot of underhanded things to secure spots at convention.

>>9742099

I will do almost anything to avoid AA drama, even if it means letting someone walk all over me. Mainly it's because I was bullied a lot in school and know how shitty girls can be, and my nightmare scenario is somehow attracting that petty bullshit into AA, which is one of my favorite experiences. As such I've been taken advantage of more than once, but never in a severely hurtful way. I mostly keep my head down and try to be polite and friendly to everyone, even if they're being nasty about something, and it's worked out for me so far. It doesn't hurt that I keep a very small circle of real trustworthy friends as well.

Ultimately drama is pleasurable for some people and they will cause and/or attract it whenever possible. If you find yourself caught up in it, don't take the bait and prolong it. Be an adult, be reasonable and calm, and people on the outside will see that and it makes the instigators look even more ridiculous.

In regards to your friend, there's no need to drag the conflict up again, but there's no need to be friends with her again or forgive her either. There's people in AA commonly who I've had beef with and I'm friendly when I see them but I don't initiate interaction, and I don't hang out with them anymore. I don't want to be pals anymore so I don't see the point in hashing things out. Let it lie.

>>9742261
I knew that, I was in the dungeon at SC last year. I just meant that the new location for the Alley is smaller, regaurdless of the reasoning for the change of venue.

>>9742317
who are you talking about? some of them are the chillest people I've ever met.

Lol very confused Canadian artist here. We (or at least me and many others I know) make plenty of money at our major cons so idek what salty anon is on about.

>>9742317
I do agree that Canada's range of conventions is sparse but I'm also curious to hear about your experiences as well as these 'underhanded techniques'.

I don't think it's fair to generalize a whole nation (and it might be a little racist LOL) but it was your first mistake to assume a whole country of people were going to be nicer. Humans are humans, business is business.

>>9742174
Con doesn't allow stickers. I have them as buttons, but it's a new year and I've already sold my current line-up at this con. I'm just going to buy the acrylic ones.

>>9742208
I already have grab bags online and at events. would do group orders, but they usually don't line up with the conventions I need them for. I think I'm just going to spend the cash and have everything look uniform.

>>9742210
>Someone using passingly similar styles to you or drawing the same generic subject matter as you or someone who types weird on twitter or was kinda rude to you that one time at some con or whatever isn't worth the time, learn to let shit like that go.
Paging Feverworm's crazy ass.

Maybe it’s just regional? I’m in WA and I’ve gone to Anime Revolution as well as a few others on the Western end of Canada, and they’ve all been great. I’ve never vended there before though, but an artist I spoke to at Anime Rev 2016 that had tabled st Sakura Con the previous year as well said they prefer Anime Rev

Figured it would be neat to share this. Especially since /cgl/ helped with a shit ton of good crit and tips. Now I know what the other designs need to match and I'm very happy with how its going to look at the end. But thanks gulls!

>>9742848
I liked the way you had it the first time, but damn, it now looks a hundred times better with the edits. The first attempt looks like shit compared to it now.

>>9742848
Looks great anon!

I just got my first table at a con! Its a half table though and I'm brainstorming ways to display for 3ft of space. I know that it gives me a hard limit to how many things I can display. Does anyone have tips or good examples of using tiny table spaces?

>>9742975
spread up, not out.

>>9742687
idk anon, i've definitely seen artists blatantly ripping off feverworm's stuff

How do you gulls deal with a customer who keeps breathing down your neck about custom orders? I sold a custom item on Etsy and I had one customer who sent me 5 messages in a row all at the same time and then didn't even wait like 10 hours before filling a claim because their handmade item was a few days late based on my estimated shipping times. I was away from my computer/phone and unable to respond to them until they already filed the claim. I had the item finished and sent about two days later and the claim dropped but it freaked me out. Now I have another woman sending me messages asking me about a different order that isn't even late "when is it going to be done what's going on". Both of these instances neither customer contacted me before saying they needed it by x time, I don't offer updates or progress pictures, and my listings say to allow 1-2+ weeks for handmade items. Why are these cunts so impatient?

>>9743006
Tbh I just send progress pics periodically. I do understand that not all artist have this ability though depending on their medium, ect. I have had some incredibly annoying at con customers though. A girl literally came to check on her ink commission seven times in one hour, not to see proggress but to very pushily ask, is it done yet? How much longer? How bout now? I almost gave the brat her money back and told her to ask someone else.

>>9743006
I'd recommend putting your maximum working time and then adding more time for your estimates because people are rubbish with time. So if at worst you need two weeks to make something, I'd count that shit out across business days as three weeks minimum, and then add another week on top of that. If you get it done faster than that they'll be delighted.

>>9743027
I noticed that people stopped doing that once I implemented a system where I got their number and told them that they'd receive a text for pickup. Before that when I gave rough estimates I'd have people coming around to check.

Also, most of my shit is appealing to older customers, so it may depend on who your audience is.

>>9743032
As a customer I vastly prefer the text message method, too. It's just more convenient.

when yall do charms, do you draw at actual size (ie, 1.5 in) or bigger? i'm in the habit of drawing bigger then resizing, but i don't know if that'll cause issues with blurring for charms

>>9743201
I draw bigger but adjust the dpi to print at the size I want. Hasn't affected quality for me.

>>9743201
Way bigger, blur is only an issue if you go from smaller->larger not the other way around. It's just important to zoom out occasionally while you draw to make sure the details are still readable when shrunk.

>>9742687
I don't like feverworm (she acted like a passive aggressive cunt about the whole thing) but the artist involved last time this shit came up was incredibly blatantly ripping on style and concepts.

>>9741624
I made 4k which is the same as I made last year at this con. I wanted to raise it but didn't make much new things since last year since I had school. You're doing great anon if it's your first year tabling keep it up!

>>9741797
I'd buy these ASAP.

>>9741598
Oh I didn't answer your whole question I'm mostly a print/small merch artist charms/buttons etc. Yourself?

Do you guys think having a sheet depicting your sticker designs vs actually having them on the table might take away from sales because people can't physically feel them? I'm thinking of just printing my stickers on a sheet and hanging it somewhere because I introduced plushies and am pretty limited on actual table space, but can probably stick it somewhere above.

Anyone hear back from otakon about wave 2 of acceptances/pro row yet?

Recently I found out that someone in the uk traced a few of my prints and was selling them at cons over there, a customer sent me photos/screencaps to warn me. i contacted the thief and they apologized + said they would stop selling them, but i'm pretty sure the rest of their stuff is all traced too. would it be too far to contact their upcoming cons to report them? they have a list of their upcoming cons on their FB. or should i just forget about it since they apologized/removed my stuff?

>>9743708
You could try reverse image searching their other stuff to see if the original artists come up. Imo people who trace for one thing will trace for all their shit. I’d report them.

Hey guys, I'm an idiot and completely blew my catprint deadline. I need to print locally at a staples/fedex/etc. I know their print quality isn't the best, so can I ask for some tips/tricks on optimizing my print quality with them? I intend to trim off the bleeds because I hate having a white border, but other than that I'm going in blind.

Thank you in advanced.

>>9743708
who is this?? as a regular con goer I wouldn't want to buy traced stuff from them only to find out its a copy

>>9743708
What the fuck is up with the artist community and being a bunch of pushovers? Name and shame this person! They stole from you. Fuck their apology. They're only sorry they got caught.

>>9743795

I mean, if you want to look like a drama whore, sure. There's no harm in letting things go sometimes. Recently someone traced my work and I called them out privately and they were immediately apologetic, I emphasized that I wasn't upset as long as they learned from the mistake and didn't do it again. They're probably a kid who didn't know better. Someone who's going as far as selling them as prints is probably a bit more experienced and potentially malicious but it's not harmful to not immediately jump to that conclusion. Give them a chance to turn their shit around before ruining their reputation permanently.

>>9743379

I think it does because AA is overwhelming and people are kinda stupid. I find that if I don't have the actual product on the table for them to see and touch then they can't grasp what it is, even if I have picture guides or a sheet of them up. Maybe you could try putting your stickers in a little photo album they can flip through? Still taking table space but then they're all in one small place at least?

>>9743808
Not op but if people are unknowingly spending their money on traced artwork they should be told about it. If this person is old enough to sell at a con they know exactly what they are doing. Its not some 12 year old kid tracing on the internet to impress or practice. Personally I would prefer not to table next to someone who steals art.

>>9743708
Well this is an anonymous board, what's the harm in posting them there / that photo here to see if anyone else recognizes the other art? If no one does then okay they happened to make one really bad really stupid decision. But if we do and they've stolen from many, people should be warned and they should be reported.

>>9743808
Drama whore?? Being a drama whore is posting non stop about small stupid shit and blowing stuff out of portion.

Calling out an art thief that not ONLY stole your art, but ended up making profit for doing it AND they took up a space in an AA from someone who would have actually made money from their own art they actually made.

You're not being a drama whore by calling them out, you're just being insanely stupid.

>>9743889

They said she immediately apologized and took it down, and that counts for something. I've encountered tracers who refuse to admit they traced, and will go as far as attacking the artists they traced from when it's pointed out. Those people deserve to be dragged through shit, but all I'm saying is that someone who apologizes and takes it down still has some hope of becoming a not completely shitty person. If she's selling all traced art then she deserves to be called out, but if it's not done in a way that devastates her as a human being, there's every chance she could get her act together and learn from the experience. But if people always remember her as that tracer and refuse to buy from or sit by her then even if she gets her act together, it doesn't matter.

I'm sorry if that seems naive and "insanely stupid" to you that when this happens to me, my first impulse isn't to ruin them. Some people are legitimately just stupid about what is and isn't acceptable and a little education can go a long way.

>>9743897

Wow you are super naive. Well I'm not you, so go ahead and hope they don't sell your stuff again (and they will btw. They just won't post it online, but they'll just go to another show and hang it up. They're not going to throw away prints that they paid to have made just becasue they said I'm sorry, I promise not to do it again).

And people will always remember her? WTF does that mean if you don't tell us who she is? If I ever see her stuff, but it's really your stuff, how am I supposed to know she's the thief?

I'll buy a print from her right now cause I don't know who the thief is and I don't know your art.

Sit by her? You're saying that like people have a choice/actually care to put a fuss about that when the AA actually starts going. Oh you're next to a shitty person? Who cares as long as I make my 4K.

This isn't a middle schooler whos just tracing art to get some favorites or followers on DA or Tumblr. It's a smart adult that knows how to make an easy buck by doing no work. You're the dumb one who has wwwaaaaaaaaaay too much faith in art thief.

And like >>9743795 anon said, they're not sorry. They're just worried they got caught and might get in bigger trouble.

>>9743906
>Oh you're next to a shitty person? Who cares as long as I make my 4K.

This is true. I was next to a guy who took official Overwatch and TF2 art and just added some paint splashes onto of them to make it look artsy. Do you think I cared I was next to him? I didn't even bat an eye, I was very focused on my stuff.

>>9743897
>>9743906
>>9743912

The only time I ever saw or heard about someone throwing a fit over another artist in an AA DURING the con, and not after while posting rage storms about them, was when that girl was selling her super awesome big prints for $5. People were raising absolute hell because she was making bank over them and people where going to her instead. People care a lot more about money than they do other fan artist's reps.

>>9743906
hi, OP here. the person you were replying to wasnt me, i havent commented since my original question on the subject.

To give some more context, the tracer was a college kid with really shitty tracings (it was traced in colored pencils, and badly) and im sure they were barely selling any of the art they traced from me. Of course, them being a nobody doesn't make it "okay" or anything, it's still ethically wrong and against basic AA rules.

They profusely apologized, they told me they destroyed the prints (i know its possible they are lying) and they removed everything. after some thought I went ahead and contacted all of their upcoming cons to report them, because i think they should still face consequences despite the apologies, and I don't think it's fair for them to get a space with a portfolio that wasnt even theirs. however, i do get the vibe that they were honestly just very stupid and will learn from this, so i won't name/shame and will give them a chance to turn it around. they can apply to those cons, or other cons, in the future with their own art.

>>9743921
I still think that whole situation was insane. That's how prices used to be back in the day, and let's be real, prints don't cost that much to make. If your art is good, people will still come buy from your table as long as your prices aren't something ridiculous like $100 for a poster size.

I was thinking about this during my last con. I think AA prices should never have gotten as high as they are now (disclaimer: I am very guilty of pricing my works above market value since it'll still sell at that price). One of these days, we're going to get shut down hard. AA went from fans making a little side cash on fan art to get rich quick off of glorified bootlegs. I'm not innocent. I'm not going to stop AAs. I'm just saying it's just a matter of time before AAs stop us.

>>9743988
>I'm just saying it's just a matter of time before AAs stop us.

Not when we're literally running over each other and elbowing throats at the chance to throw $300-$800 FOR A TABLE.

>>9743768
Use your local Minuteman Press instead. It'll be cheaper and the colors and general quality will be much better. My local MP will print stuff for me the day of if they're not too backed up - and next day at the latest. You can send in an email and ask about their turnaround.

>>9743988
>That's how prices used to be back in the day
How far back in the day are you talking about anon and where do you live? I'm in CA and I've never seen 11 x 17s go for less than $10 even back when I first started doing cons like 8-9 years ago. I know the midwest generally tends to have lower pricing trends the last time I visited (lots of $10-$12 prints) but if you're on either coast I can't imagine $5 as the norm for prints.

Also the upward trend of pricing in AA can also be correlated to the upward trend of table cost and general cost of living. It's not all just because people are greedy moneygrubbers.

>>9743921
Honestly that was less about the practice itself and more people trying to find some sort of scapegoat for how poorly A-Kon went last year. I'm sure if A-Kon was good for the majority of artists, people wouldn't have reacted as harshly as they did to her. Personally, I think the people who really had any right to complain were her direct table neighbors who had their tables blocked off by poor line management. I knew one of them and they usually make pretty decent money at other cons but their table was completely obscured so people couldn't even stop to buy anything from them.

Have they already sent out Anime Boston’s acceptance emails?

>>9744425
Yes.

>>9744429
Damn. Thank you, though.

Really curious as to who Fanime will choose for their artist alley this year. I hope they choose more of a variety, I saw so many tables with similar styles last time. It was pretty boring.

>>9744105
Same, I still remember my first con 10 years ago (as an attendee) and there was basically no variation from 1 11x17 print for $15, 2 for $20. 8.5x11s were about 10, I think.

so for selling your merch online, what's the ultimate verdict? tictail or storenvy? is there an updated breakdown somewhere?

i can deal with not having a custom storefront for now (though i'm interested in knowing which is a better deal for that), so i'm largely interested in who takes the biggest commission fee per purchase.

i also recall one (or both?) take a big marketplace commission fee, but if a customer buys through marketplace once, even if that customer goes through your custom storefront the second time, you'll still be slammed with the commission fee. seems pretty yikes to me.

How early you get to know if you got accepted to AA in US cons? I'm only asking this because in my country, the cons that are worth of getting a table at (aka the "big" ones) always let applicants know if they got in or not like one or two months before the con. And it's really annoying (atleast to me and my friends) since there are only handful of people in the scene here who can afford to stock up merch without knowing if they're gonna have a table. So we barely have time to order everything (and the mail services in-country suck, it takes forever to get stuff on top of shipping from like China etc.)..

>>9744702
completely random. Some cons its 1 month, other cons it is 8 months. Its very annoying since you have to constantly check when a con is opening/closing their applications.

>>9744588
i use etsy. you get a lot more traffic and you have a fee per listing, but you should more than easily make it up each month with how many eyes are generally going to be on your shop compared to storenvy/tictail, at least imo. i'm a bit lazier so that might be why i prefer etsy, but storenvy and tictail both also take absurd fees.

>>9744588
>>9745126
Seconding the anon and rec-ing Etsy. I used to be on Storenvy and maybe make like $600 in a good month and making like $50 the rest of the months. On Etsy I can make about $1k a week pretty regularly. I pull in $3~4.5k a month now.

The fees are more than well worth it.

>>9745172
How do you get around the no fan art rule?

>>9745288
That's not a black and white rule. You can still have fanart on Etsy until the company does their sweeps and sends a takedown notice. Just be smart when you tag stuff? (ex: character names instead of series names, abbreviations instead of full series names - YOI, TLJ, etc)

I've seen other people title their things as "inspired by" the source material or using descrition workarounds like "Ice Skating Anime" instead of Yuri on Ice.

>>9744540
Yeah I noticed that last Fanime. A lot of tables seemed to have the same generic cutesy style which is nice to look at but not that interesting overall. I'd like to see booths with more dynamic art styles.

new thread: >>9745811