Donna Barr's Blog, page 4

Forks RainCon 2 - 2019

The Forks RainCon - The Sequel - was bigger and better. Sorry I didn't get more photos! There was just so much going on.
First of all, I was the first person to attend a comicon from a campsite. Forks Highway 101 RV park was lovely. Inexpensive, friendly, full restrooms and showers. And all excited about being part of RainCon next year. It's right across the street from the Thriftway, that opens early for coffee and breakfast snacks.
Turns out other folks were staying at campsites around the area, too! We truly are a rural comicon.
Because I'd been building a fan base in Forks by leaving dinged backstock in the dollar box at Jiggerbugs Comics - the store that runs RainCon - I had plenty of sales for Print On Demand Collections.
Beautiful Ka-Blam.com Books -
the only printer I use for floppies,  now.I advise anybody who has dinged backstock or goodies to get some to Jitterbug. Go to RainCon.com or Facebook Fans of RainCon to connect with owner Evan Sveum.
The convention is still small, but this year it was looking more like the first San Diego Comicon. Much higher attendance, with folks from as far away as Portland, Oregon.
Clallam Bay Comicon vet Jake Richmond was there, running one of the games. He and his family fell in love with Clallam Bay, especially the Winter Summer's Inn, the river and the beach, and he still wants to vacation there. Clallam Bay would very much like to see any of the comics world come up to visit and enjoy the area.
RainCon and the Sequim Opttacon are unusual in that comics and gaming are going on in the same floor space. Doesn't seem to cause a bit of trouble. Just adds to the atmosphere and fun!
Cosplay!RainCon will make fewer amateur mistakes because I've been in comics and conventions for 30 years, and can help the crew and attendees not reinvent the wheel. I'm happy to do it - I want RainCon to be my convention headquarters from now on.
Rain of Terror's fun gang was there, selling hotdogs, hamburgers, and Italian sodas and spritzers, to raise funds for the very scary LaPush Hallowe'en haunted house. Yes, Forks will use the word "rain" wherever it can, for whatever it can. 
Of course, LaPush is werewolf central in Twilight, so our Quileute friends have the scary for the West End covered!
I've already told Evan I want a table for next year. I'm not missing a single RainCon.
Rain Of TerrorAnd I'll be reserving my camping spot. This year, the archaeology lecturer brought beer to my campsite Friday night, and we sat around the fire, talking and laughing and having a cool one, until nearly midnight. Camping at a convention is a great idea!
With Comics Swap Meet in Chimikum in July, and Opttacon in August in Sequim, we have nerd representation going east. 
My ideal: a comicon at Kalaloch beach hotel, one at Hoquium, a gaming convention at Amanda Park and Joyce, and a big multipurpose convention in Port Angeles. Inching closer to getting tribal artists and comics folks to come share their wares.
With conventions in Tacoma and Olympia, we've got the Olympic Peninsula surrounded. With all the Hawaiians we have moving into the area, if I can't get to the Hawaii Comicon - I can bring it to me! 
I'm a Leo. We're always on the hunt.The Little Store: http://donnabarr.blogspot.com/2007/04...

The Desert Peach up at Webtoon

The Desert Peach on Webtoons! The Little Store: http://donnabarr.blogspot.com/2007/04...

"Hold My Bear." Norwescon 2019

Guest of Honor Nancy Pearl and BluebearBluebear was found in the mouth of the Clallam River, torn and dirty and stuffed with chopped Chinese newspapers. One look at that little face, and we couldn't treat him as mere beach garbage. We could do better than that.
I skinned him out on the spot, dumping his guts into the beach garbage, and washing him as best I could in the river. He went home with us as a blue bear pelt.
Roo meets Bluebear.Once at the house, he was washed and re-stuffed, and dubbed Bluebear, as a holding name until we could think of something better. But it turned out to be like Brad Bird's turn as Edna Mode - it stuck because it was right.
Bluebear has since traveled with me to Emerald City, and now - Norwescon. At Emerald City, he only came out for the fun stuff, the travel and parties. Norwescon is more of a fan convention, so I got shots of him with just about everybody.
Everybody was delighted to pose with him, when I asked them to "Hold my bear." I'll post more photos soon! Bluebear joins the musketeers.The Little Store: http://donnabarr.blogspot.com/2007/04...

Stolen Artwork - "You Shouldn't Have."

"You Shouldn't Have!"I did this colored pencil drawing for a series of Christmas cards for Piers Anthony, featuring his characters. I had an especially fun time doing this one.
He kindly bought only the publishing rights to the artwork, and allowed me to sell the originals.
The drawing was displayed in a small art gallery in Bremerton. When the gallery closed, the artwork was not returned to me, despite my repeated attempts to have the owner do so. Nor did the owner ever contact me about the artwork.
If you were sold it, you bought stolen artwork.
This is not your fault, and I'm not going to ask for it back. But this was bad business, for both of us. Sci-fi fantasy is better than this.The Little Store: http://donnabarr.blogspot.com/2007/04...

Norwescon 2019 Author Readings

This flyer says it all. Roberta Gregory, Bruce Taylor and I are giving a room party, reading session and costume giveaway. 

It's Friday night, only three hours, so stop by our little relaxicon before the convention's heavy lifting starts! 

Not only are we great fun to listen to read and talk to, you might need something extra sparkly to wear around the parties and dances. The Little Store: http://donnabarr.blogspot.com/2007/04...

Norwescon Jacket Giveaway

This will probably be my last Norwescon (other obligations!), so I hope to be bringing some fancy costume pieces to give away.
Look for these at a room gathering - probably Friday - that will include readings. Look for my name on the flyers. First come, first served. They're yours if you want them. I won't save any - you have to be there to pick them up and wear them.
Sunday I'll have a cool beaded gown I'll be wearing Saturday, carrying it over my arm Sunday AM. First one wants it, gets it.

Bronze flower embroidery.
Plastic rhinestones.
Velvet jacket beaded by me across the shoulders.
The Little Store: http://donnabarr.blogspot.com/2007/04...

Emerald City Comicon 2019

College roommates.
I thought tabling a comicon was hard. Try promoting a comicon on the whole floor for four days! In this case, the second annual RainCon, also known as "The Sequel."
Thursday, I talked individuals into each taking one of an inch and a half of RainCon flyers. I thought I was done, but the promotion went on and on. Sunday afternoon, I was still hooking up people in the beer garden. I am now completely out of business cards. I think the show will be getting a wheelchair and "disabled" cosplay group (although I hesitate to use the word about any cosplayers, who are about as able as they come).
I'm afraid I put most of the photos for this show up on Facebook, but I retained some IMPORTANT ONEs. Like the college roommates in "Wicked."

Here's Roberta Gregory, on the first day of the show, at our organization-and-coffee table, where we figure out where we'll be all day, just before we split up to go running around the hamster maze that is the Seattle Convention Center. Every year I have to relearn that thing.
I are beer.Next year, I'm planning on using this time space for San Diego Comics Fest. A lot of my old friends and colleagues are in San Diego - of course - and I need to drop in and see them once in awhile, as well as take care of my substantial and loyal fan base.
Of course I'd think a picture of me in the beer superhero photo frame is important. Or funny. 
Northwest Press's Zan Christiansen is always good for a laugh. Here he is trying hard not to cover fellow booth babe Steve's face. We agreed that "LGBTQ" can be replaced with "BLT" in conversation, because we are tasty, greasy and salty.
Hearing that RainCon is featuring the LGBTQ community this year, Zan made sure I had plenty of wonderful books for the RainCon comic shop dollar box. 
Before you think that's just being nice, we've discovered that the people in Forks - who have only ever known superheroes - will not only load up from the dollar box on authors they've never heard of, they'll show up at RainCon as a brand-new fandom for those authors. I'd very much advise contacting Evan Sveum at the Raincon website or on the Facebook Friends of RainCon pages about sending him some copies. Even dinged ones are welcome - and it's a great way to use slightly damaged product. At a $1 a pop, the fans will grab them. Roberta Gregory, Pequinoes, Seattle

Roberta Gregory and I had some good rest times when we could have something to eat and a beer. Like at Pequinoes, a nice Mexican place in Seattle. I don't think I've ever had better nachos. The IPA and Ale went down nice, too. A good break after running around ECCC all day.
Roberta Gregory, The WildRose mural, Seattle

We even got around to the WildRose, Seattle's wonderful lesbian bar - and one of its oldest drinking-and-eating buildings of any sort. And look at the brand-new mural! It's so pretty, I have to use mine, too. With others posing before it.
The Little Store: http://donnabarr.blogspot.com/2007/04...

CNW Speaker - and paper jam.

I'll be at Cartoonists Northwest during the 2019 Emerald City Comicon. Saturday, March 16, 5:30 pm, at Artists and Craftsmen Store, 4350 8th Avenue NE, Seattle, in the U-District (right around the Petco on 45th Ave. NE.

We plan to lay down a big piece of butcher paper of such, and have me draw all over it. 
Why lay it down?
SO YOU CAN JOIN IN. Once I get it started, you'll have an opportunity to draw your characters interacting with my Bethlehem folk. Will it be the end papers of the comic? We shall see.
There will be markers....The Little Store: http://donnabarr.blogspot.com/2007/04...

Clallam Bay Comicon Now RainCon Afterparty

The Clallam Bay Comicon is morphing into what will be even more like a party. It is the Clallam Bay RainCon Afterparty! 
RainCon 2 is coming! In June, 2019 - Bigger and better than ever 

Right now the website needs updating, but you can join in at the Facebook page, Fans of RainCon.
Unlike the Clallam Bay Comicon - which I never tried to promote as anything but an attempt to get what I love about comics onto the Olympic Peninsula - RainCon is a fully-expandable professional comics/entertainment convention.
The Clallam Bay Comicon will continue as the RainCon Afterparty. Those who usually come to Clallam Bay should know you are very welcome by this community, in all ways, and if you want to show up July 13, 2019, to Fun Days, followed by an evening party and fireworks, please do join us. The party will be Fun Days itself, The Fish-and-Chips bash at the Clallam Bay Inn Saturday night, and the fireworks to follow. Basically, drive up here Saturday, stay the night, and head home Sunday. The place you want to stay is the Winter-Summer Inn; it's still party central.
BUT - if you need to make a choice, and you want to have a table for what promises to be a more accessible convention with the chance to build a growing sales potential, then choose RainCon. I'd love to see you at both, but travel money and time is tight in this biz. 
RainCon will be supporting rooms for a limited number of professional guests! So if you want to see a special guest on the Olympic Peninsula, contact them, and assist. Shoot as high as you want - you never know what entertainment star would love to see this beautiful part of the world. I've already contacted many of my colleagues. Fingers crossed!The Little Store: http://donnabarr.blogspot.com/2007/04...

ShortRun 2018

First of all thanks to the ShortRun staff. Their on-floor map included a tribute photo to dear Mark Campos, whom we lost under such tragic circumstances this year.  
They know what they're doing, and this just gets better and better every year.
Wearing my Ka-Blam tshirt for my $10 printing bonus!
Best POD company going for floppies, especially.
Secondly, thanks to The Stranger for advising the attendees to bring CASH and loads of it. The books and other goodies FLEW off the tables.
Yes, we all have Square, and yes, it works offline, but comics is comics - and you know what we run on. We'll bring a wad of Washingtons if you'll bring a wad of Jeffersons, and we'll swap.

Valerie NiemeyerValierie Niemeyer made a great show pal. She and her mom were so much fun and so full of energy. Her mom came with snacks! And Valerie's work is lovely. Especially her skeleton unicorn, just right with Halloween and Day of the Dead just behind us.
What can I say? ShortRun is one of the best comics conventions anywhere. It's small - crammed into the Seattle Center Flag Pavilion - and more and more of us are buying a quarter table, just to get some space.   Look at that floor! 

The show when it was just getting started.The Fantagraphics Store party was great, as always, thanks to Larry. Even better. Carol Tyler was there to celebrate her new book about growing up with the Beatles - and led a singalong that reminded us just we all knew just where to say "OOOOH" and go up the scales.
Missed the Vera party - but am going to schedule my trip better next year, so I'm up for it, instead of falling apart.
This show is too good.
I can't guarantee I'll get a table space next year, but signs are good.The Little Store: http://donnabarr.blogspot.com/2007/04...