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As the pandemic rages on, more and more independent artists are left figuring out how to manage their careers in the absence of in-person events, specifically exhibiting at conventions.

The pandemic is also a time for reflection. As the big conventions struggle to give fans some semblance of the con experience through digital-only replacements, independent comickers D. Bethel (of the webcomic, Long John) and Kyrun Silva (of Taurus Comics) come together to discuss the difference in experiences, expectations, and realities of what going to a convention means for fans versus what it means to creators and how the chasm between the two experiences may be larger than they thought.

RELEVANT LINKS:

• Above the Clouds – The webcomic by Melissa Pagluica
• “COMIC-CON! The Con Game!” Robservations, 06 November 2020: The episode of Rob Liefeld’s podcast, Robservations, that jumpstarted this converstation.
• Epic Chaos! – The webcomic by Melissa McCommon.

RELEVANT INFORMATION:

• Find Kyrun’s work through Taurus Comics at:
  • Taurus Comics website
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
• D. Bethel’s webcomic, Long John.
  • Instagram
  • Long John Facebook
  • A Podcast [ , ] For All Intents and Purposes
  • Podcast Facebook

OTHER EPISODES:

• Con Artists #01 – StocktonCon, pt. 1 : The drive home from the first day of the show. Kyrun and D. discuss making sales, confidence, and the comics they grew up reading and enjoying.
• Con Artists #02 – StocktonCon, pt. 2 : The drive to StocktonCon to start Day 2 of the show. They discuss the importance of continuity, the level of fan engagement and ownership over continuity, and Dan’s strange reading habits growing up.
• Con Artists #03 – StocktonCon, pt. 3 : Where Kyrun and D. talk about the breadth of indie comics, writing comics, and dive headfirst into personal nostalgia.
• Con Artists #04 – StocktonCon Winter 2019: Where D. Bethel and Kyrun try out StocktonCon’s inaugural Winter show…with mixed results.
• Con Artists #05 – No Con 2020: Where Kyrun and D. Bethel address being an independent comic creator in a world without conventions.
• Con Artists #07 – Return of the Con: Where D. Bethel & Kyrun hit the con circuit after over a year away from it.
• Con Artists #08 – The Madness of Marketing: Where D. Bethel & Kyrun talk about marketing new books during the middle of a pandemic.
• Con Artists #09 – CrockerCon Artists: Where D. Bethel & Kyrun talk about the 10th CrockerCon, a show of which Kyrun is now the co-coordinator