European creators, do you go to conventions?

onichan 2018-09-29 14:49:41 UTC #1

and what conventions in europe are good?

ive been doing comics for like 6 years and ever since i started i've been planning on attending conventions to sell my stuff.. : p but i still haven't, mostly because i know nothing about the convention climate in europa ^^;
i lived in japan for 8 years and i frequently went to cons and such as a reader/fan but since i moved back to sweden(where i live now and am from) i've only been to one(närcon) and that was to help a friend who has a used japanese clothing store..
very different experience from japan lol
but i really wanna get out and meet my reader and sell my stuff and have fun!

so i want to know from other european creators:

what are the best/biggest cons in europe? (for manga)
which ones has the best artist alleys? (närcons artist alley was like 5 tables by the doors lol)
what are your experiences going to cons in europe as an artist? were you able to sell alot?
how much is a table in the artist ally at the different cons?
and is it even a point in going if you only do original work?

there's probably more things i wanna ask but idk

werkadobro 2018-09-29 21:32:41 UTC #2

Try with ComicCon in London, but I'm pretty sure that you can find large Con in Sweden. There is also comic festival in Angouleme in France, one of the most prestigious events in the world. French readers love manga, so you can definitely find a public here.

werkadobro 2018-09-30 08:47:53 UTC #3

I thinked about it more and there is also a big Con in my country, Pyrkon in Poland. Since you're from Sweden it's pretty easy to get there ( by plane for example, or ferryboat).
Artist Alley is in a large exhibition hall, and the event is visited by 40,000 people.

https://pyrkon.pl/en/

faeriesandents 2018-09-30 11:38:34 UTC #4

There are several cons in France, including Paris Manga, the Japan Expo, and even a Comic Con. All of these in Paris. Frenchies loooove mangas and Japan related stuff! XD

As for experiences attending cons, you'll have to wait until January, where we're going to our first ever convention as artists!

IM17MI 2018-10-03 21:14:25 UTC #5

I usually go to IberAnime at my country Portugal and it's pretty chill. There's concerts, competitions for cosplayers, singers, artists ,dancers, etc. Artists can sell their stuff and get into contact with other artist and it works well. The staff is super helpful from what I can tell and its a super enjoyable event for all Japanese culture appreciators, gamers, etc.
As I'm reading this the convention is gonna take place in a few days so I'm looking forward to it ^ ^

hisameartwork 2018-10-14 16:46:02 UTC #6

Yes I went to them as a visitor not as a creator since I really don't think they are worth the money unless you have a big following.
I have artists friends who went and they all complained it was a waste of money to try and sell there.

Sorry, but I wish you luck!

Chopythes 2018-10-14 17:08:47 UTC #7

1: That would be Närcon, that's for sure Especially in Sweden.
However, there's also Stockholms internationella Seriefestival which takes place in April/May every year at Kulturhuset (they'll change location next year due to renovations.
I do want to say, the market is THIRSTY for manga right now, so any convention would be a hit I belive.
There's also Örebro Seriefestival (In November), Malmö Seriefest (March), NärCon Höst, Sommar, Vinter and Comic Con.

2: NärCon has gotten ALOT of complaints regarding their artist alley, so has Comic Con as well. NärCon Sommar has the most space for the artist alley, but I feel like the convention itself doesn't really want it, because, as what they've said themselves "They don't earn any money on it".

3: I've been to ALOT of places, Thought Bubble in Leeds has been my first (and so far, the only) one that has been outside of Sweden.
I sell much, much more on Swedish conventions, mainly because I have a fanbase here and not so much overseas.
And I would say: It depends a lot on how you're able to sell your stuff. Some have their art sell for themselves, while others need to push that extra mile to be able to sell.
So, saying how much one sells is kinda personal as it depends quite a lot on merch, the availability, how you're able to sell it and so forth and so on.

4: Närcon has one of the highest rates, from 400-800 SEK. I don't know about Comic Con, but I was considering going for their first year but didn't feel like paying 3000 SEK on one smol table.
I think they lowered the price tag on it, but I'm not so sure.
Thought Bubble has about 1200 SEK/table or something but it's also REALLY big.
Örebro Seriefestival is free atm, Stockholm (THE biggest comic fair there is in Sweden) costs about 500SEK/table. They could be raising the prices due to selling out in less than 5 (!!!) minutes.

5: There's a STRONG market for original work, as long as it's eye catching.
It also depends a bit on your work, are you selling comics and/or posters + merch or just the merch part?
Stickers almost always sell well if set for a low price.