This past weekend, I had the absolute time of my life at the New England Webcomics Weekend in Easthampton, MA. I want to give a huge, group high-five to everyone who came out, from points as far as the west coast, the south, northern Canada, and even Europe. It's an exciting time for independent, creator-owned Webcomics.
The whole event was organized and run by Webcomics creators -- spearheaded by the very talented Meredith Gran. There's an ever-increasing group of photos from the weekend at the Flickr photo pool which paint a fuller picture of the weekend, but I'll share a few of my favorites here...
On Saturday, I was amazed to see just how packed the place could get. For a solid 3-4 hours that morning, I was talking *non-stop* to Sheldon fans and new readers. This never happens at conventions: It literally was non-stop. Usually there are ebbs and flows that allow for breaks, but this was different: The energy and excitement was palpable. Check out this one shot, and you'll see what I mean. You can't even see ONE of the webcomic creators lining the walls...it's just a madhouse of folks:
I was happy to give out sketches to readers new and old. One Sheldonista asked for a self-portrait (which I'm always loathe to draw), but in this case I was happy with the final result. It was a pretty accurate portrayal:
But what made this show so singularly wonderful was the sheer critical mass of talent in one room of the world's best webcartoonists. In dozens of informal talks over the weekend, I was able to talk shop with every artist I've ever admired online. Here's a shot that represents what I mean: 8 of us just sitting at a Starbucks tradin' tips & tricks.
(In the shot: David Malki, Kris Straub, Brad Guigar, Bill and Gene, Scott Kurtz, & Jorge Cham)
Overall, the weekend was just an amazing gathering of readers and creators....one I hope and expect will continue in the years ahead. But all that is for another day. For now, let me just give a huge "thank you" to everyone who made the trek from points near and far. You guys made it an extraordinary weekend.