My Con Experience as a newer creator
My first con was at the end of 2025, the Latino Comic Expo. In 2026, I tabled at two conventions, Long Beach Comic Con on September 5th and 6th and Compton Comic Con on October 24th. These cons could have not been more different even though they were only 15 miles apart.
For the Latino Comic Expo, The table cost was $125 for a single day in December 2025. I made $142 total that day, don’t remember exactly what sold but for my 1st time tabling, it was a good experience. I tabled next to Bryant Dillon from Fanbase Press. Met some creators for the first time in person, and it had a good amount of traffic for a smaller convention.
For the Long Beach Comic Con, it was overall not a good experience as a creator. It was my first 2-day convention, so I had higher expectations going in and the base table cost was $325 but luckily I was able to get a discount code from another creator which brought the table cost down to $225. On Day 1 of the con, I sold 5 copies of my comic, This Eternal Coil. It was scattered attendance but most of the people walked by without even glancing over to attempt to initiate any conversation. There were times when it would be up to a half hour with no more than 5 people. I’m not sure if the venue was too big for the amount of vendors or the attendance was too low or what, but most of the attendees did not seem interested in comics overall. On Day 2, only one comic sale and one commission. That commission was more of me being available than the guy liking my art. So I count the money but not a sale for the person wanting it from me specifically. Overall, it was a net loss of $124 in tabling cost and an additional loss of $15 for parking costs. I got dropped off on Day 2. Total loss of $139.00.
My third convention, the first-ever Compton Comic Expo, was a wildly better experience. I didn’t really know what to expect since it was the 1st ever and it was relatively close to the Long Beach Con in mileage and dates. My table cost was just $100, the cheapest of the three cons. My total sales were $218. Made double my table costs. I sold four sketchcards, three pieces of 9x12 art and four comics. Attendance wise, it was the most attended and busiest of the three conventions. The staff was the best of the three as well. They checked on all the vendors multiple times throughout, asking if we needed drinks or snacks and how it was going overall. The attendees of the event felt genuinely interested in comics. I was discussing my comic pretty much non-stop. I had good neighbors as well, Charlie Stickney and Chris Robinsonson to my sides and Don Nguyen and Barbra from Fanbase press directly behind me. This felt to me what I would have thought most cons should be.
Two of these three cons were free to the public. One had free parking. Can you guess which one had both? If you said the Compton Comic Con, you’d be right.
This was Luis from Comic Book Yeti, don't forget to heart the article it really helps tell us what type of articles you like. Thanks again, signing off with more picks from the Yeti Cave. Be good, do good, and read comics! Find me on the CBY discord or BlueSky @luisgodoyii.bsky.social.
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