kinkos at 2am

if youre an artist trying to break into comics, no matter how much you've invested into computers, scanners, printers, etc... at some point, youre still going to end up at kinkos. And from my experiences, if you live in any city in southern california, youre going to run into another person trying to make copies of HIS or HER samples or print color portfolio pieces of THEIR stuff that same night. and usually, this night is one of the nights before or during, the big San Diego Comicon.

i swear... from my first year going to SDCC in 97' to the time i broke in, EVERY year, we ( myself and about 5 of my roommates that we cram into a rundown 2bd/2bth long beach apartment we call our "studio") would run into a new person or group of people with their own "studio" doing what they do, staying up late hours, crunching the last minute, usign up their last .49 cents deciding what to do in color and what to copy in B&W to save that money, stapling, labeling names, www.com's, and contact info, cutting selfmade business cards, and trying their hardest to break into this industry. and this really, is the most exciting part of breaking into comics, the struggle.

the most fun i've ever had going to conventions was when i wasnt working yet- getting in with fake passes, chasing down editors or anyone to look at my samples, making fake portfolio review tickets, sleeping in the car and late night anime screenings at the marriote to save on hotel costs, half asleep at kinkos at 2am to make more sample packets to give out the next day, standing in line for hours talking to other aspiring artists, and really just trying to make the best out of my samples that i've spent months working on- in about 3 days.

and you know, being at kinkos at 2am during those weekends, you sometimes get to meet the real creative talent at the conventions.