This year the con would be completely free for me, other than petrol and food. I was staying at a Nickolaus's place 20 minutes from the hotel, and the Happy Jackal Graphics guys were supposed to get me a dealer's badge. I dropped by Thursday night, giving us all sorts of time to make it early Friday morning. Usually I have to make a three hour drive into the Dallas area for A-Kon, so being a short drive away was pretty alright. Nickolaus and I showed up before either dealers' room opened, so I had to hang around waiting for Shon or Brian to show up to get me a badge. I found DAQ hanging around the front of the lines for one of the dealers' rooms, so I talked to him for a while. The Happy Jackal crew showed up just as the dealers' rooms were opening, and I soon had a badge in hand. We set up the dealer's table, and Nickolaus took off to do his own thing. All day the only thing I sold was my slightly used copy of one of the Bubblegum Crisis 2040 DVD's. I sold it for a mere $5, and even then I felt bad for the guy buying it. That show can only be described as a train wreck at best. I curse ADV for having a hand in creating and distributing such an awful product. Bubblegum Crash was already insulting enough. Near the end of the day Mike showed up with friends John and Jeff. No A-Kon is complete without Mike showing up. I left them to their devices and continued not selling anything, but I did get some more Aphrodite art in my sketchbook. After the dealers' room closed, the Happy Jackal guys went back to their hotel, and Mike, John, Jeff, and I annexed some artist alley tables to draw and make fun of people. Our attempt to leave the hotel was disastrous. The whole way back to the car, I was sure to have the parking ticket in my hand so we could get out of the airport without paying fines. Just as we were exiting the parking garage, Nickolaus asked me if I had the ticket. No. I didn't. Once we got on the highway before the gates, I stopped the car and searched everywhere, including the trunk. Nothing. So we turned around and drove all the way back to the parking garage. Just as I parked the car and we started to get out, Nickolaus found the ticket under the center column on his side of the car. I flipped out, but this all could have been avoided had I eaten something during the day.

This day would have me at the Happy Jackal table in the dealers' room for the most part. I even managed to sell two portfolios to a guy. I barely made any money off it, but it still made my day to move something. Shon was busy giving unsuspecting girls free sketches for most of the day. If he wasn't doing that, he was probably extolling the virtues of red pencils or buying more gashapon. Brian was running the table most of the time, and shirts were selling like crazy. Strangely, everyone wanted one of the older shirts, rather than any of the several new (and much improved) shirts. I spent most of the day trying to track down Joe Wight, because I really wanted a sketch from him before I take off for Canada. After waiting and looking for several hours, I found out that he was in a storm trooper outfit the whole time. Damn. As the dealers' room was shutting down, I caught him at the AP table only to find that he was having eye trouble and couldn't draw. Damn again. After the dealers' room closed, the Happy Jackal guys stayed around and we all drew for a while. Mike and company dropped by to let me know they were taking off, and so it was down to me and Nickolaus, wherever he was at the time. The costume contest was this night, so we had plenty of cosplaying people walking around the table we took. Unfortunately, this included a guy in a bunny girl outfit. This was offset by getting a better look at the girl playing Ulala from Space Channel 5 while I was walking around with Jason Heavensrun after the Happy Jackal guys left. She was amazing, with the walk down and everything. Check out the photo of her below. Luckily, I had eaten two salads during the day, so getting out of the airport was not such an ordeal as yesterday.

Things were winding down, the other dealers were visibly tired, and I was losing my voice from trying to talk over everyone else. A couple of my Hobby Japans sold, and that was about as exciting as the day got, other than some more drawing on my part. Brian, Shon, and Ray left before the dealers' room closed to head back to San Antonio, and a short while later, I dropped Nickolaus off before heading home.

The view from the Happy Jackal Graphics table.


Nestor attacks Brian. Ray looks on concerned.


This is what heaven is like, I'm told.


Storm troopers inspect some bald guy's papers. Yellow shirt and hat guy looks on concerned.


Satisfied customers of one of Shon's free sketches. Also, she had to go hug Cloud.


Oh fuck yes.


Drawing with the Happy Jackal crew and others.


One last picture to fill up my lame 8MB memory stick.