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As always, I love going to shows I have been to before, so I was really excited to be heading back to Kokomo Con in Kokomo, IN. Unlike last year, though, this year I was behind the Dark Delights table to sell some awesome horror comics, like I had in Detroit. So Amy and I headed down the night before the show to get a good night’s rest in preparation for the next day’s events. In the morning we headed over to the convention center to setup, chatted with some friends, and then the doors opened.

The Kokomo Event Center, home of Kokomo Con!

Shawn Hilton, the promoter, and I are good friends, so I was really hoping for a great turnout this year. The show floor had expanded to include more guests, vendors, and one Batmobile. The talent on hand, and of course the car, was a steal for the price of admission. The doors opened at 10 and the fun began.

Shawn Hilton, the man, the myth, the promoter!

The stream of people was constant throughout the day. There was a good handful of cosplayers to take pictures of, and there was even a local group doing zombie/monster makeup. The winner of that group was a little girl with a zipper face; very awesome. The patrons had tons to see and buy, including comics, toys, swords, games, and so much more. Shawn did a great job of getting a wide array of merchandise there for the masses.

Busy day at Kokomo Con.

A big highlight of the show for me was being next to my friends Dustin and Brian Carson. After getting to know them more at Detroit, it was a pleasant surprise to find my setup right next to them, so we spent the day laughing and having some good conversations. Right across from us were Sean and Stephanie Forney, who had a great setup and were selling their awesome little hero piggy banks. Of course, we had plenty of other friends on hand not too far from us; Jon Kulczar, Tony Maldonado, Rafael Nieves, Dan Doughetry, Troy Hickman, Tim Baron, Scott Simmons, and so many others (sorry if I didn’t mention you, I still love you).

Dustin and Brian Carson

The show was a lot of fun, attendance was way up, but sadly the people were still not loving all the horror goodies that I had to offer. I really think that it comes down to two factors. One is that horror comics are still only 10% of the comic landscape, so when you factor in that only 10% of the people there might be interested it kinda stinks. Two is the fact that while I have all of these awesome titles, their creators are not on hand to help pitch them. I did do some good sales at the show, though. I had one person spend over $80 and another over $60, so it was a profitable day for some.

Amy was trying to box me up at the end of the day. (Photo by Scott Simmons)

All in all I love this show. I love smaller shows because you get a chance to comfortably talk to creators without all the hustle and bustle of everyone trying to get a word in. The friendships you can make at a smaller show also go a longer way, again playing back to being able to really get a chance to talk to someone. Shawn and his staff did an amazing job at this year’s show, always coming to see that things were okay, handing out some free Jimmy John’s, and just being great hosts. The show is a success because of all that they do. There is no doubt in my mind I will be back again and again.

Me and my glorious shirts. (Photo by Scott Simmons)

Decapitated Dan
decapitateddan@comicattack.net