SDCC and Social Anxiety

Since I'm leaving for San Diego Comic-Con very soon, it occurred to me to address something that I experience every time I go to a convention: social anxiety.

I'm fine when I'm sitting at my table and interacting with people coming up and chatting. In fact, I love it. Small talk, comics talk, movie and TV talk, sports talk...I'll talk your ear off. But take me away from that comfort zone, and I clam up.

I suck at networking.

That's it; the bottom line. If I have to seek someone out,  I invariably worry about if they'll remember me (if I've met them before), if I'm blethering on too long or too much, if they're looking for an escape route...pretty much just worried that I'm imposing on their time.

So I end up feeling like Paul Schaffer as Artie Fufkin in this clip from This Is Spinal Tap:

http://youtu.be/cv5FwzRBc_Y

"Hi. Steve Bryant, Athena Voltaire." [shakes hand]

[puke]

This even extends to seeing someone I've met before away from the convention (for instance, I think I've run into comic artist Skottie Young about a half-dozen times and just looked away...and there are a bunch more examples, too)—all because I don't know what to say, or am afraid of imposing on someone's time, or because I'm afraid of being embarrassed if someone doesn't remember who I am.

So that's it; my deep dark convention secret. I'm going to try and come out of my shell a bit more, and interact more this year...but I say that every year. We'll see if it happens this year.

However, I'll be in the Small Press Pavillion, M-14, if you want to stop by and spare me the anxiety. ;)

Commission: Wonder Girl

Today's commission is DC Comics' Wonder Girl. 9 x 12, ink and Copic markers on bristol board.

Additionally, I'm still accepting preorders for San Diego Comic-Con (July 20–24). As usual, I'm not sure if I'll be doing more than penciled headshots at the show (stagefright), so please consider lining up a commission before the show. If you're an art collector that prefers to have commissions done in your themed sketchbook, you can mail me your sketchbook and I'll be glad to bring it to the show.

Contact me at atomictikistudio at gmail dot com with any questions or requests.

PRICING

$40 for an inked single-character piece on 8.5 x 11 (or 9 x 12...depending on what I have lying around). Additional figures, email me for a quote. Plan on $5 for Priority Mail shipping if you won't be picking up the piece at the show.

$80 for an inked single character piece on 11 x 17. Again, for additional figures, email me for a quote. And again, $5 for Priority Mail shipping if you won't be picking up the piece at the show.

(ink wash added at artist's discretion...let me know up front if it's something you really, really, really have your heart set on.)

Commission: Bikini Babe

Today's commission had a simple description, "under the vague heading of 'pretty girl in bikini' and leaving it to the artist at that point." With that in mind, I knew I wanted to have some fun with a retro pin-up approach.

Additionally, I'm still accepting preorders for San Diego Comic-Con (July 20–24). As usual, I'm not sure if I'll be doing more than penciled headshots at the show (stagefright), so please consider lining up a commission before the show. If you're an art collector that prefers to have commissions done in your themed sketchbook, you can mail me your sketchbook and I'll be glad to bring it to the show.

Contact me at atomictikistudio at gmail dot com with any questions or requests.

PRICING

$40 for an inked single-character piece on 8.5 x 11 (or 9 x 12...depending on what I have lying around). Additional figures, email me for a quote. Plan on $5 for Priority Mail shipping if you won't be picking up the piece at the show.

$80 for an inked single character piece on 11 x 17. Again, for additional figures, email me for a quote. And again, $5 for Priority Mail shipping if you won't be picking up the piece at the show.

(ink wash added at artist's discretion...let me know up front if it's something you really, really, really have your heart set on.)

Commission: Batgirl

More than any other character, I always equate the Barbra Gordon Batgirl with fun. No idea why.

I tried to give this piece a playful quality that reflected the sense of fun I see in my head.

Additionally, I'm accepting preorders for San Diego Comic-Con (July 20–24). As usual, I'm not sure if I'll be doing more than penciled headshots at the show (stagefright), so please consider lining up a commission before the show. If you're an art collector that prefers to have commissions done in your themed sketchbook, you can mail me your sketchbook and I'll be glad to bring it to the show.

Contact me at atomictikistudio at gmail dot com with any questions or requests.

PRICING

$40 for an inked single-character piece on 8.5 x 11 (or 9 x 12...depending on what I have lying around). Additional figures, email me for a quote. Plan on $5 for Priority Mail shipping if you won't be picking up the piece at the show.

$80 for an inked single character piece on 11 x 17. Again, for additional figures, email me for a quote. And again, $5 for Priority Mail shipping if you won't be picking up the piece at the show.

(ink wash added at artist's discretion...let me know up front if it's something you really, really, really have your heart set on.)

Accepting Commission Preorders for San Diego Comic-Con

I'm accepting preorders for San Diego Comic-Con (July 20–24). As usual, I'm not sure if I'll be doing more than penciled headshots at the show (stagefright), so please consider lining up a commission before the show. If you're an art collector that prefers to have commissions done in your themed sketchbook, you can mail me your sketchbook and I'll be glad to bring it to the show.

Contact me at atomictikistudio at gmail dot com with any questions or requests.

PRICING

$50 for an inked single-character piece on 8.5 x 11 (or 9 x 12...depending on what I have lying around). Additional figures, email me for a quote. Plan on $5 for Priority Mail shipping if you won't be picking up the piece at the show.

(ink wash added at artist's discretion...let me know up front if it's something you really, really, really have your heart set on.)

Commission: Dumbledore

Today's commission piece is Harry Potter's mentor, Albus Dumbledore. I enjoyed the HP books and had a blast drawing him.

Additionally, I'm accepting preorders for San Diego Comic-Con (July 20–24). As usual, I'm not sure if I'll be doing more than penciled headshots at the show (stagefright), so please consider lining up a commission before the show. If you're an art collector that prefers to have commissions done in your themed sketchbook, you can mail me your sketchbook and I'll be glad to bring it to the show.

Contact me at atomictikistudio at gmail dot com with any questions or requests.

PRICING

$40 for an inked single-character piece on 8.5 x 11 (or 9 x 12...depending on what I have lying around). Additional figures, email me for a quote. Plan on $5 for Priority Mail shipping if you won't be picking up the piece at the show.

$80 for an inked single character piece on 11 x 17. Again, for additional figures, email me for a quote. And again, $5 for Priority Mail shipping if you won't be picking up the piece at the show.

(ink wash added at artist's discretion...let me know up front if it's something you really, really, really have your heart set on.)