Thanks to everyone who came out this weekend for MoCCA 2008 and stopped by the Cliff Face table. It seemed as though, rather than the economy, it was the one-day 30-degree heat increase that kept attendance down as we saw a lot of out-of-town faces but fewer locals. In all fairness, the few times I stepped outside it felt like I'd opened an oven on my face. I'm not sure I would've come out to the show if we weren't working.
But the flip side to this was that we got a chance to spend more time with the people who did make it to the show, meet new people and catch up with the friends we only see at conventions. Although, as always, there are some people you still don't get a chance to see enough of.
We were incredibly fortunate to have Will Dinski as our immediate neighbor. In four years we've come to really appreciate going an entire convention without the urge to murder the person your next to. Beyond that, he's a cartoonist and book-maker that I admire.
The most insanely striking comic on the convention floor was John Mejias' print triptych Paping Brings You... So What? This was three 20x26" woodblock prints of socio-political debate between soldiers on the front. It's also darkly funny.
I think one of the negative sides to the low attendance was there were fewer people walking the floors and making trades. It's always been one of my favorite ways to share comics. Jamie Tanner came through the convention doing just that, and it was good to see him and get his new book.
Too many new books to go through right now. Minicomics, Belgian comics, Finnish comics, Boston comics, webcominc, postcard comics, newspaper comics, business card comics, etc. I've got quite a stack. Also, I have to install the air conditioner before I pass out.
Thanks everyone!
