My first stint at an Artist's Alley is in the can!
Plus, some fun commissions, and books, dangit, Books!
Last weekend (4/26-29 2024), I had my inaugural ComicCon lone presence, at C2E2 Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo. Chicago Comic Con for those in a hurry.
I’ve done the big ‘cons before- New York and San Diego, usually as part of the National Cartoonists Society’s presence, but have never had my own thing.
Regular convention folks will throw a big “DUH!” my way, but I learned first hand how much goes into one of these things. Time and money, hopefully all well spent.
My reasons for doing this were two fold: 1) to sell stuff and make money, and 2) the part I’ve never been all that keen on, to develop a larger internet audience. I never really swallowed the notion that followers would be beneficial to making it as an illustrator, but them’s the times we livin’ in! I could pontificate as the day is long how all you used to need was a few Art Directors to know you and like your work and to have them in turn share your contact info with other Art Directors, usually over liquid lunches at the Society of Illustrators in NYC, but as far as I’ve witnessed in the modern world, a strong social media presence can be as much of a selling point than the actual work you do.
Well, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!
No big surprise, the whole thing was kinda fun. I had copies of all five of my books available for purchase (signed & drawed in, no less), one book that’s available for preorder, and I offered live caricature commissions for (kinda) cheap!
Yes, that’s a link to my caricature commissions page. I’m not proud.
Not sure what next event I’ll show up to, but it’ll happen, no doubt… what else am I gonna do with all these displays!
Speaking of commissions….
Given what I learned at C2E2, I’ve updated my whole personal commissions structure. Since you asked, here’s the lowdown…
Over on my site, I’ve got a nifty breakdown of what I offer, in terms of personal caricatures. What’s new is a tier similar to what I was offering at the convention!
I’ve now added ‘Convention Style’ caricatures to the list of options! Big day!
![A smattering of examples of Convention Style Caricatures.](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbd51d70f-b932-41d7-95a9-4075a785f344_720x1057.jpeg)
![A smattering of examples of Convention Style Caricatures.](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F39490760-d7c4-40c3-af3d-52cfa13ed8b6_720x1047.jpeg)
![A smattering of examples of Convention Style Caricatures.](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbb8b0b21-83c5-4e16-b52a-82c1cc7118f6_720x1022.jpeg)
![A smattering of examples of Convention Style Caricatures.](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fce172c69-b6cc-46e7-93a8-5a7d6caa0a28_604x720.jpeg)
![A smattering of examples of Convention Style Caricatures.](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8313f268-9e66-4cc0-aa7f-af577d65cdbf_720x960.jpeg)
Here’s the breakdown:
Black & white: $50/face
Color: $80/face
Want a big elaborate scene that’s more than just head & shoulders caricatures? Any additional costs will be fairly based on the level of complexity and mutually agreed upon before any work begins.
Shipping & handling: $5 (cheap!)
That’s it. Want a drawing with 15 people in it, you got it! Want something with you, your best friend and your favorite comedian? Sure thing! The possibilities are endless, I tell ya!
It’s also probably worthwhile to note here that I also have an option for signed & personalized books on my site as well…
(NOTE- I promise, this Substack will not be all about hawking my wares! But it’d behoove me to pepper this stuff in from time to time, but going forward, there will more often than not be something at least moderately interesting attached to the shameless hawking.)
Picture books!
From author Jennifer George and Reuben Award-winning illustrator Ed Steckley, Rube Goldberg’s Simple Normal Humdrum School Day is a picture book adventure following a day in the life of the famed inventor.
If Rube’s inventions are any indication, “normal” means something very different in the Goldberg household. For Rube, up is down, in is out, and the simplest path to accomplishing an everyday task—like brushing his teeth or getting dressed—is a humorously complicated one. Follow Rube as he sets out on a typical school day, overcomplicating each and every step from the time he wakes up in the morning until the time he goes to bed at night.
This book features 14 inventions, each depicting an interactive sequence whose purpose is to help Rube accomplish mundane daily tasks: a simple way to get ready for school, to make breakfast, to do his homework, and so much more.
In Rube Goldberg’s Simple Normal Definitely Different Day Off, follow along with the young inventor in this wacky, STEAM-focused picture book.
A “definitely different” follow-up to Rube Goldberg’s Simple Normal Humdrum School Day, written by Jennifer George, the granddaughter of Rube Goldberg, and illustrated by Reuben Award-winning artist Ed Steckley. In this collaboration, they imagine Rube Goldberg as a young inventor who builds complex machines to solve simple, everyday problems.
Follow along as he invents zany chain-reaction contraptions to have the best day off from school ever—including a simple way to play fetch in the yard without leaving his bedroom, a self-operating swing, and a super simple series of movie snacking machines.
“Colorful, amusing, and detailed double-page spreads resemble the real Rube Goldberg’s cartoons . . . Endpapers with sight gags, a progression of animals, and more add to the merriment, while a concluding look at simple machines keeps the antics educational.” —Booklist
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa2b0cee1-5c6c-405d-a034-99137afd488d_1200x800.jpeg)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F41838cbe-9803-4856-897f-0c299f0cb546_1200x800.jpeg)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9f025f35-12e5-46ce-9169-c16c42d7c48d_1200x800.jpeg)
Middle Readers!
From bestselling author Brandon T. Snider and Reuben Award-winning illustrator Ed Steckley, Rube Goldberg and His Amazing Machines is the hilarious first book in an all-new illustrated middle-grade series starring the young inventor.
“This book made my kids laugh and got them off screens. No really. It’s magic.” —Jim Gaffigan
That’s it for this thrilling episode of the Steckley ‘Stack! More fun stuff on Friday…