ALAMO CITY COMES TO AN END!

As I drove up to San Antonio Thursday morning, I was so pumped. My second big show of the year is hours away from becoming my next huge step into syndication. I would get to see one of my mentors, Guy Gilchrist, again. I would be seen by thousands of new readers, allowing me to grow my army. I was on my way to a huge success with a show that I hoped would become a staple show.

Passing through Sealy, Texas, I saw a dead deer on the side of the road. 30 minutes later, I saw another one. Just past Schulenburg, I saw a third deer dead on the side of the road. I began to get nervous. A fourth dead deer would be bad luck! Everyone knows that one dead deer – Your dreams are clear. Two Dead Deer – Bad vibes may interfere. Three dead deer – Cracks may appear. Four Dead Deer – Dreams are crushed and you’re landing on your rear.

My wife and I stopped for lunch in Flatonia. We ate at an amazing bistro called the Red Vault Bistro way out in the middle of nowhere. After filling up, I drove off with that excited feeling fluttering in my heart. Twenty miles later, I saw the fourth dead deer on the side of the road. The Jinx was fixed.

 I made it to San Antonio, loaded in and had a great evening on the Riverwalk. I love San Antonio. The Riverwalk was beautiful. The food was nowhere near as good as I recalled though. My wife had not been in years. I was there last year for Alamo City Comic Con but I ate on the cheap. Years ago when we used to dine on the Riverwalk, the food was so good. I guess when you have so many tourists to feed, you must cut corners.

Onto the show. Day one was painful. I ended up making thirty five bucks. That is it. I sold two comic books, a few buttons, a few mini prints and an original Sasha Banks sketch card mashup. Day two, the day that should be the big day, I made sixty three bucks and I was crushed. In two days, I paid for gas to and from San Antonio. Day three was a little better… I made eighty six dollars. All in all, I did not make enough to cover my table or hotel. I made enough to pay for gas, my new banner and for the Facebook Event boost. I am never boosting a Facebook post ever again.

The odd thing is when I did Alamo City Comic Con when it was on the Riverwalk a year and a half ago, I did so incredibly well. I just knew that since I now had a comic book. I would have a massively successful show. This is why I worked so hard crating 35 new sketch cards, 12 new buttons, 27 new print cards and invested in the new banner for my table. I did not sleep Tuesday or Wednesday night. I may have gotten in five or six hours over the two evenings. That is how confident I was in my success and how important that success would be.

Because of how poorly the show was going, I had to work hard at my table. I did not get to walk around and network. I did not get to talk with Guy except to wish him a good morning. I did not get to mingle with my comic con family. Artists were leaving in a huff and a bit early every day of the show because I hear sales were actually flat everywhere. I am hoping that is not the case because I never wish ill fate upon my friends. I pray the bad show was just on me.

I was so down afterwards that I did not go see the Alamo. I always see the Alamo when I am in San Antonio. I am a very proud Texan and I love the history of my state. For me to not make fifteen minutes to walk over to the Alamo proves how upsetting this failure was for me. Looking back now, I should have made the time. Just like Texas, I am not letting one huge loss derail my destiny. Nope. I am going to study this experience and figure out what I did wrong. The show had a ton of people there so there must be something I did wrong since I have been doing so incredibly well at my shows thus far following the release of my comic book.

As a drove home, just along the San Antonio border, I saw one last dead deer! See a fifth dead deer – You curse will disappear. Phew! I am so glad that is over. Maybe that curse was why I did so poorly.

I will return to San Antonio in a few years. I never do a bad show again the following year. I will see you all again in San Antonio in 2020.

– Davy