Sharing My Story

The last four photos. James Babcock with his Madame X table. Don Ensign (right)
with Con Organizer Mike Oliveras. Last Don Ensign at the CCAS table. The first
photos are ones taken during the Con.

Tucson Comic Con Report

(This is a personal report of my experience manning the CCAS
table at the 2008 Tucson Comic Con, Nov 8, 2008)

I packed my material Friday night and
headed into Tucson the next morning. I arrived
at the Four Winds Sheraton hotel around 8:45 AM
and saw a familar stream of causally clad
people lugging in boxes of comics and other merchandise.
The location of the Con was in the Convention Center
building immediately behind the main hotel.
I walked into the building and saw my friend
James Babcock to my left. I had the table next to the main
entrance and James was seated at the next table
with his laptop computer out and working on
some character designs.

James helped me unload my car and we transported the
boxes of Christian comics into the convention hall.
I set up the table and also taped my freshly made large CCAS signs
to the wall behind the table. There were several Tucson
comic book stores, local comic book companies, and artists filling
the forty tables which lining the walls and
also a number of tables in the middle of the floor.

The official Con opening was at 10 AM. This was a free
admission event and with a very healthy stream
of people flowing in and out of the hall for most of the day.
This first annual Tucson Comic Con was a one day affair
and there was a general aura of excitement and enthusaism
among the exhibitors and attendees.

My CCAS table had free items (Chick tracts,
CCAS/Four Square Press color comic tracts, NASV New
Testaments, etc) on the right side and for sale comics,
graphic novels(Serenity, Z Graphic Novels, 2008 Guide to
Christian Comics) and so on occupying the center
and left parts of the table.

I received good response to the CCAS table. Here are some short
summaries of conversations.
* One conventionally dressed middle aged lady (perhaps
a church goer) came over to the table and I explained the
concept of Christian comics and showed and discussed
some of the items I had for sale. I could tell that that this
was a difficult concept and that she was having a hard time
wrapping her mind around it.
* Another 30ish or so woman came up to the table and
picked up a copy of Homeless Harry and stood in front of
the table very intently reading it completely through. She
seemed moved by it and picked up several of of the tracts.
*An African American women came up to the table and
mentioned that she worked at a homeless shelter. She
also picked up Homeless Harry (asking for three copies)
inquiring where she could get more. I also introduced her to
the other Street Comix—The Lonely Lady, Vengeance is Mine
and Paramen that she might be interested it.
She thanked me very much for being there.
This was a response I received a number of
times during the day.
* Yet another women approached the table and mentioned
that see worked in a soap kitchen and eagerly snatched
up a copy of Homeless Harry and wanted to find out where
she could get more.
* Another women showed a lot of interest in the table and
I asked her what church she was attending. She mentioned
a local Tucson congregation and was very interested in the
material we had. Later in the day she bought her husband by
and he spent time looking over our for sale items. I showed
him Proverbs and Parables which excited him (though he wished
it were in color). He ended up buying several items. He mentionred
that coming to own table and buying these items made it
worth cominbg to the convention.
*Late in the day I noticed one of the Lonely Lady tracts
torn up and placed on the Lonely Lady stack (Lonely
Lady is a short story of a hooker who meets the Savior).
I figure the message had gotten through and hit a sore spot.
* Besides seeing many tracts and New Testaments taken
it was encouraging to see a number of purchases of our
Christian comics and graphic novels.
* On a personal note Sequentially Tucson #3 made its debut
at the Con. Sequentially Tucson is a comic published by
IndieOnly Comics that showcases the talent of local
comic artists. I contributed a six page comic strip to it
featuring the Christian super hero the Golden Protector
(co-starring Ben Avery's Scout). This comic had been in the
offing for over a year and it made the convention even
more special.
The goals that I had for the convention were met. First, I wanted
to have a clear presense for Christ at this local start up venue.
Second, I wanted to introduce the idea and concept of Christian
comics to this new convention and begin an ongoing
education process which is for some a novel and even
radical idea. This was a seed planting venture with our presence
and the tract give aways. And lastly I wanted to see some
Christian comics sold. These goals were accomplished and
many prayers were most definitely answered.
At the finish of the convention James Babcock and his mother
Betty and I met at a local eatery for a debriefing of the day's
events. James likewise had a great time hawking his freshly
printed comic—Madame X Inc #1.
This was an excellent experience where I'm sure many seeds
were planted.