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If you’ve been following here or on social media for a while, you probably know how much I love Dallas Comic Con. Three times a year, Dallas’s biggest fandoms unite for a weekend full of cosplay, unlimited Wild Bill’s soda, Q&A sessions, reunions, photo ops and special screenings. A few weeks ago, the Irving Convention Center hosted Dallas Comic Con once again for Fan Days and this round certainly did not disappoint. A Karate Kid reunion, Ginny Weasley (aka Bonnie Wright’s) first US con, Walking Dead fan favorite Michael Rooker, John Rhys Davies and the Ashmore twins were just a few of the celebrities to hit the stage.
Despite all the excitement of the celebrities and Q&A sessions, this time around I found myself spending more and more time in the exhibit hall. I’ve said it before, but there’s just something so incredible about seeing countless artist’s interpretations of your favorite fandoms. And believe me when I tell you there’s something for everyone. I love that you can simultaneously support small business owners, rock your fandom AND not break the bank (most prints are going to run you $10-$25, depending on the artist, size and type of piece). Here are a few of my favorite artists and, even though I wasn’t planning on buying anything, of course I went home with a new piece of art to add to my ever-growing Dallas Comic Con collection.
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Gingerzap! Admittedly, Liz is a friend of a friend but I’m always insanely impressed by her talent. Her paint splatter art is more than your typical Jackson Pollock wannabe – she turns paint splatters into your favorite characters including an INSANE amount of Pokemon. It doesn’t hurt that she’s absolutely adorable and super friendly – catch her at tons of cons all over the place or you can follow her on Twitter or Facebook to get updates on her newest prints.
Jim Ferguson. I didn’t buy anything from Jim this time around but last time I went home with three gorgeous pieces! Not only does he pull from pop culture, he actually sketches entire scenes. One of my favorite things about Jim’s work is the unexpected – you’ll see stills from The Big Lebowski, The Princess Bride, Jurassic Park (something weirdly missing from most artists’s booths…) and The Labyrinth, to name a few. Last time around I went home with a still featuring Jack Nicholson’s Joker and it’s one of my favorite pieces in my house. Looks like Facebook is the best place to follow Jim online, or you can check out his Etsy shop to buy some of his work.
Tom Carlton. This was the booth I couldn’t resist this year. All of Tom’s pieces start out as oil paintings so you know they’re detailed and beautiful. His reworking of the Last Supper with all Bill Murray characters was what drew me to his booth but I went home with a gorgeous Edward Scissorhands print. One thing I love about Tom’s work is he mixes pop culture references into something totally fresh and new. At his booth you can find Chewbacca drinking a Guiness, Gandalf holding a lightsaber and he even showed me a painting he was working on of Darth Maul riding Smaug. Lucky for you, Tom has a lot of his work online!
Phil Spaulding. One of the first people I talked to at this year’s con, Phil was an absolute joy. His work might be a little creepy and gory but that’s definitely not the vibe you get when you talk to Phil. Clearly inspired by the beauty of horror, I couldn’t take my eyes off his Frankenstein’s monster print with a butterfly over his head. Also the fact that Phil’s mom was there attending her first con ever really won me over. He isn’t local, so I’m really hoping to see Phil next time around and snag a handful of his prints! Click here to view some of Phil’s work online and to purchase prints.
Of course there are COUNTLESS amazing artists at every Dallas Comic Con, so make sure to check them out next time around. Lucky for you, there’s another Fan Days coming up in February so don’t miss it!
xoxo
Valery
