Leia Sketch Card Commission by Frank A. Kadar

This is the second of three weekends in a row that I am stuck at work. It kind of sucks, but I chose to do it because it opens up a little more money for us to use at the Salt Lake Comic Con FanX next month.

Every time we go to a convention, I go through a weird cycle of emotions. I get excited, make up a plan, and purchase the tickets. Then I go through a period where I think of all the things that could go wrong, feel bad about the expense of it all, and worry that we won't be getting the best value out the experience. I consider cutting my losses by not attending at all. Sometimes these bad feelings extend into the early parts of the event itself. Then my wife talks me out of going home early and we come up with a decent plan for seeing the things we want to see. Once I get over that hump, I generally have a good time and remember the event fondly. But even though I know this roller coaster happens every time, I feel powerless to stop it from happening. Right now I'm going through the phase where I wonder if we should even go. I am trying to get through it without driving my wife over the edge of sanity with all of my wishy-washy worries.

I would like it if there were a little more information on the website about exhibitors and booths in the Artist Alley. They've announced a handful of high-profile comic book artists as guests, but events like the Emerald City Comic Con have lists of artists and vendors already posted, with many of the artists outlining commission prices and policies in their listings. The Salt Lake Comic Con crowd seems to enjoy rolling out the lists bit by bit over what feels like forever. I prefer to have as much notice as possible on everything, so their methods just cause me anxiety and frustration. I'm sure I'll feel better once there is a list.

About a month ago, I showed off a Power Girl sketch I commissioned from artist Frank A. Kadar. I liked it so much that I went back to his online shop and ordered another sketch for my collection.

This one features the subject of my other main sketch card collection, Leia from Star Wars. Kadar does some great work and seems to get commissions done in a timely manner. This sketch jumps right up there on the list of favorite Leia sketches in my collection. I like all the detail in the art, especially Leia's face and hair, and I enjoy the colorful backgrounds he does on his cards. I like browsing eBay for sketch card bargains, but I also enjoy being able to get exactly what I want by commissioning sketches from artists whose work I follow.