Mr. Ryan Claytor of Elephant Eater Comics visited my LCS today. It was his last stop on his book signing tour, before settling into Lansing. Which is cool. It's always fun to meet the artist. Especially when the artist is an extremely nice guy who kind of reminds me of my (youngest) uncle (who, incidentally, is a painter living in California, and is also an extremely nice guy. Similar vibe, I guess.)
The thing is, though, while it's always fun to meet the artist, it can also be one of the most awkward guilt-trips ever. I'm not familiar with Ryan's work, nor did I budget for it today. It's the last Wednesday of the month, when most of my pull list comes out. I have a budget and a routine, and that didn't include a ten-dollar collected edition. So I found myself talking (awkwardly) to a recently local indie creator. Picked up the first trade to look at it, but... How do you stand in front of someone, anyone, and silently read (or read and comment on) their work in front of them? I had a similar problem when I met Guy Davis a couple years ago, but at least there I'd had the foresight to purchase and read his book (Unstable Molecules, a haunting take on the Fantastic Four) beforehand.
So that's the awkward. The guilt is passing up an autobiographical comic which, frankly, looks kind of cool with the creator sitting right there, and purchasing the Marvel monthlies I've already agreed to buy. Such is the nature of the pull list. *sigh*
Well, next week is slow. I'm pulling the Ms. Marvel Annual (Or at least, I think I am. Never can tell with my LCS. Gods, that's an awful cover...), I'm planning on Manhunter, and I'm curious about Marvel Apes (pending previews), but should they be there, I may plan on picking up the first collection of And Then One Day.
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Hi there Canton,
This is Ryan Claytor. Just wanted to say thanks for the quick write-up about my last tour stop. Hopefully I didn't make ya feel too awfully awkward. :)
Quick piece of advice; DON'T WORRY about those sensitive artists behind the table. Ha-ha! Just pick up their work, make an honest evaluation, and don't feel bad if you don't have the duckets to pick it up. I understand being a student and will certainly not judge you for being on a limited budget, and neither should any other artists for that matter.
Well, I know Clem's has copies of all my books, so now maybe you can feel free to peruse them without me sitting in front of you. :) Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoyed your pull-list guilt-free.
Take care,
Ryan Claytor
www.ElephantEater.com
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