Welcome to another week of Con Artists, where we celebrate the art and artists that we meet as we travel to conventions. If you’ve been following our column then you know that these Con Artists aren’t trying to bilk you out of a single thing. However, as I discovered personally, you may still have to keep a close eye on your wallet, but for entirely different reasons. There is simply so much fun and unique art at a Con. Most of it reasonably priced and totally worth buying!
Con Artists share with us their passion, talent, and skills in to their form of art. Today we are going to look at some of what I collectively refer to as “Geekcraft.” Not every artistic expression is in the form of painting or drawing. There are more than a few amazing artists who build, design, sew, or sculpt. It’s art born from an idea, countless hours, and immense effort. MegaCon Orlando was full of them this year and I want to share some of what I saw there with you today.
Silver Root Studios
When I popped by Jesica’s booth the first day at MegaCon I wanted everything. the craftsmanship, and imagination in each piece was pretty much the best sculpture art I saw all weekend. Trying to be budget conscious, I took a bunch of pictures, and promised myself I would come back Sunday. Word of Advice – don’t do that. Just buy what you want. On Sunday her stock was pretty much sold out including the great flask she posed with that my other half really wanted. Her work flew off the table. You can see why in the pictures. Luckily, she has a website. I see Christmas gifts.
Lazer Miami
I came across this booth and the Cowboy Bebop art stole my heart. They do a wide range of custom work from cell phone cases, to coasters, to cutting boards. From intricate, to simple and fun, the designs covered a majority of fandoms. If you don’t see something you like pre-made, well, their card does say “Custom Laser Engraving, Cutting & Design.”
Zombie Love Squad
In the market for an adorable monster pillow? Looking for cat ears and a tail to complete your anime cosplay? Zombie Love Squad has you covered. Yeah, I didn’t see any zombies either but I was too busy squeeing over the pillows.
T.M. Art
If you like your collectibles to last long enough for your little Geeklings to inherit them, you may want to check out T-Mart. Custom cut metal art that is a cool-looking as it is durable. Where else can you find Jareth, Aliens, The Flash, Predator, Boba Fett? Batman, Harley Quinn, Cap, and Solo? Also bonus points for their slogan. Shop Smart Shop T-Mart. Ash would be pleased.
The Sticker Dork
From vinyl decals to adorable anime and art dolls, The Sticker Dork offers fun and geeky items. Oh, yeah. They also sell t-shirts. I may or may not be a t-shirt junkie. Don’t Judge Me.
Geek Orthodox
If your fandom is practically your own personal religion or you just love the look of stained glass then you really need to check out Geek Orthodox. When I stopped by at MegaCon Orlando, aside from being dreadfully nice and friendly people. I was highly impressed with the originality of their work. naturally that meant I had to look them up afterward. I think their artist statement is one of the best I’ve seen: “Throughout time, every culture has made its own heroes, villains and icons about whom we create artwork and stories as a way of understanding the universe and our place within it. We believe that in modern geek culture many popular characters and institutions serve this function, and juxtaposing those images with a historic artistic medium like stained glass is a way for us to show how important a role they play in individual identity in modern society.” My pictures really don’t do their art justice. I recommend checking out their site.
Mechanical Oddities
If steampunk is your thing, then check out Mechanical Oddities. These wonderful purveyors of gadgets, gizmos, mechanical wonders, and useful tools caught my eye with their adorable little flying machine design The Sparrow mkII. Did I mention they have steampunk dice?
Horror Show Jack
When it comes to the twisted and weird, I admit, I have a bit of a weakness. There something inherently fun about the deliciously dark. This is what accounts for numerous fandoms with include the horrific / supernatural. From Zombies, to Vampires, to Witches, to Occult Mysteries there is more overlap in Geek and Goth than ever before. So it stands to reason that an artist like Jack would draw quite a bit of attention.
Horror Show Jack has a goal for at least one person in every state to own a pair of fangs made by him. Jack creates custom fangs that look so real only your dentist will know the difference. Jack is actually a really sweet guy but was a busy man working steadily away. his work bench was serenely nestled among the ador-horrible plush toys also available at his booth. So if you are in the market for Customized Fangs, Teeth, Horror Show Bears, or any other Creepy Creations you may want to give Jack a call.
I hope you enjoyed this sampling of Geekcraft. I want to note that there was a ton of unique art and many talent craftsman at MegaCon Orlando. I wish I could have included them all. My advice – block time in your future Con schedules to explore Artist Alley and take the time to visit all of the wonderful Con Artists that come out to join us each Con. I’m heading to Metrocon next and I just can’t wait!
