How to Want to Table in Artist Alleys
By: Caitlin Rogers
It takes courage to apply and set up your own merchandise with your own illustrations, photographs, and trinkets. We’ve seen them before; at our favorite anime conventions or comic cons. #TableGoals on their Instagram and TikTok pages, traveling from state to state, meeting all sorts of people, networking, and best of all, all with the intention of selling their work and having their work reach in more ways than just an algorithm. To think, to get started is not only intimidating but extremely overwhelming!
So between making merchandise, creating work worth taking home, and finding where to look to table, how do you start tabling? What are some ways others have gotten started and how can I create a system that could work for me?
Welcome to Curiosity’s Corner. We help you at least think to get started. If you know, you know. Sometimes getting started is the largest hurdle we have to jump through. And at least you can have examples from a creative professional, then a PDF for you to download & work on alongside yourself to feed that curiosity itch.
This particular time, we have a special treat for you! Normally, we interview a creative professional (or someone in house talks to you about the who’s and the where’s). But this time? We have a couple of professionals plus yours truly. I’m hoping after reading this and the cool down of the summer can get you started for 2025 tabling! Let’s get started.
Let’s get this disclaimer out of the way:
Beginning your artist alley journey is hereby accepting you want to start your own business. Starting a business is no easy task! A lot of people who do have the mental capacity to get started also acknowledge that this is a journey and that this takes a large amount of effort and patience. Please be kind to yourself as you gather your courage to train, research, and sign up for the races. Because that is what we are here to do, give you an idea of what it takes to get to the starting line.
And what does it take to get to the starting line?
Let’s write it a list (you know I loves me a list):
Where to table and the options for you
Finding your niche and making merch accordingly
Commissions and other forms of art requests
The tower of table set up
Game day and networking
Remember those creative professionals I mentioned? Let’s chat with them a little bit here and get their opinion on the matter. Today, we are going to talk to Inique Harris and Ashley Benoit! Both have had their foot in their respective tabling markets for such an admirable amount of time. Inique has experience with art markets and art galleries;. Ashley has experience with anime conventions; and I have experience with comic cons and zine festivals. Together, all three of us will be able to steer you in a direction that works for you.
Caitlin: How did you find / accept your art and your merchandise niche? How did you
find your schtick?
Ashley: So, here's the thing. When it comes to conventions, a lot of people really go there for fan art, but I don't enjoy drawing fan art. Like... I find absolutely no enjoyment in it. I'll do it from time to time. If it's something that I enjoy like, it was an anime I watched and I was like, yeah, I like this, let me draw them in my style, I'll do it.
But I'm not going to actively be like, okay, I have to draw Naruto. I have to draw Hunter x Hunter, or whatever.
Caitlin: The popular new anime that season.
Ashley: EXACTLY. I'll maybe make fan art merch of smaller stuff. Like stickers or keychains of the popular fandoms. I really enjoy making my art and art for me.
Ink: I found my schtick by being unapologetically myself because I love cute shit. Can I say that? I love cute shit. I love [my plushies] so much, and I also noticed that there was a lack of that in my close-knit art community. And so I was like, well, somebody's gotta do it. It's gonna be me and I'm gonna have fun doing it. So I decided to just make everything just adorable.
Caitlin: Personally, I feel like I only just got my schtick. I love books. I love bookmaking and bookbinding. I know there are kids who visit artist alleys that not only love anime and comics, but also love to draw. I try to cater to those kids. I create book journals and graphic [novel] journals for those who like to keep track of their reading. And artwork that suits their hobbies and needs. Because they are also my hobbies and needs.
After finding what makes you stand out and you begin narrowing the places you want to table, then comes the deep plunge: applying and then going. Tabling in person versus virtual can have its own setbacks and appeals. Make sure as you find organizations to build a relationship with, you do what works best for you and prepare accordingly.
I’ve (Caitlin for clarity HA!) previously tabled at Flamecon virtually. This was during 2021 when we were all still inside and trying to find ways to supplement our income after a huge halt to the convention style industry. They made a cool way to table and “walk the artist alley ways” with Miro. Panels, live voice chats, it was the coolest thing! Although I didn’t make anything that con, the best thing was making connections and networking with other creatives I wouldn’t have otherwise due to location restrictions.
The majority of organizations have in person meets where you will have to organize your table accordingly and figure out how you would like to display yourself that respects your brand. If you would like to know how to build a brand and why you might, revisit a previous Curiosity’s Corner of mine here!
Game day can in and of itself be overwhelming, especially setting up. No no, waking up and then setting up. Double checking inventory and cash on hand. It’s the most nerve racking but extremely satisfying moment. Let’s talk with Ashley and Inique again to see how they face artist alley anxieties, networking, and as well as their final thoughts.
Caitlin: How do you enjoy networking at these artist alleys?
Ashley: Oh my God, I'm such a little scaredy turtle, I don't like talking to people, but I want people to talk to me because I want to be friends. Um, at most, what I'll do is try to introduce myself to my neighbors. Two tables from me. So like the one next to me and then the one that's next to them and then to my left and right. And try to like, know what they do. See why they're here? Where are they from? Why did they think it was a good idea to come and travel out here? Um, you know, just to see what their input is if it's their first con. But yeah, I’m pretty bashful.
Ink: Oh I love to speak with people! Either the people who are coming to see my booth or my booth neighbor, I'm always talking to them. “Hey, how you doing? Oh, I love your stuff.” And I like going to just engage with them and ask questions like, “Hey, what inspired you to do this? What's going on with this? Um how'd you come up with that?”
When it comes to networking I say just try to be friendly if you can be. I think that's the main thing.
And also, I like to do art trades, like, when it comes to the end of the convention, I'm like, okay, I saw something across the way, andI really want it and I go up to that person. Then I ask them if they would be interested in a trade and nine times out of ten that works [for me] and then we're instant friends.
Caitlin: It’s not bad. I get overwhelmed sometimes. Not because I am shy, I can hold conversations pretty easily. Actually, I have the honor to be the kid once set up, people gravitate towards my table. Sometimes it’s hard to not want to tell them to lemme out so I can explore the artist alley floor. I’m also grateful that sometimes I will suggest we all [let me leave from behind my table and then] walk the floor together.
One of my favorite parts is grabbing everyone’s cards and stuffing them in my fanny pack. Only recently did I throw away cards that were like, five years old. (That’s because I know I know I followed that person.) I will have a stack of cards as big as a book by the end of the day.
Caitlin: Any final thoughts?
Ashley: … Be like Nike, just do it, who cares? Like it's an experience. You have to get the experience first in order to continue doing it. I don't expect people that are brand new to have like a whole plethora of stuff. Just take the leap of faith.
Ink: If you want to get into tabling, I always say you can start off small within your local community. See what's going on. If you want to go big or go home, more power to you! Especially if you get into one of the really big convention conventions. Personally, I started off small by going to local festivals and local art crawls that my city has.
Caitlin: Experience is just past tense for experiment. You have to be willing to take losses. I’m not saying invest $5,000 on one kind of merch. But if it is within your means and it is something that matches your table’s brand, then go for it. The worst that can happen is you have to push to sell the rest of [whatever it is] and/or you have to start from scratch. Artist alley is business and risks, but it should also be fun. Nothing should stress you out so much to where you lose sleep over wanting to explore and try something out. Failing isn’t the end all be all people think it is, it is just a nudge in the right direction [for you]
I hope that this, longer than normal but insightful, Curiosity’s Corner piques your interest in possibly getting started for yourself.
As always, we have things for you to download and boy do we have a lot!
We have the transcripts of the interview(s) I did with Inique, Ashley, and myself! (Did I actually talk to myself? No. But 3 points of views on art markets, anime conventions, and comic cons was just too irresistible!)
We have the Catch Sheets for you to download and follow along with, also made with Inique, Ashley, and myself! It has the basis of what we went over here, along with pages where you can also fill in the spaces with your table brainstorming.
There’s also Separate Sheets for easy printing for your next tabling adventure.
We are here to close the gap for those who need the extra accommodations to even think to get started. Or even for those who like to have a premade list. Have fun!
As always goodbye for now, and until another day,
~Caitlin