This is where I admit to you that I am actually a big … nerd. My particular brand of nerdiness comes in the flavor of "comic book fan," and this past weekend I joined thousands of my fellow Star Wars-loving, manga-reading, Darth Vader costume-wearing wonderful weirdos at the annual Wondercon Convention held at Moscone Center in downtown San Francisco.
The three-day event attracts fans from all over the country every year, even though it is overshadowed by the much bigger Comic-Con held in San Diego each July. Nevertheless, Wondercon is a massive event, and the entire floor of the sprawling convention center becomes a near-impassable labyrinth of vendors, artists, shoppers, fanboys, and gawkers of all ages. The biggest name at this year's event was none other the new "Green Latern" himself, Ryan Reynolds, on hand to promote the upcoming Warner Brothers summer blockbuster. Another big name was Robert Kirkman, the writer of the Walking Dead comic books, which was turned into a successful AMC miniseries last fall.
As I watched lines for the overheating ATMs snaking around the corner, and shelled out quite a pretty penny myself for some comic books, T-shirts, and other things perhaps too nerdy to mention here, I was reminded again what a big business the whole comic book culture is, especially these days when the large majority of attendees are adults (at least on the outside). As I meandered slowly through the crowd of convention-goers, some costumed as superheroes and pushing through the throng like salmon in spandex, I came across some interesting folks who were doing something different enough to catch my eye amid the colorful chaos.
Ben Walker is an artist and illustrator whose art is inspired by comic book visions of the Wild West and features lots of cowboys, jackalopes, and gun-slinging bears. Walker sells his original art as prints, and produces T-shirts and accessories featuring his artwork. Here he is with girlfriend Amanda, showing off her very cool wooden wings.
One husband and wife team who are running their own small business until they "have to get day jobs," the owners of AnimeHot told me that they mostly sell their wares at Anime conventions but are starting to give comic book conventions a try to expand their customer base. They hand construct a line of rainbow-colored hats topped with animal ears: cat, rabbit, bear, fox, and more. They also sell whimsical plush items like fox tails and plushstache mustaches that can be worn under your nose, held in place by an elastic band. In addition to selling at conventions, the owners of AnimeHot distribute their creations via a number of online marketplaces including eBay and Etsy.
Another creative business concept that really wouldn't exist without a customer base of hardcore geeks was Totally Wired Droids, a company that actually manufactures metal parts for people to construct their own R2-D2 robots. And, yes, there really is an R2-D2 Builders Club out there, founded in 1999 by Dave Everett and with 5,000 members worldwide. The one wrinkle to this business is that due to licensing restrictions, Totally Wired Droids can only distribute its materials to club members and does not make any profit from the sale of its parts (following a "cost-only" model). Yes, it's an R2-D2 nonprofit, proof that you will encounter just about anything at one of these events.
One of the most important things you need to succeed as a small business owner is to have passion for what you do. If your passion just happens to be comic books, elves, aliens, science fiction movies, or wearing Star Trek costumes, it makes sense to try to channel those interests into a viable small business. My empty wallet is living proof that there are plenty of us out there waiting to become your next customer. Live long and prosper!
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