Posts tagged: Rocky Mountain Con

My 2016 Hugo Eligible Fan Art

I’ve been contributing artwork to conventions for a really long time. As in, about two decades. Most notably as a CONvergence co-founder, I created the CONvergence mascot characters and over the years have produced a vast majority of the art for the convention. But I like to contribute to other conventions too. It’s just something I do because I love fan-run conventions and I love lending my skills as an artist to make those events a little more special and unique. I never really gave it a lot of thought outside of generally being proud of my work, and enjoying the community’s reactions to it.

So it’s fair to say I was surprised when a good friend suggested to me that these works are eligible for Hugo nomination under the Fan Artist category.

This is a great (if you’ll pardon my pun) illustration of the dichotomy inherent to being a professional artist who is involved with fandom. There’s this whole side of my life as an artist that is absolutely professional—yes, I get paid, under contract, to draw comic books. But then there’s also this significant side of my life producing artwork that is, well, not professional at all. It’s all about being a fan and contributing to fandom. And it honestly, really never occurred to me before that my non-professional works could potentially be significant enough to be recognized.

I understand it’s common for those with Hugo eligible work in a given year to do a post listing it. So this will be me doing that. I’ve never done this before so I hope it’s not too off-base.

Click on any art to see it larger.

CVG 2016 Ad - flat & clean RGB cropped

CONvergence

The theme for CONvergence 2015 was Dystopia. Here is the art I did for the con in 2015.

Programming Guide Covers

I created the covers for the CONvergence 2015 programming guide and pocket programming guide (called “The Grid”; its cover always has a grid theme. It’s possible I’m fond of visual puns.)

CONvergence 2015 Programming Guide CONvergence 2015 Grid

T-Shirt

The CONvergence 2015 T-shirt art references 1984, but with Connie Mark 2, the (slightly evil) little sister of Connie, CONvergence’s mascot.

CONvergence 2015 T-Shirt

Badges

I created the art for three of the four CONvergence 2015 membership badges. (Space intentionally left at the bottom for names to be printed.)

CVG 2015 Reg Badge - 18 LAYERS CVG 2015 Reg Badge - 6-12 LAYERS CVG 2015 Reg Badge - 5 & Under LAYERS

Guest of Honor Badges

Every year I create unique, custom badge art for every CONvergence Guest of Honor. Here are the Guest of Honor badges I made for CONvergence 2015. (Click here to read more about the process behind them.)

CVG 2015 GoH Badge prev - Bryan Thao Worra CVG 2015 GoH Badge prev - Charlotte Fullerton CVG 2015 GoH Badge prev - Gordon Smuder CVG 2015 GoH Badge prev - Lee Harris CVG 2015 GoH Badge prev - Toni Weisskopf CVG 2015 GoH Badge prev - Wesley Chu CVG 2015 GoH Badge prev - Jennifer Ouellette CVG 2015 GoH Badge prev - Chad Frey CVG 2015 GoH Badge prev - Nicole Dubuc

CONvergence 2016 Ad

The ad I created for CONvergence 2016, which will celebrate the great and interesting modes of transportation in science fiction and fantasy. This appeared in the back of the CONvergence 2015 programming guide, and on the CONvergence website. Bonus points if you can name all the vehicles!

CVG 2016 Ad - REV FLAT

CONvergence 2016 Logo and Web Graphic

Every year I create a new custom logo to reflect CONvergence’s theme, and 2015 was no different. The logo and website header graphic must be created a year in advance of the con, so that they can be published in printed materials and go live on the website immediately after the convention. Here is the logo that I created for CONvergence 2016, pictured as part of the website header graphic that I also made.

CVG-2016-Web-Header-A

Rocky Mountain Con

Rocky Mountain Con is a fan-run convention in Denver, CO that serves as a fundraiser for Aurora Rise, a charity established to support victims of the 2012 Aurora Theater Shooting. For their 2015 convention, I created this commemorative artwork for them to sell at their merchandise table, with 100% of the sales going to the con’s charity.

"Rise" Art print, depicting Batman on a building ledge, with the word "RISE" on the side of the building. The sky is red and cloudy.

Midwest Comic Book Association

MCBA is a fan-run organization that produces two nonprofit comic cons in Saint Paul, MN annually. In 2014, Nick Post, the beloved founder and driving force behind MCBA, passed away unexpectedly. It hit the community very hard. This is a piece of artwork I produced for MCBA’s Spring con to memorialize Nick and to raise money for MCBA’s partner charity.

Nick Post as Kingpin of Comics

Gallifrey One

2015 was kind of a light year for me doing artwork for Gallifrey One, a fan-run Doctor Who convention in LA. I did draw this train sporting the seal of Rassilon, which the con used for the Gallifrey One 2016 (Station 27) ad in their 2015 programming book.

Gallifrey One Ad

JOFcon

Umm… platypus? Fez? Badge art? Yes.

JOFcon Logo

Other Fan Art

This is some other fan art I made in 2015. I put it in the art shows and/or display it in the artist alleys of conventions I attend.

Bat Wolf Art Print Go Team Batgirl! Svengoolie - Framed prev Justice League art print by Christopher Jones Nightwing's Butt WonderBat Print prev

Exclusive Art Print to Benefit Aurora Rise at Rocky Mountain Con 2015

Art Print showing Batman perched on a building ledge with the word "Rise" on the building. Text on image reads, "EXCLUSIVE ART PRINT BY CHRISTOPHER JONES. 100% OF SALES GO TO AURORA RISE, BENEFITING THE VICTIMS OF THE 2012 AURORA THEATER SHOOTING. ROCKY MOUNTAIN CON 2015, $10 AT THE AURORA RISE BOOTH."

I first met up with Aurora Rise at Denver Comic Con 2013, where I did a signing at their table and a sketch for their charity sketch book. I reached out to them to do the same when I returned to Denver Comic Con in 2014, and I’d been looking for an excuse to do a little more ever since. You see, Aurora Rise is this amazing example of how the comics & fan community can be a wonderful, supportive, thriving force for good, even in the face of ugliness and adversity. Since the tragic events of July 20, 2012, Aurora Rise has provided continuing support to those affected. They are a shining presence in the Colorado fan community, and now even have their own convention, which is where I’ll be this weekend – Rocky Mountain Con.

Rocky Mountain Con 2015 is where you can be one of the first to pick up this exclusive 11×17″ art print by me for just $10. All sales (and I mean 100%) will go straight to Aurora Rise to help fund their works. The print will be available at the Aurora Rise booth.

"Rise" Art print, depicting Batman on a building ledge, with the word "RISE" on the side of the building. The sky is red and cloudy.

Additionally, I’ve donated the digital file of the art to Aurora Rise for them to do with as they wish – be it making more prints, posters, or whatever else they want. This print will not be available through my Etsy store or from me at any convention. You will only be able to get it through Aurora Rise.

Returning to Denver

I know Rocky Mountain Con isn’t as big as Denver Comic Con, but I’m really looking forward to it and hoping to get to see some Denver fans.

If you live in the Denver area and are on the fence about going, just know that there are some benefits to smaller conventions, including: shorter lines, easier access to guests, more face time with guests and creators, and a sense of community that you don’t always get at the mega-sized conventions. So I encourage you to give it a shot. Plus I’ll be there! And so will my pal, the puppet extraordinaire behind Transylvania Television and Vermin, Gordon Smuder. (Not to mention this other guy who’s sort of big in comics… you might have heard of him… I think his name is George Perez?)

Rocky Mountain Con 2015 Panels 

Here are the panels I’m scheduled to be on this weekend at Rocky Mountain Con 2015. If I’m not at my table during the con, I’m probably on a panel!

Saturday 11/7

11:00 am – Doctor Who: The Companions (panel room 2 with local cosplayer Erin Card)

4:00 pm – Visual Storytelling (panel room 1 with Chad Hardin)

Sunday 11/8

11:00 am – Professional Comic Book Artist Q & A (Main Stage with Chad Hardin)

Rocky Mountain Con 2015 Sketch Rates & Prints

Sketch - Nightwing Headshot Sketch - Aquaman & Mera Sketch - Composite Superman headshot NYCC 2013 Dickbabs

Yes, I will definitely be doing commission sketches at Rocky Mountain Con.

Full Figure: $80 for the first character + $60 for each additional character

Head Sketch (shoulders & up): $60 or $40 with a current student ID

If you would like to send me your  sketch request ahead of time, putting you first on my list, please email it to chris@christopherjonesart.com as soon as possible with the subject, “ROCKY MOUNTAIN CON SKETCH REQUEST”.

I will also have all of my prints available for purchase. You can preview all of them in my Etsy store.

Free Mini-Prints!

As with all my convention appearances, I’ll have free buttons and mini-prints for anyone at Rocky Mountain Con who shows me they like my Facebook page or follows me on Twitter.

Showing all 3 mini-prints and button