It started as a joke. During the “pros only” portion of the con on Friday, I kept having people ask me if I did sketches. I explained over and over, as I have done at other cons, that I cannot draw. Or, at least, I cannot draw well.
Then I had an idea.
I went downstairs to the Fedex/Kinko’s store at McCormick Place and bought a ream of printer paper for $15.00. (I know, an incredible rip-off, but wait.) I then wrote a little sign offering the “World’s Crappiest Sketches.”
Then someone asked me if I could draw Zatanna. I came up with a stick figure with long black hair, fishnets, a top hat, and a ridiculously large bust. I gave it a speech balloon saying “Ward t’nac tsitra siht!” and wrote “The World’s Crappiest Sketch of Zatanna.” She squealed and gave me a buck.
I then redid my sign as you see it above.
By the end of the day I had sold 33 of the World’s Crappiest Sketches. They ranged from half-decent (like my Batman and Spider Man, when you consider that they’re just stick figures) to ridiculous (a tiny little stick figure as Ant-Man) to just plan wrong. (See the picture on the right.) But people seem to love them. And I’d more than doubled my ridiculous expenditure on the ream of paper, with the two busiest days of the con yet to come.
Sometimes it’s the unexpected inspirations that yield the best results.
Excellent! Very good!
I gleefully purchased a Professor Xavier Sketch and now am looking for the exact right place to display it on my wall. You can now write a book on how to double your investment at any con!
This is fantastic!
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You used only 35 sheets of paper. There’s more paper in that ream!
“How to Achieve a 4000% Return on Investment” by Pab Sungenis.
Actually, I ended up selling 115 sketches total so it’s a little less than 4000%. Plus cost of labor. But it was fun and I plan to do it again on the convention circuit this year.
I luv ur drawing, keep it up
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