The World is still big

and I'm still here.

I had a great time in Raleigh being a guest of Galaxy Con. It was a weird experience in many ways, because we’re still learning how to live in these pandemic times, and because I’m a long way from finishing my next book and had nothing really recent to promote (and in part because of that this might have been the first convention I went as a guest and didn’t have any panels). Still, I had fun and it was great to go out into the World again and see it’s still out there. And you’re still here, and you can talk and meet your friends, and make new ones.

Conventions are little bubbles, and everything I was paying attention in the World before the convention started kinda felt out of my radar these past four days, and inside the bubble I existed to share my passion for comics, and be excited about what my friends have been doing and all they have been through and learned these three years of isolation. Standing behind a table for days promoting your work, signing, drawing and talking to the public all day long can be exhausting, and we can end every day tired, but what I felt the most was the happiness to see friends again and share our love for comics. Some of my friends were at San Diego the previous weekend as well, and they said they felt it there too, and that they spent the entire convention feeling like it was the best San Diego they’d ever been.

Adding to the unusual aspect of my experience at Raleigh, I spent most of my days sitting at my table drawing commissions that people on the show asked for, which is something I just don’t do. I have tables in conventions to sell books, sign whatever people bring me, and to talk to the readers and to other artists, so I usually just doodle on the books I sign, really fast, and I spend every day standing up, looking people in the eye as I sign their books and talk to them. This time, I decided to experience this commission option to see how I would handle it. If I had a new book out, I probably wouldn’t be able to cope, but as it was, I just sat behind my table, put on my mask and started drawing. Looking back and talking about it with other artists, I think I was lucky in the topics people chose for my drawings, and I didn’t have to repeat myself and wasn’t put off by the characters I was drawing.

I’m at the airport, waiting for my first plane on my long way back home. I’m tired but completed inspired. I can’t wait to get home and back to work. And I also can’t wait for my first flight to take off so that I can sleep on the plane for a little while.

See you around, beautiful people.

Be safe. Be kind. Be curious.
Pa-ZOW!

Fábio Moon
Moon Base, São Paulo
August 1st, 2022