Crystal Fractal Comics at the Speakeasy comic book show

Last Thursday was a bit of a first for me. Being traditionally terrified of people, more specifically people I hadn’t previously met, initiating conversations off the cuff was a switch. Okay, perhaps I’m exaggerating a tiny bit, but even still. Despite my journalistic training and normally being thrust into a conversational flurry at any given moment, this was different. I’ve been to many conventions both as a fan and while working for Comic Book Daily, but have always been on the other side of the table (except when I go behind the table).

For four hours I stood at the Crystal Fractal Comics table, all seven of our books on display, and spoke to as many people as I could about the Crystal Fractal Universe (CFU). And they were great conversations. With one exception, a couple who thought the subject matter might a little much for their four-year-old, everyone seemed genuinely excited about the CFU, its stories and the characters involved. That was cool to see, as being a small, independent, scarcely known comic book publishing company, how could you ever know what to expect? Altogether I sold seven books to people who came by the table, the biggest seller being Entropy, a book about two brothers who are sucked into the 15th level of hell during a mystical event. I also sold two copies of another book based of the Ojibway legend about the Sleeping Giant from the Thunder Bay area. Beyond those, I moved some copies of Redorik and CFU #0.0.

Altogether I had a great time there. I met quite a few local artists, including Keith Grachow and the braintrust behind the Bear Stories books, and really enjoyed talking to everyone by the end of it. Although, at one point I felt like my vocal chords were strained, but I suppose that comes from never speaking for the better part of four hours straight before, right?

So then what’s next for us? Well, having recently released four new books, we’re scheduling a number of comic book signings across Toronto to promote them. We have one event scheduled this Saturday, Nov. 12 at Paradise Comics in Toronto. I’ll be there, alongside creators Dino Caruso, Shawn Smith, Jae Korim and Andrew Uys, from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m . signing autographs on the copies, and if you like, sketching something on the super-cool sketch page on the outside back cover. We also have a handful of others that are close to confirmed, but why let the cat out of the bag just yet?

-Andrew