02E71: Komiket BGC - Day Three

And just like that, Komiket BFC is a wrap, and Tobie and I managed to get through it. Tobie only resumed participating in Komiket events recently, but this was a particularly long one. I think the last time we were in any sort of 3-day event was one of the earlier ESGS ones before the pandemic. Manning a booth for a still relatively unknown independent comic may not seem like a lot of work, but it can still be quite draining. What more if you have to do that for three straight days?

I'm super proud of Tobie. As it was his booth to talk about his creation, he had to do the bulk of the talking, so he's a lot more tired than I am. But it was great to support him through the event because he really lights up when he connects with potential readers. A lot of love has gone into Diliman Generation Now (and the original Diliman before it), and the opportunity to connect directly with new readers is a priceless one. And I know it'll just get even more exciting once the complete book comes out.

One unique aspect of the event involved different individuals essentially consulting with Tobie about being a comic creator or just a professional creative. This ranged from people buying his zine going on to talk about their own artistic efforts to parents asking Tobie for advice on how to support their kids who are pursuing their own creative efforts. Honestly, Tobie makes for a good mentor for cases like this, and I hope that his words will take root in the minds and hearts of the different people who visited his booth.

There's still a fair amount of work to be done on the comic itself and I'll continue to do my best to support Tobie as he works to see this project through to the end. And I expect we're going to continue to participate in the different Komiket events as part of our efforts to help generate more interest in the title before the main release. 

Thanks again to everyone who made time to drop by and support Tobie. A few friends showed up and we're super grateful. Here's to connecting with more people in the coming months and get more folks excited about Diliman!