SQUID KIDS INK at AX 2011

this was our 3rd time having a booth at Anime Expo. we had our 1st ever booth at AX 2009. we've come a long way in 2 years. of course, we still have a long way to go.

move in was a breeze this time. we didn't have to carry anything at all. definitely our quickest move in yet. that giant 10-Doh! was our big addition for this show.

the convention had a pretty good turnout. saturday was pretty hectic.

we spend 97% of our time behind the booth, so it's tough to see all of the costumes running around. it's even more difficult to get good photos.

here's Jerome devaluing some of his artwork. unfortunately, that line wasn't for him. the blue mats were a life saver, or at least foot savers.

one of the best parts of AX is the crowd. there is always something to look at, even while sitting behind a booth the whole time.

a fan's husband had a balloon booth in artist alley, she stopped by and gave us this squid balloon animal. i tried to stop by and say hello, but he was super busy when walked by. we saw some amazing balloon creations like Gir, Darth Vader, and Charizard. now he's sittin on my desk at work.

i've never been a huge Gundam fan, but i like this version. one day i hope to actually watch Full Metal Alchemist. and we finally got a slightly new setup with more levels and display cases.

unfortunately, the whole show wasn't great. some cheapskate chump decided to snag one of our blank 10-Doh! figures. funny thing is that they left the right foot. apparently, they had no morals and they're stupid. my new sign got a few laughs and eased the pain a bit.

the 4 day show flew by. over all it was a great show for us. we had tons of repeat customers and lots of new ones as well. move out was a bit chaotic and the people weren't nearly as friendly as they were during move in.

special thanks goes out to all of our fans and supporters. we weren't planning on doing the show next year due to the fact that it's so close to SDCC. as long as the AX fans keep supporting us, we'll keep showing up.

so, as we were entering the convention center on the last day of the show, i realized i had lost my little grey Squib. i retraced my steps back to the car with no luck. so, it was a long day, hoping that he was safe at home.

as we pulled up to our apartment, i saw my little buddy sittin on the back steps. i had to jump out of the car and get him, while Linda parked the car.

this little guy has been all over the world with me, along with my other 2 little buddies. they are the prototypes for our plush figures. so, that means they are high dollar and not replaceable. i'm amazed that no one left our apartment building the whole day. or, they didn't want to disturb his nap, and i'm very thankful for that.