Un-Conventional

Nicki & Mervyn go to a Printing Convention and live to tell the tale.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hi, I'm Nicky McCoy and I'm an illustrator, fashion designer
and traditional artist.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
I'm Mervin McCoy illustrators, storyteller and digital artists.

Speaker 1 (00:12):
For more than a decade, we've traveled in the convention
scene from coast to coast.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
We'd love to share what we've learned and are still
learning on our journey.

Speaker 1 (00:20):
You're listening to paper Podcast.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
You hear that music, she stole it off the internet.
Just kidding.

Speaker 3 (00:27):
It's spicy beats b E E T S and he
hates beats. Let's check you out that SoundCloud. All right,
we're back on the porchcast. You never know what you're

(00:48):
gonna hear.

Speaker 1 (00:49):
Never know. We got motor cycles and the wind and planes, planes,
trains and automobiles.

Speaker 3 (00:57):
There we go. Yep, see the Paper Lab Porchcast.

Speaker 1 (01:02):
Anything's possible.

Speaker 3 (01:03):
Yeah, I have idea. You can hear half this stuff,
but it's it's still funny. All right. So you're going
on about New York Comic Con, which is funny. Like
after the show, you think we would be done, right,
It took us like maybe a week to be done.
But then yeah, you reminded me that, oh hey, I

(01:26):
signed us up for the printing convention. It's true, which yeah,
printing convention, it's it's what you think and also not
what you think a printing convention is about. I don't
know if you want to like give like like a
just a quick rundown and on like how we ended up.

Speaker 1 (01:47):
Yeah, So so basically a printing company that we use
for paper lab a lot. We got some flyers in
the mail and I think some emails as well, basically
saying that they were going to be at this printy
convention in the O C c C.

Speaker 3 (02:04):
And yes and not the not the California.

Speaker 1 (02:11):
And so we we were like, oh, okay, well let's
just you know, register and it was free to register,
and uh, we didn't know whether or not we were
going to be in town at that time because you know,
as our as we know, our schedule can be very mercurial.

(02:31):
But we ended up being in town for it, and
it uh it happened during the week actually, which is
kind of unusual. So it was a Wednesday to Friday
show and and we said, okay, well, you know, this
could either be like the greatest or worst thing ever,
and so we just decided to go the first day

(02:52):
and see what it was about, and uh, it was.
It was an experience. There were just it was everything
from like just displays of industrial printing machines to.

Speaker 3 (03:08):
It was well, I would say it was just a
mix of things.

Speaker 1 (03:11):
It was.

Speaker 3 (03:12):
It was a printing show as much as it was
a tech show.

Speaker 1 (03:15):
Yes, so her degree.

Speaker 3 (03:17):
It was like the buttoned up, even nerdier version of
a CEES in some ways, but instead of cool phones
and useless like AI tools, it was like skying at
looking like printing machines. There was this one giant like

(03:38):
robot arm mechanism that looked like it should have been
making terminators, but it was just stripping paper.

Speaker 1 (03:43):
It was like an eight foot tall robotic arm. Like
if you have any familiarity with like maybe the medical profession,
they're like literally those same things doing like like remote
surgery for people. So it's just kind of why to
see sort of like this industrial version just picking up

(04:04):
pieces of like eight foot by four foot paper and
printing papers and like transporting them is yeah.

Speaker 3 (04:14):
And I don't even know like half the stuff, the
tex stuff, I don't even know what it was doing
in the first place. It was doing very delicate processies.
There's one that made sense. It did everything where it
was this long like thing of like a train car, yeah,
but shorter. So I was taller than it. So maybe
it was like it's a five feet yeah tall anyway,

(04:36):
so it's like a train car length thing. Let's say
it's five feet tall, five foot tall. And at one
end it would print the thing and we'd printed on
these giant sheets, would like say, let's say it's like
twenty sheet, and then halfway through the thing, it would
like cut it.

Speaker 1 (04:52):
Yeah yeah yeah, and.

Speaker 3 (04:54):
Then it would organize it and then put it on
a pile. No cool. But you know what's funny about
all that, Even saying that story, I remember the one
thing that like, going through that show that came to me,
I was like, man, like if I was a tree,
I would go nuts in here because it's just so
much wasted paper. Like there's so much wasted wasted paper,

(05:17):
wasted ink. I get it. It's you're supposed to sell
your words, but I'm like, wow, we are such a
wasteful society.

Speaker 1 (05:24):
It was like three days of that and we and
we were only there for like a handful of hours,
so I mean like, yeah, so I was like, this
is like literal demos like I can only imagine what's
like happening sort of like at the actual you know,
business itself. But yeah, I know, And for me, I
thought what was most exciting was just kind of like

(05:46):
realizing like what printing could be because this was everything
from they had car wraps, they had like book printing,
they had a fabric printing, embroidery, fashion brands were there. Yeah, yeah,
yeah it was and stores yeah, and and it was.

(06:09):
It was. It was just like really eye opening in
that way to like see sort of like what's kind
of evolving, because I think it's like it's one of
those things that like it taken for granted because you know,
we kind of go throughout life and it's like it's, uh,
it's just one of those It's almost like an unsung hero.
I guess is like is having a good printer, like
especially when you know you do any type of like

(06:33):
business or like marketing or anything like that, Like you know,
it reflects your business, so it's important to have like
high quality stuff, right.

Speaker 3 (06:42):
Yeah, agreed. But and this is gonna sound shady, and
I don't mean it in a shady way, but that
whole setup it did make me think of it was
a perfect representation of art without the artist.

Speaker 1 (06:58):
Oh yeah, yeah, we saw well yeah.

Speaker 3 (07:01):
It just felt very corporate. It was corporate, like it's stupid.
It felt very corporate. It was corporate, but in a
very interesting way where I it's like, I know, none
of these people would ever say that they were involved
in the art field, and maybe, you know, there's some

(07:24):
business person or a professional development person. I would say, oh,
it's a whole different field. But it's like, well, you're
talking about putting images on paper and you know, sharing
with other people, whether it's for money or not or whatever.
And it's like, no, there, you can deny it and
dress it up however you want, but it is what

(07:45):
it is. Like just just because a bunch of suits
are there doesn't mean they you know, they can change reality.
Like that's what it is. It's just that it lacks
maybe it just lacks any of the artistry that goes
into it. Does that make sense? And I'm not trying
to throw shait. These are hard working people whatever. They're
good at what they do. But it's it's definitely it

(08:07):
was a little jarring is not the word, but it
was a little it was interesting even a little strange
at times to just see all this art and like
even like a lot of them would pair with illustrators,
right right, Like I think Greg Horne is one of
the people that works with some of the printers or
one of the printers there, yea. And it's just fascinating

(08:28):
because you know, not to get art if artsy, but
I guess I already did. But it's interesting seeing art
stripped beer where where it's just it's just a product,
it's just a thing, like a tool. One might say
a street sign is a perfect example of that, but no,

(08:49):
you're literally in the belly at the beast that that
at that event, you know what I mean. You're seeing
the people like the the the button known tucked in shirt,
you know, ironed slacks, dudes, that that kind of just yeah,
in some cases helped to kind of make the art

(09:12):
more market table and in some cases kind of stripped
of all his personality and in other cases. But it
was just interesting seeing that. But that being said, it
sounds like I'm saying it was a bad experience, but
it wasn't. It was just very very eye opening, a
big different from New York Comic.

Speaker 1 (09:30):
Con, right, yeah, very very formal, very corporo. I mean
we were dressed up and I was still getting dirty
looks from all of the corporal women left and right.
Apparently I didn't even notice until you pointed it out,
but man, I got they they did not appreciate my
my funsi dyed hair and leopard print shirt. It's too much. Yeah,

(09:56):
there were they're in like black pants suits and and
it's like, all right, I.

Speaker 3 (10:02):
Saw somebody with the flora pattern once. Yeah, yeah, no,
I mean, yeah, it was it was interesting. I I
do wonder, like, okay, so one guy pulled me to
the side and I just I just decided to keep
talking to him. But it was some interesting stuff. He
his company is sold or not sold, but they're they're

(10:23):
in the process of kind of putting out these new
displays that use I don't know what explain you say.
You have the typical LCD screen that you might see,
those giant like vertical and LCD screens that a lot
of places use now. Conventions use them too, right, and
I'll maybe advertise guests or whatever, or at stores, you'll

(10:43):
advertise the product on the screen. It's instead of using
those the typical standish that you have to change out.
I'm sure if you work in retail, you know what
I'm talking about. Anybody listening.

Speaker 1 (10:56):
So he his.

Speaker 3 (10:58):
Company is putting out these ones that use like the
same type of tech as say a Kindle, So it's
like it looks like paper, but it has the abilities
of a screen, so you can rotate through images and whatnot.
But the battery life is insane. So I think one

(11:21):
can one battery can last up like half a year. Whoa, yeah,
I'm like, yo, that's nuts. Now. You know, it's tricky
because like everything in these days, when it comes to business,
everything's about the subscription model. So he was pitching me
on it, and he mentioned that, you know, yeah, you

(11:42):
can store your images and stuff in the cloud thing
and like there's a subscription and whatnot too stories that
I'm like, wow, we are definitely in a special world.
I remember where you could just buy a CD or
just do your own thing. Like you can't even upload

(12:02):
stuff and just control you can't control any of your
your your files anymore, like to be the end of us. Yeah, well,
you know, it was just funny though, I mean, decaid dude,
It's just you know, and that's that's I mean not
that that's the future, that's where we are. No, it's
saying that's the future is kind of goofy. It's like
we're already there.

Speaker 1 (12:24):
It's just I I need to we need to update
our own business model as a result. Here's a digital
copy of your artwork and if you want to continue
to have access to it.

Speaker 3 (12:33):
Listen, gart there's a business. There's a financial advisor there
that would say that's exactly what we should be doing,
or a manager or agent.

Speaker 1 (12:42):
Man, I.

Speaker 3 (12:45):
Don't you know what you're saying is less crazy?

Speaker 1 (12:49):
I know you that is.

Speaker 3 (12:51):
Yeah, I mean, going back to what we're saying previously,
maybe that is. It's it would have to be a
very impressive value of package for me too. Yeah, it's yeah,
it just mean.

Speaker 1 (13:10):
I mean, I guess it's like, well, like you said,
it's like the sort of like continuing values. So it's
like it would be like, oh, you you get access
to the artwork, and then it's like and then it's
like we can print it on and then that's when
that's when the value comes in. So I guess that
you know, could be a thing. But yeah, no, the
printing conventioned was it was really interesting.

Speaker 3 (13:32):
Well, not not that. But you see right there, guys,
you literally just got a random brainstorming session, like right there. Yeah,
I wasn't I did not agree with an idea, and
then you know, Nicole throw in some terror predication.

Speaker 1 (13:49):
Yeah, but what if we made more money? I mean
that is yea, but yeah, I know, but no, I
really liked it in the sense of like because I like,
I'm trying to even think the last time that we
went to a convention that was not sort of pop
culture or anime or anything like related, and I feel
like it's been a hot minute. So it's it's it's

(14:12):
funny because there are like universal things apparently at trade shows.
Like they were literally attendee sitting on the floor yep,
Like like I was like, wow, this is apparently a
universal thing, just grown adults and suit and ties just
scarfing on the floor. Yeah, it was. It was kind
of wild. And to be fair, they made full use

(14:33):
of the North South concourse, so it was a bit
of a walk then the of the convention center. Yeah.
So you know, I think it took us like maybe
like two hours to do the entire show for two
or three hours, and and uh and and that way
we didn't do it. Yeah, we were just walking through.
I mean I can only imagine like if your job

(14:53):
is to go there and like actively talk to people
and like find out, you know, what they're doing and
like network and all that. So yeah, you could definitely
spend like all three days if that was like your
your business business in that way.

Speaker 3 (15:08):
Yeah, I mean that it looked to me like nothing
was happening because even when we're going to park, nobody
was there, right, there were no cards in that lot.
But once you got started realizing, yeah, because a lot
of people flew in and they're staying at the hotels, right,
It's a lot of companies that send their people in.
And I didn't realize how big this thing was until

(15:31):
I walked in and I was like, yo, Like even
the way you got your badges printed novel, Oh yeah,
where you went to a kiosk, you put your confirmation
number or whatever and then they print out a badge free.
They just give you a lanyard and you do everything else.
And to me, I like, maybe I think maybe you
did that that other pop culture shows, I don't know,
I haven't been to one. Yeah, I haven't seen that,

(15:54):
but I was like, wow, this could be efficient for
certain shows, not all. Yeah, certain shows. I guess maybe
this show doesn't rely on ticket sales, so maybe that's
why a lot of those other shows kind of rely
on you coming in. But like you coming in and
dealing with a person and all that stuff. But I

(16:15):
would make the argument that if it's in a computerized system,
then you can keep track of you know, who's coming
in and what your numbers are more efficiently. But then
again you start thinking about it. I mean, most shows
like the fudge their numbers anyway. True. I mean it's like, oh, well,
this person came in all three they bought a ticket

(16:35):
for all three days, so that's three oh yeah, yeah, yeah,
separate three separate Yeah, you know attendees.

Speaker 1 (16:42):
You know, paper Lab was there for all three days.
According to what we we don't well yeah, no, I'm
just I'm posturing and making a joke. But yeah we
know that some people, Yeah, because you very unconventional, But
that's accounting.

Speaker 3 (16:59):
But that being said, I guess because we just got
you got one badge and that's it. You come back,
you go in and out. So it's like it's not
about attendance in that respect, it's about connecting people. Yeah,
it's a true trade show. Yeah, it's about showing your wares,
letting people know you exist. It's a marketing opportunity more

(17:19):
than anything. And you know this for a fact because
one of the booths I don't even I still don't
know what they do, but I know they had a
giant machine in the back doing stuff and this and
that a nurse pay for our own. But they were
giving out ice cream.

Speaker 1 (17:36):
It was delicious, by the way, I got chocolate mint.
It was great. I did not imvite the toothpaste was delicious,
but yeah, no, and it was just ice cream. They
didn't even ask me to They didn't even like give
me a fly or anything with it. It was just
like it was like, hey, do you want some ice cream?
And I was like, uh, yeah, yes, thank you. So
I feel like some of it is just like flexing

(17:59):
yeah too, Like can only imagine, like like I would
be so curious about like the drama behind the scenes,
like if everybody just like hates everybody, it's like, oh
my god, did you see so and so at like
bat Booth or whatever. Because there were some there were
some pretty big brands like the Sharp Booth.

Speaker 3 (18:16):
Well, That's what I'm saying.

Speaker 1 (18:17):
I was surprised there was there was a there was
a there's a brother booth.

Speaker 3 (18:24):
They sewing machines.

Speaker 1 (18:25):
They well they make yeah, they make sewing machines, but
they were They're doing printing and embroidery and all that jazz,
and I was like, oh, I didn't even know that
their company branched out in this way. So that was
cool and there and then there were like other brands that,
like I associate the names with other types of business,
and they were there at the printing convention. Like I

(18:47):
saw there was a giant uh Triumph name which I
associate with English motorbikes. There were no English motorbikes.

Speaker 3 (18:57):
It was literally a Triumph, No it was.

Speaker 1 (18:59):
It was a company named Triumph. So there's a lot
of crossover between. And then there were thun like countless
numbers of just companies I had never personally heard of,
but clearly they were doing well because their booths were
just ginormous.

Speaker 3 (19:13):
So yeah, Canon, Canon had a big one. I The
the funny thing about that show though, is like you
were saying the sharp booth, Yeah, I remember you wanted
to enter someone because they had like a little game
thing going on because they had so many booths they
wanted you to go around to each booth to play

(19:35):
a game, Like when did.

Speaker 1 (19:36):
They It was like it was like a golf course.
They have like little flags numbered one to eighteen, and
then when you completed the the you know activities or whatever,
you would get to the I think like quote unquote
like nineteenth hole and they'd like give you like a
free coffee or something. But like I was like, I
was like, man, I don't know if I have the
social battery to talk to like eighteen different stations and
not have this be awkward. And a couple of the

(20:00):
weren't even at the Sharp booth. They were like actually
like outside of it. So it was like it was
like oh, because we were walking up and down the
convention aisle and then like booth fourteen, I was like,
oh wait, there's a there's a Sharp flag. So you
would have had to have walked over from there to
this other booth to like get I guess whatever like
that activity was. And I was like wow, I mean

(20:21):
I get it, but I'm not about the fetch quests.

Speaker 3 (20:24):
Yeah, We're at a printing convention. This is not supposed
to be fun. This is supposed to be all about.

Speaker 1 (20:31):
We got work, and we got some of it. We
got some of the dopest tote bags ever.

Speaker 3 (20:36):
Though it's.

Speaker 1 (20:40):
Even like I would respectfully talk to somebody to uh
to earn it. But yeah, no, it was, it was.
It was an experience. I would And it also like
makes me wonder, like what other because I mean you
would imagine the number of shows that they have to
have at the OCCC to keep the lights on. Good

(21:01):
thing have to be like insane.

Speaker 3 (21:03):
You're saying you want.

Speaker 1 (21:04):
To do more? Yeah, like I would, I would consider
it because I mean, like I think, like what's been
funny about consistently doing MegaCon year after year is seeing
the types of shows that kind of coincide with them.
And it's been everything from like cheerleading squads to I
think last year was a religious uh thing.

Speaker 3 (21:25):
There's a cowboy show.

Speaker 1 (21:27):
Yeah, there's a cowboys show like it, you name it.
I think it happens at the OCCC.

Speaker 3 (21:33):
So pretty popular.

Speaker 1 (21:36):
I remember there was a there was like a home
furnishing show one year, like an interior techoray I should
have gone to that that like wild just like, tell
me more about this couch, but yeah, no, I would
definitely consider going, and because I mean, like, I think
the other interesting thing was like just like seeing different
people's displays. You know, It's like what doesn't change is

(21:56):
like it's like it's like, oh, this person has like
a double corner, or like oh this person stuck at
an inline, you know, and just like seeing what people
do with that, I think is like really fascinating to me.

Speaker 3 (22:07):
Corners and in lines, man, that's.

Speaker 2 (22:09):
Like the language my tables, and nobody knows what you're
talking about.

Speaker 1 (22:13):
So Tim Robinson did an entire sketch about Tim Robinson
is an unhinged comedian that we are fans of, and
he did a sketch on his show I think you
should leave about this person that was just freaking out
about their tables. And I feel like it's a very

(22:34):
inside trade show joke about whether or not you have tables,
because it's kind of a weirdly essential item that you
don't realize how important it is until you don't have it.
And we literally experience that at a show.

Speaker 3 (22:49):
Don't want it?

Speaker 1 (22:50):
Oh, we literally experienced that at a show earlier this year,
and it was not great.

Speaker 3 (22:55):
So you've experienced it at at NYSUC had ten booth
and they said we're supposed to have tables in the
contract and there were no tables.

Speaker 1 (23:04):
Yeah, so here we are.

Speaker 3 (23:07):
Yeah, tables. Do we have them or don't we?

Speaker 1 (23:12):
Tables have turned. You can listen to us on all
podcast platforms.

Speaker 2 (23:17):
You can find us at paper Lab Studios on Instagram
or payperlab studios dot com, or just drop us a
line at design at paper lab studios dot.

Speaker 1 (23:26):
Com and support us on Patreon at paper Lab Studios.

Speaker 3 (23:29):
Thank you for listening to paper podcast A Mango Musica,
Turn that music upst