Webmaster Mike at our Anime Boston Table.
First, I have to offer a huge thank you to Anime Boston for inviting me up to New England as a guest. We met Dreamer after Dreamer all weekend long. It was the best show I’ve ever attended for meeting my readers. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to introduce yourself, buy a book, or just tell me how much you love The Dreamer!
Well, this is my official post-con report. The greatest convention of them all deserves the greatest blog post of them all. So read on if you’re ready.
The Pilgrims might've had an easier time if they could've just taken the Turnpike to Plymouth.
Mike and I left Ohio early Thursday morning and drove straight through the day. Around 5pm we started seeing signs like this. Not only was Massachusetts ahead, apparently there were pilgrims there, too, and they were going to make us pay to drive on their roads.
Ahoy, Matey!
“Bea” showed up early Friday and stuck around all day Saturday, too! People sure do love to take her photo.
Mike and I have been doing these shows for about five years now, but we finally had an extremely polished system for getting everything to and from the con, and also for displaying our products. Set up was smooth sailing which I’m not used to!
A pretty snazzy table, I have to admit!
This was the first show I had Volume 2 for sale.
We had Knowlton's Rangers tee shirts this time.
Magnetic dress up dolls, chibi magnet sets and chibi charms!
Our most popular bit of Dreamer merch by far: buttons!
Dreamer buttons were wildly popular. I think half the fun was just digging through the bins and seeing what you could find.
Nathan Hale fan girl and Dreamer fan royalty, Caera.
Friday I was ambushed by a couple of Texans and a Nathan Hale plushy. I knew that Caera was coming up for the show, but didn’t know that she was bringing Jen aka Takada Saiko with her and I also thought she wouldn’t be there until Saturday. If you want to see their antics, watch Caera’s Anime Boston video. [The incident takes place at 9:45.] Stealthy, girls. Stealthy like one of Knowlton’s Rangers.
Jen, Caera and Nathan Plushy once we all stopped laughing.
Warren Family Fan Tammy Eustis!
Another long time friend of mine who I finally had the honor to meet in person at the show was Tammy Eustis. Tammy has an ancestral connection to William Eustis, both governor of Massachusetts and classmate/ BFF of Dr. John Warren. Both Will Eustis and John Warren apprenticed under John’s older (famous) brother, Dr. Joseph Warren. Needless to say Tammy has an interest in the Warren family and, I’m sort of jealous of this next fact, she has a Warren Russet Apple Tree growing in her backyard.
Surprise birthday gift from Tammy Eustis: Carpe noctum! Click to enlarge!
For a long time Tammy was the only person I could make John Collins Warren jokes to have them laugh back… and then… one up me. Friends like that? Priceless. So meeting in person was wonderful in and of itself, but she also brought me this birthday present! She made two shirts using a Spunkers Club commission she bought from me last year.
This… is a pretty insidery joke. The Spunkers Club was a secret Harvard club that Will and John belonged to that dug up corpses to dissect so they could learn anatomy. Secret because it was illegal. My shirt says “Warren 72,” Tammy’s, “Eustis 73.” Cause that is how we roll.
Dr. John Warren graduated from Harvard class of 1772. Now you're in on the joke, too.
Well, day 1 of Anime Boston was long. Anime shows typically have events going around the clock. Artists Alley was open until 10 pm both Friday and Saturday nights. This was me by the end of Friday:
End of Day 1 came long and late.
Another person I was SO excited to meet was Tina Pratt, who draws the American Revolution British Invasion style in a comic called the Paul Reveres. I drew her a Warren sketch card because, well, obviously he’s my favorite.
Crap! The only pic I got was a blurry pic... but me and Tina Pratt of the Paul Reveres finally met.
I think Tina was the only artist I bought swag from. But I just had to have prints… and Johnny Tremain buttons… and a Sam Adams beer cozy…
Well, the official Dreamer meet up was Saturday afternoon. I had posted a poll to see what attendees wanted to do. We wound up doing a little bit of everything: history lessons, trivia with prizes, a sneak peek at an upcoming short story with just enough time for a few Q & A at the end.
Want to watch a clip? Here is Historical Fact You Might Not Know About The Dreamer #8: the epic bromance of Benjamin Tallmadge & Nathan Hale. (Footage compliments Jen Russell, thank you!) My favorite part is when Dreamer Colorist Julie Wright shouts out “Buttons” as a possible nickname Nathan Hale’s classmates gave him at Yale. Unfortunately I don’t have any pictures of me and Julie. But she sat next to me at the show all weekend long. A lot of you go to meet her and have her sign your Volume 2s. So that was a lot of fun.
Are those powdered wigs in the audience...?
They are!
Several readers showed up in togas and white wigs, Dr. Warren style. Huzzah! It’s a pretty epic cosplay that can out-nerd all the other cosplay at an Anime show, but The Dreamers pulled it off!
Brent, Half Moon, Jen, Me, Caera and Cody after the meet up!
Here are a few faces whose names you might recognize from the comments. Half Moon! with her impressive collection of Dreamer buttons:
Half Moon shows off her Dreamer Swag.
Brent! Need I say more?
Mr. Voting Incentive himself! Brent!
Cody! Whose two friends were the most gracious, accommodating friends a girl could hope for. They had never read The Dreamer and yet endured not only the meet up panel/ history lesson, but stood around my booth for a long time while Cody geeked out with the rest of us.
Cody Elizabeth with her OC Commission. Click to enlarge!
Someone must’ve wanted to get my goat, because I was given orders to draw British officer sketch cards! The order was given through a friend mediator who looked in over his head as he tried to read me the description of what the mysterious benefactor wanted. He soon gave up, sheepishly passed me his phone with her email on it and asked if this made sense to me. LOL! It did. Here are a few British characters who won’t appear in The Dreamer. So anglophiles, enjoy!
British General Sketch Cards. Click to Enlarge!
The sketch card/trading cards were a huge hit. For $5 you could pick which image you wanted and I put the drawing of your choice on the back.
How you doin'?
Once I drew one Nathan sketch card, everyone wanted one.
Saturday was an even longer day than Friday. End of the night one of my best friends in the comics world snuck up to say hello. It was an unexpected and well-timed surprise.
One of my favorite people in comics, Comic Book Resources editor Steve Sunu.
Monday, before I left Boston, I made a point to stop by the Old South Meeting House to take Robin DeBlosi up on her offer to give us a private tour of the steeple to see their newly reinstalled Paul Revere bell.
Me and Robin DeBlosi and a Puritan forefather.
To get to the bell tower we had to go up into the balcony. Even that was fun!
Yup. That's the new pulpit that I mistakenly drew into the comic.
The climb to the top kept getting tighter and higher and dustier and more and more precarious. Now might be a good time to mention that I’m afraid of heights.
Robin warned us: it was a dusty, dangerous trip up the steeple.
…but it was well worth it! I had seen this lovely Paul Revere bell last summer when it was still downstairs in the bookstore at Old South.
We made a point not to go up near ringing time. I see why!
Thank you so much, Robin for the invitation! It was well worth the climb!
Well, since it was my actual birthday, Mike and I pit stopped at Mike’s Pastry in the North End to try out these legendary cannoli we kept hearing about. Half of my ancestry goes back to colonial New England. The other half, however, is a much more recent Italian immigrant family history. So cannoli in the North End? Pretty much the perfect birthday present to me.
Birthday cannoli at Mike's Pastry in the North End by Paul Revere's house, in the part of town Dr. Warren also used to live.
After Mike’s we headed up to Bunker Hill to meet Dr. Sam Forman for lunch. We got there a little early, so of course I went inside to see Dr. Warren and blow him a kiss.
Dr. Joe, is that a toga I doth see draped over your shoulder?
Sam had made plans to meet at Bunker Hill and we would walk down to the Warren Tavern for lunch from there.
A real friend tells you "I'll meet you by Colonel Prescott" and you know what he means.
We ordered the “Warren Burger” (of course!) and talked about Mercy Schollay, Dr. Warren’s love life, reenactments, cosplay, and the history of graphic novels.
Birthday at the Warren Tavern at the foot of Bunker Hill.
Well, the day came to an end too soon and I had to drop off Mike at the airport to catch his flight back to Ohio. I drove down to Hartford, Connecticut to spend the night with a friend. But on the way I stopped in Ashford, home of my favorite Colonel, Thomas Knowlton.
Things haven't changed much in Ashford.
It was pretty lovely and at dusk, a little bit haunting. Small farms were tucked away behind ancient stone walls and hushed up forests. I was driving on gravel roads thinking things probably haven’t changed much since Thom Knowlton lived there.
"I only regret..." Nathan Hale says inside the State House in Hartford.
The next morning my friend Rachel Smith, not just a Nathan Hale fan girl, but a Nathan Hale historian, took me to Harford to see a few sites before I had to go on with my journey.
Thomas Knowlton guards the state house in Hartford.
And I finally saw in person my favorite statue of all time, the Thomas Knowlton statue outside the Connecticut State House. Hello, Thom! Have plans later tonight…? Before I even knew who Thomas Knowlton was I had an image of this statute printed out from google images and hanging above my drawing desk as inspiration for the characters in The Dreamer. I thought, “That guy actually looks cool. I have to find a way to make these Revolutionarily War dandies look tough in order to pull this comic off.” Later as the story progressed and I decided to write about Nathan Hale and thus Knowlton’s Rangers my research led me back to this statue. “Wait, that’s Thomas Knowlton? He’s been hanging on my desk this whole time!”
Well, I left Hartford Thursday morning and drove to my grandmother’s house in the mountains of Pennsylvania. Even though I wasn’t able to go my house in Ohio, Grandma’s house feels like home! I went to sleep that night at 8pm and slept for 12 hours.
I reenacted Bunker Hill for my sister. The British were in nice line formations. Americans, not so much.
Since it was my birthday, my sister brought me a present: Revolutionary War toy soldiers! And my aunt baked me a Dreamer cake…
Happy Birthday, me!
Well, all good things come to an end and Thursday morning I was on the road again bright and early to make the drive out to Chicago. I got there as the sun was setting, but C2E2 is another post for another day…
C2E2 Bound!
Thank you, Boston, for a lovely time. Perhaps we’ll be back next year!
So much win. And…Dreamer Fan Royalty? Uh oh!!! O.o
I had so much fun meeting all of you–and ambushing Lora! ;) And enjoy that powdered wig because I’ll probably never wear it again. I just was too small for my head. lol
I’m still bummed I missed you and Dr. Forman at Bunker Hill and Warren Tavern by just two days. I would have picked y’all’s brains though to the point you’d have tossed me off the top of the monument. And didn’t I bump into Rachel at the Nathan Hale symposium? We should definitely powow formally someday. Believe it or not I CAN be serious about things. I just enjoy being a nerdy fangirl.
I’m glad you got Jen’s footage sorted out. She was having a lot of trouble and I was trying to help from about 3 cities away.
You did meet Rachel at the symposium! She’s part of the team that is doing the exhibit for the Nathan Hale New London School House. She’s head historian on the project. I’m, uh, head graphic novelist…? Girl who draws pictures? Resident writer?
Yeah, something like that.
I was pretty sure we had met, if only briefly. I bet she could tell me things even I don’t know about him. More resources there than in Texas and all. ;-)
Is that an Owl City t-shirt I spy, Caera?
Don’t get her started…! ;)
AHAHAHAHA!!!! Oh yes it is. Adam Young music is my default setting, and more than one of my friends is convinced we’re gonna get married. XD I like the idea, but I kinda thing meeting him first is important…
Ok ok I won’t get started…
I think a Alan+Bea/Vanilla Twilight fan video is called for. Yup.
Plus, what would Nathan say?
There is an Adam Young song for every occasion….and Brent, Nathan is actually both amused and relieved that I finally fell for someone in my age group.
Age group or century…?
Both. Adam turns 26 and I turn 24 this summer. I wonder if he’s going to release his new album on his birthday…<3
Amazing update! I’m so glad the footage *finally* worked. I called Caera in a panic trying to figure out what I was doing wrong and she finally figured it out :)
I’m still a little heartsick for Boston, I’m not going to lie. It was beautiful and the history there was fantastic! I think my favorite spot in the whole city was Bunker Hill. Caera and I made it up there 3 separate times within 24 hours. We just kept having to go back.
Glad we could surprise you! Now we just have to convince you to come to a convention in Texas :D
As shared with Caera: “I used to go to Watertown every day, and on the 15th of June [1775] following, I met Gen. Warren for the last time. He had been our family physician, and I am sure that I liked him better than anybody except my husband. He was a handsome man and wore a tie wig. He had a fine color and bright blue eyes. He dined with us, and while at dinner said to me, ‘Come my little girl, drink a glass of wine with me, for I am going upon the hill tomorrow, and I shall never come off.’” – recollection of a woman recalling the events of her youth. Possibly apocryphal; or possibly true.
And nevertheless, mysterious.
I had read that “drink a glass of wine” quote before, but hadn’t seen the part about “I liked him better than anybody except my husband”. Ha! I have a feeling that young woman was speaking for a lot of ladies of that time!
Convince Texas to invite me and I’ll be there.
Hmm. Maybe that won’t happen until I do a project about Zachary Taylor, lil’ Grant and the Mexican War…
Say Jen, since it’s too late to harass A-kon should we try San Japan?
Let the flood of emails and phone calls begin!
Muahahaha!!!
Mr. Voting Incentive? Aw, shucks, girl…. :-)
The whole trip sounds great, and just reminds me of more things I wanted to do but didn’t for lack of time (Warren tavern), money (Old South Meeting House), or memory (sketch!). Still, it was awesome meeting all you guys and Bea (yeah, that was my favorite part…I kept thinking, “Damn, who was that awesome girl? Friend of Lora’s, random cosplayer, what?” on the way home).
Side note – just started reading “Nathan Hale: The Life and Death of America’s First (ha!) Spy”. Comments? Criticisms?
errrm, I say “no.” I couldn’t make it past the first two chapters. But the flip side is its the only Hale biography to come out since Seymour’s encyclopedia Hale almost a century ago. So your options aren’t great.
And who was that awesome girl? Her name is Bea Whaley! I’ve known her about five years. She’s kind of crazy sometimes but in the lovable way. Though, I can’t afford to keep her in coffee. Girl drinks through it like it’s her job… It’s why she was only there Friday and Saturday. Just couldn’t float it Sunday, too.
I had no trouble reading it…but look who’s taking. If I didn’t think it redundant I would write one myself.
Ah, so it’s one of those “creation comes to life” situations, like in Cool World or Monkeybone. Gotcha.
re: the bio, here’s my goodreads review, “I just cannot get into this book. I cannot make it past the first few chapters. I have been “reading” it since it came out and yet I can’t get interested in it enough to ever pick it up. Having done more than a little research on Hale myself, I didn’t like Phelps’s interpretation/depiction of events. As for the Hale scholars I know, they say the same thing. I think it’s a shame that the only recent biography to come out on Nathan Hale isn’t highly recommended by the researchers who know most about his life.”
Gods, Monkeybone gave me the freakin’ creeps.
It was great meeting you, Lora! Sounds like you had an amazing Anime Boston! It’s most likely the only anime con I’m ever going to do in the future. It’s the best con for meeting up with my readers too. A large percentage of them live in this area, makes sense!
I really liked your table setup! I’ve been doing anime shows for so long, I’ve got the towering crates and all that jazz, when really my setup has to be more simple and to the point. I did Boston Comic Con this weekend, which is pretty much my first ever comic con. Most people had nice table setups like yours. I think it’s something I have to get to with my own layout. T.T; And one of those vertical banners!
I’ve never been to Bunker Hill even though I live so close. I’m going to have to fix this immediately and get one of those Warren burgers!
I have noticed a big difference between Anime show displays and comic con displays. Those giant rack things aren’t nearly so popular at comic shows. Mike and I thought about getting one to show off my posters, but the IM Photographics guys stopped by my table at C2E2 and they have these cool retractable velcro stands that look like my banner stand but are small, light, and fit in a suitcase. You can put velcro on your prints and hang them on that behind you.
I kind of sort of need one.
p.s. No excuses! Get yourself out to Bunker Hill right this minute!
Oh man, that velcro thing is amazing! :O And amazingly expensive too. Would be worth it though!
My banner stand was “expensive” but I also factor into price how convenient and durable and professional it is. Those things are all three. Worth every cent I paid for it, in fact, now we’re hoping to get another.
Sounds simply amazing. How I wish I could zoom around in the Tardis and meet you at all these various locations, for all these fun and historical events!
Man, a Tardis would make going to shows SO easy. Yes, I would love this. And I would gladly come to you!
I just discovered your wonderful graphic novels on a road trip. I was looking for a new comic to read on my Iphone and just happened to find yours. Needless to say I spent the next 5 hours reading everything you have put on your website. Holy wow!! I love it!
As a Librarian in training (hoping to graduate this fall), I am constantly seeking new things to put in a teen library or to recommend in my Young Adult Literacy class this summer. Badda Bing! I now have a brilliant historical fiction graphic to read, love and spread the word about.
I have just started my own research about my ancestors that fought in the Revolutionary war. I found an old letter from one ancestor that was seeking war benefits for his service. I am so excited to find out more and see where my research takes me. I hope to do a whole Revolution trip one of these days to brush up on my history. Loving the pictures you have posted!
Can’t wait to read more! Hope that I can run into you at a comic con one of these days! Keep up the fantastic writing!
Welcome to Librarian Land, Valerie – it’s a blast! I’ve been working at a small public library in CT for the past 13+ years, and as Head Librarian for the past 6. Feel free to touch base with me via Facebook (you’ll find me as Tammy Eustis) or email, if you ever want to “talk shop”.
Thanks, Valerie!! Do you mind my asking, did you find it through the website here or one of the apps for your iPhone?
So glad you’re enjoying the story, welcome to our crazy little club.
I found it on my Iphone through IDW. They had the first one for free!
Awesome! That’s what I was wondering. Well thank you for following the links and finding me here!
I am always looking for new reads. I just got into comics and graphic novels. I am reviewing yours for class next semester. I have had the hardest time finding good teen/adult romance and historical that is not total smut. Thanks for keeping it real and classy!
… I’m screaming with joy here. Screaming. I ran around my house a few times and made my sister panic as I was doing so.
Ahem. Anyway– I’m so glad that my aunt’s friend managed to ask for those British officers for me when I wasn’t there! I was a little worried because I thought he was going to be busy, but I have never been so incredibly pleased than to have commissioned you! :) Though I’m a little disappointed I couldn’t personally meet you, I’m happy to have obtained something from you nonetheless! (I’m a shameless Anglophile, I know… but it feels like I’m trolling you for commissioning those fellows!) XD I look to forward to whenever you feel like visiting New England again!
HA HA! So it was YOU. Well, your aunt’s friend looked like a deer in headlights. He had NO idea what he was reading, lol.
You know, I really, really wanted Johnny Burgoyne to be the bad guy in The Dreamer but he just wasn’t in the right places at the right time.
I hope you enjoy your sketch cards! <3
Oh, I feel terrible! XD And Gentleman Johnny is just sassy! (Not as sassy as Edward Rutledge, of course.) It would have certainly been interesting to see him in Sir Billy’s place… but really… Burgoyne is absolutely spiffy in the looks department! lol
These gentlemen are definitely be framed! <3
*being
– face palms–
Wow, so that weekend really did happen! I won’t be derivative and say it seemed dreamlike, but yeah… I should’ve stuck around for the post-meetup geekfest, but I was bee-lining for some dinner before an evening panel. Turns out, the panel line was so long, I didn’t get in. Well, I did everything I went to AB for, anyway.
I meant to mention my other nerd-girl adventure, Lora (other than the crosstown trek to Bunker Hill): I went to the MA Historical Society that Friday afternoon. Got to see Phyllis Wheatley’s writing desk, which pleased me to no end. And I did end up buying John C’s bio, which should expand my arsenal of questionable factoids. (Also forgot to mention that Betsy Warren’s husband owned property on Park Street as well; but I don’t think they decorated their place with skulls.)
You reminded me that I need to post an updated pic of Roxy. Keep an eye on Facebook – she got a good drink with the recent rain, and is popping out all over!
I wondered where you went after the panel! I wanted to have dinner with you, lol. Well, dinner plans got all messed up. Next year someone who isn’t me will have to own that, get us a reservation somewhere and we can all go out.
In the end, Caera & Jen were kind enough to buy me a sandwich and let me eat in their room.
I have so much Civil War reading stacked up on my coffee table, I’ll have to live vicariously through you for John C.’s bio. Keep me posted. *___*
So does this imply that you’ll be back at Anime Boston next year? If so, I’ll gladly take the role of dinner-reservation-maven.
Any thoughts re. Connecticon (despite our weird state tax system)?
I would love to come out. By all means, send them an email and ask them to extend me an invite. I’ve been talking on my end but it wouldn’t hurt for you guys to mention it on your end if you want to see me there.
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nice choice picking Mike’s Pastry, I love their chocolate chip cannolis myself. my mom like their pistachio macaroons.
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