Archive | Designer Con

San Diego artists at Designer Con in Pasadena, November 8 & 9

Designer Con
www.designercon.com
November 8-9, 2014
Show Hours
Saturday 9 am – 6 pm
Sunday 10 am – 5 pm

Location
Pasadena Convention Center – Exhibit Hall
300 East Green Street
Pasadena, CA 91101

Parking
Paid parking is available at the Pasadena Convention Center and several surrounding parking lots including Paseo Colorado directly across from the convention center (parking map).

Hotel
We are proud to announce that we have partnered with the Hilton Pasadena, as the official Designer Con 2014 hotel!
168 South Los Robles Avenue (two blocks from the convention center)
Pasadena, CA 91101
(626) 577-1000

Designer Con is an annual art and design convention that smashes together collectible toys and designer goods with urban, underground and pop art! DCon is over 70,000 sq. ft. and features over 300 vendors, art & custom shows, live demonstrations, and much more! The show coordinators, Ayleen Gaspar & Ben Goretsky, strive to provide a fun, safe, comfortable environment for fans, artists, and vendors to meet. Join us in November at the Pasadena Convention Center for a weekend of fun, toys, and art!

Several artists from San Diego are participating – here are some quotes and images from a few of the artists. Media: please contact me for more images, interview opportunities, event background, and media credentials if you would like to come out for the event!

To see the full list of participating artists and vendors, click here
To see previous event press click here
To see Designer Con 2013 highlights – photos, etc. click here

Tara Magboo’s Smokin’ Fox Silver Necklace

Steve Budko – HeartThrob

Jordan Gorence – Armpit Lazers

Matt Spangler – Hangin’ on Sunday

GMONIK – Taxi Driver

Interspecies Planet

San Diego Designer Con Participation List:

Steve Budko 
This coming DCon will be my third, and it’s been really interesting watching it grow as much as it has in just the past three years. I first participated in 2012, and in fact that was my first art con ever. I picked a good one. I had a table for the first time at WonderCon in Anaheim this past April. Although it was a great experience, it just didn’t have the intimate DIY vibe and sense of like-minded camaraderie that you get at DCon. Living in San Diego, I try to make it up to LA at least once a month, so the trip to Pasadena for DCon each fall is just par for the course. However, if DCon were anywhere farther away, I’d still definitely make it a point to participate. sbudko.com

Tara Magboo – Magboo
I have been exhibiting my Adorable Mayhem line for the past five years. The biggest venue that I sell at is Comic Con International which I have been selling at for five years now. I have received recognition as a featured independent artist at Comic Con through prominent news websites which include Fusion.net and Mental_Floss. I have sold my work through other comic conventions such as the Alternative Press Expo and Wondercon. In addition, I have, in addition, exhibited at craft venues such as San Diego Mini Maker Fair and the Rhode Island School of Design Alumni Craft Sale. Although I make jewelry, felt sculptures, and small paintings I felt my work was appropriate for the comic convention circuit because all the work that I make has a comic book/cartoon aesthetic. All my work is based on cute and funny yet oddly dark animal characters that I designed. I then fabricate all the resulting work by hand in San Diego whether it be metalwork or wool felting. I feel that Designer Con is a particularly good fit because it is a show that focuses on product inspired by comics or cartoons and that is exactly what I do! magboocandyandjewelry.com

Jordan Gorence – Armpit Lazers
I feel that it is important to go out to Pasadena because the LA area and Designer Con are very diverse in the type of art designers are making and the type of art people are looking for. For me it is just as important to get my artwork out to different people, as being able to see what other artists are putting out there and creating. The inspiration I find from artists helps me develop my individuality as an artist, plus it is awesome to be able to meet the artists behind the works. I have only been doing conventions for about a year and this coming Designer Con will be my 4th convention so far. armpitlazers.com

Matt Spangler – Robots by Matt Q. Spangler
Hands down, this is one of my favorite events of the year. I have never done a show where the vendors are treated so well (food when you arrive!) and have such a relaxed atmosphere. Typically show setup is chaotic and never well organized, this is the opposite. Also, the venue and quality of people that attend is exactly the demographic you would hope to have at all events! store.mattspangler.com

GMONIK
I will be showing with my fellow artists in my art collective here in San Diego, which is called Basura Social. The other artists I am showing with are Chikle, Optimus Volts, EZ Rock, and Puffer the Blowfish. We will be featuring some original art pieces, sculpture pieces, toys, and clothing. I feel Designer Con is important because it will give us a chance to meet with likeminded artists and art fans that will not only inspire our art, but push us out of our comfort zones and try new things. My art collective is trying to expand our reach outside of San Diego, and this was the perfect opportunity to do so. I have participated in the Comic Con art show and have been thinking about attending artist alley for 2015. For the past two years I have participated in Comic Con themed art shows during the convention. GMONIK.com

Interspecies Planet (by Kurathena Studios)
Tania Kelvin, Founder/Creator/Artist/Author
At Designer Con I will be featuring hand-created figurines, illustration prints, books, probably a coloring book, and other merchandise based on my characters. I’m attaching a couple of them in hand-drawn pencil illustration form. I also am offering commissioned custom figurines. I feel it’s important to travel to Pasadena for Designer Con since I really love that convention and it’s the right place for me and my art. I am especially enthusiastic that it’s a unique, intimate, and energetic convention, which showcases very talented independent artists/designers and has mostly 3D/sculptural art, which is my forte (my collection started as ceramic sculptures). This will be my first time showing my art and being a vendor at Designer Con. It’s a great place to start as a vendor, being that it’s not as huge as San Diego Comic Con. Another artist/vendor told me about Designer Con last year, so I checked it out and spent all weekend there talking to a lot of friendly vendors and doing research. The various types of art, merchandise, talent and imagination of the artists is incredible!

The weekend of October 17-19, I will be having my Interspecies Planet debut in the Artist Alley at San Diego Comic Fest. It’s a small, mellow, intimate convention that I attended for the first time last year and loved it. I felt the panels were awesome, featuring great topics, were close-up, and I learned a lot. As far as conventions/art shows/etc. go…I’m starting at Comic Fest, then Designer Con in November, and will take it from there. I will also be showcasing and selling my variety of work online…which is in development.  facebook.com/InterspeciesPlanet