The Wasabi-con PDX Dungeon and Me

So, that's how that went! (Wasabi, please don't blacklist me for making this joke.)

You may have seen via a few videos or posts already that the artist alley for Wasabi-con PDX 2024 was put into a parking garage this year. Originally: they showed artists photos of a well-lit, carpeted and HVAC controlled space with easy access to the rest of the convention, but what we got was, well, a parking garage. A dungeon, as many folks are calling it.

This caused a lot of artists to cancel their bookings early, and caused artists who showed up to the show to drop out from headaches or suffer through the event with vertigo and migraines. The garage was dark, dirty, muggy, and loud. It was not a great place to be! Artist paid $240 for two days in this space, one which we shared with mice.

Below is a video by n2operation (an artist with a table at the convention) quickly going over the situation.

EDIT: Here's a follow-up video to watch as well!

And uh, frankly, I got out easy compared to a lot of other people in "the dungeon" this year. I was in the front aisle, which meant any smoke from ramp leading to outside (the street) was blown into my face both days, but I at least got a breeze! A lot of other folks weren't so "lucky". Any aisle between me and the outer row was hot, smelly, and just really difficult to convince attendees to go down, if they even came down the steep car ramp or waited 5-10 minutes to come down the elevator: which affected sales heavily for most artists.

One of my biggest concerns was security. We saw multiple groups of people from off the streets, without badges or wristbands, carrying huge backpacks with them into the garage. Which, in this climate, is simply scary to see. When we asked the staff about this issue, they dismissed it.

Not only that, but on Sunday, attendees were allowed into the hall at the same time artists were to set up. Refereed to as a "soft opening", regular attendees were allowed into the hall at 10AM when many artists tables were still unattended, because the PDF we received said 10:30AM would be the "soft opening". Meanwhile, signage around the convention said the hall would be opening at 11AM. Personally, I don't think any Artist Alley or Vendors room should have a "soft opening" when both are potentially filled with stock we were told would be secure.

Still, some artists found their way down into the hall between approximately 9AM and 10AM on Sunday via the elevators. From my understanding, this was due to some sort of internal security error, which caused said artists to be stuck in the garage for about an hour with the elevators turned off suddenly and the pull-down door at the top of the garage driveway was still closed. Artists were not supposed to be allowed into the garage before 10AM, according to the informational PDF, so I have no clue how this happened. Spooky stuff.

Meanwhile, both days vendors were in an air conditioned, well lit room upstairs with security by the doors. Mind you, there were several vendors selling stolen work or had tables in no way relating to the theme of "anime" or "manga" in the slightest. Seeing talented artists with original, hand made works sweating it out in a pit while folks upstairs gleefully made profit from others hard work was disheartening to see. It felt like 2006 again.

I was able to make back my table and just a bit of profit too: but I'm used to low numbers due to the nature of my table. (I sell adult comic books, it's niche.) But, many other tables were hoping for numbers like Wasabi-con PDX 2023, which from my understanding, went amazingly for most artists and vendors. (Including myself!) Those folks did not make those numbers, and many didn't make their tables back at all. It's been disheartening to see.

So, I urge folks to support artists who worked this event and survived the depths. (This event was overbooked, so there's a lot of folks on this list!) Here's everyone, including the best link for each I could find since Wasabi-con did not put anyone's links up on their website...

• Bashful Yammering A&D

• Cambobuh

• Hoshikari

• The Noodle Shop (Can't find a confirmed link, please comment if you have one!)

• Art by Kino

• ETTO Arts

• muddymelly

• Todd Beats

• CanaryWitch

• Capukeki Creations

• bonfiat

• Teal Cicada Illustration

• N2Operation

• Paint Pots Ceramic Studio

• Mestiza Makes

• curisia (Can't find a confirmed link, please comment if you have one!)

• Voidpeaches

• The Gorgonist

• The Salty Wench

• Lycheemeadow

• Whimsy Designs USA (Can't find a confirmed link, please comment if you have one!)

• Ariamisu x Teletelo

• Poison Tragic

• Homra Kid

• Matchaflavor (Can't find a confirmed link, please comment if you have one!)

• Husious

• beet & April’s Canvas (Can't find a confirmed link, please comment if you have one!)

• blulious

• Fabucastle

• Smoorsch

• Kcie Monk

• Art Over Flowers

• Cobyfrog Art

• Bird Brain Dice

• chiffonsu

• Space Age Cats (Can't find a confirmed link, please comment if you have one!)

• Rowan Kingsbury

• Ann Marcellino

• Anadia-chan

• JellyJessBeansArt

• Fishwiggles Studio

• MoonlightKCreations

• SPRBLSH

• Rainy Day Creations

• Micknagerie

• Lunearch Art

• Sophiacamcam

• Pumpkin Tree Lane

• shroomhive

• Emblem Emporium (Can't find a confirmed link, please comment if you have one!)

• Charlie’s Charmory

• Chaotic Fever Dream (Can't find a confirmed link, please comment if you have one!)

• Misty Figs

• Nocturna (Can't find a confirmed link, please comment if you have one!)

• Hitotsu World LLC

• spoonillust

• Hundredlily Designs

• James Doppelhammer Art

• Tempest-Kohai’s Art

• Mollinko

• EggDadde

• Wink ware

• Raven’s Rose (Can't find a confirmed link, please comment if you have one!)

• suyu (Can't find a confirmed link, please comment if you have one!)

• Celestial Artistry

• Pukaparade

• Wild Forest Dog Illustration

• Glassfire Handmande Dice & Accessories

• Thechlorange

• FroofLoops

• Daedreamer Designs (Can't find a confirmed link, please comment if you have one!)

• Pluvial Riot

• Doki Decals (Can't find a confirmed link, please comment if you have one!)

• OllieSprout

• CJ Joughin

• DarkChibiShadow (Hey! That's me!)

• DreaD Illustrations

• LytletheLemur

• AbbyCat Cosplay

• Eli Ebberts

• MagicalGirl.Jes  (Can't find a confirmed link, please comment if you have one!)

• Ask Cosplay-Senpai & Callicake

• IgikoPop

• LarpLikeRae

• Shu Ken Kai (Can't find a confirmed link, please comment if you have one!)

• Sweet Maple Panda

• Under the Deku Tree

Writing this: I realize this means Wasabi-con PDX probably won't be pick me in future years, which sucks. (And to be honest, I wasn't even one of their picks this year. I only got in last second to fill a spot.)

Sadly, I'm used to being pushed out of any space as a convention gets bigger or tries to be more "mainstream" or "acceptable". Adult artists like myself are almost always the first to get pushed out even before vendors with stolen work. (This isn't the case for every convention though, just to be clear.)

Which is so disappointing, considering that just last year, Wasabi-con PDX hosted an entire adult room just for creators like me: and it ruled. It's something I want a lot more conventions to do, and something I know a lot of attendees are really, really wanting. But, that's an aside.

I can't pretend to know what went on behind the scenes for this convention and few of us know the actual truth. (And those who asked seemed to get conflicting answers.) I'm sure the hotel gave them guff and I'm sure they were incredibly short on staff: and I feel for them all, I really do. Very often, things like this are not the fault of any one individual and there are many, many factors at play. It's a shame any of this happened.

I'm really hoping Wasabi learns from this and pulls back next year. Less tables, in one space together, with better content curation. (Stolen art in the vendors hall getting AC while we're all sweating it out downstairs with our originals is never fun and feels like a slap in the face, frankly.)

Anyways, here's hoping Wasabi can learn from this and come back stronger. I'm always willing to give folks a second chance. I want Portland to have more fun conventions people can go to, and I especially want smaller ones like Wasabi-con! I think they're really important.

As a last note: this post is not meant as a take-down or cancellation in the slightest. I simply wanted to let folks know my experience and a general run down of what happened. This post should not be used for official reporting nor should this post be used to harass anyone associated with Wasabi-con. Thank you.