This weekend I’ll be returning to Anime Boston! It’s my first convention of 2026 and it promises to be a lively one, if it follows the pattern of… well… every Anime Boston I’ve ever exhibited at!
This year’s convention schedule is significantly reduced from last year’s. Last year I tried to do as many new shows as I could fit into my schedule, and while I had fun at all of them and met some great people, financially I only ended up breaking even at most of them. This year I’ve pared it down to the ones I excelled at, and Anime Boston was one of them.
I’ve spoken a lot about Anime Boston over the years; how it was the first show I ever had an Artist Alley table at, how it was the first show I ever did a panel talk for, and the innumerable memories that I’ve accumulated over the years with friends and colleagues. I’m glad it’s my first show to kick off 2026, I’m lucky they continue to keep letting me back in to the Artist Alley, and I’m looking forward to new memories with undoubtedly lovely people.
What I am not looking forward to is the commute. While I live in Massachusetts I’m about 40 minutes away from Boston, and I do whatever I can to avoid paying for parking in the city. As a result I drive to the subway station at the end of its line, park my car there, and take connecting trains in to the city. It makes my whole journey into the show take about an hour one way, which isn’t so bad first thing in the morning, but after the marathon hours of Anime Boston (which are between 10-11 hours on Friday and Saturday) an extra hour to get home is draining.
However lively or tired I may be at my table, I will be happy to see you if you can come to visit me (and buy lots of books)!