This past weekend our team represented the AAP at Retropalooza Houston in Pasadena, TX. Here's a recap of the event:



For those unfamiliar, Retropalooza is a celebration of retro gaming, art and pop culture which makes it a great fit for what we do. Our goal at every convention is to meet aspiring artists, show them what the AAP community has to offer and hopefully inspire them to enter their first Draw Monthly Challenge.

The Team

Thank you to ArtztHannah, GusDraws, OldManKetchum and PONCHO who volunteered their weekend to represent the project. For a few of them it was their first time meeting each other in person. Having actual DMC winners there to talk about their experience in the project makes all the difference.

The Setup

The booth layout got a refresh this time around for a better browsing experience. This time we had 2 full portfolio binders of DMC-winning prints on display, each linked via a QR code to the artist's profile on our website. We also brought the Mona Lisa photo op cutout, which pulled people over including a few cosplayers.

The Numbers

Sales-wise it was a quieter show, bringing in just over $100 in sales across prints and postcards etc. For comparison, our previous appearance at TCG Con Houston brought in over $400, but that was a card-focused crowd where people wanted to rip packs on the spot. Different event, different dynamic.

What made this one worthwhile was the amount of interest in the DMC. A lot of visitors left wanting to know more about how to enter the challenges, and we're hoping to see some of those conversations turn into new entries over the coming months. That's always been the real purpose of these events.

What's Next

Next up we'll be at the London Card Show between April 18–19th at The Excel, where we'll be debuting our new Collector Series blind boxes.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth, posted on social media and also to the team who volunteered their time to make this all happen.

— Grimzwald