Art

DesignerCon 2018 Guide: Must Visit Booths

We are less than a week away from DCon and the excitement is mounting. With 700 vendors and more than 300 artists this year, looking at the map is overwhelming. But have no fear, your friendly neighborhood blogger is here! I’ve gathered some standouts and personal favorites to help you navigate this awesome sea.

Standouts

medicom booth hypefest
Medicom booth (image from Medicom's Instagram)

Starting with a biggie—Medicom (booth 405). This announcement filled me with many emotions, but the top one was surprise. Medicom doesn’t normally participate in US shows, so this is a momentous occasion that merits celebration. The legendary Japanese company and DCon organizers have anticipated the crowds the booth will draw, and designated a generous 40’X40’ booth for their line alone. Smart planning.

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Funko bowl sets (image from Funko's blog)

Another announcement that knocked me for a loop was the collaboration between Medicom and Funko. To me, this union seems unholy. But I won’t rain on anyone’s parade who is excited for the melding of these toy industry giants. Funko—like Medicom—is a first time vendor, under the moniker ‘Saturday Morning’ (booth 3600). As the name suggests, they’re premiering the new Saturday Morning Cereal line of breakfast cereals as well as bowl sets and sundry items. The ubiquitous Pop! figures won’t be in attendance.

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Mondo's Iron Giant (image from vendor's Instagram)

Mondo (booth 2219), purveyor of highly coveted and highly limited items such as movie posters and vinyl records will also have a large booth. Their DCon exclusive is a highly coveted and highly limited sofubi Iron Giant. They’ve released a similar figure before, but their Instagram account assures this version is new. Limited to 200 pieces at a $100 price tag, this detailed and articulated toy is sure to sell out quickly. So if you fancy him don’t dally and head to the Mondo Pavilion first.

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Pieces from the 1000toys Toys to Art Showcase (image from David Horvath Instagram)

In 2018 DCon attendees will see many vendors new to this con, but they will also see one making a return. Uglydolls (booth 3223) and one of their founders, David Horvath, hasn’t had a booth at this show since its inception in 2005. This year will see the triumphant return of the Uglydolls booth ahead of their big May 2019 movie release. A certain Uglydoll, Bossy Bear to be exact, will be featured in the 1000toys Toys to Art Showcase (booth 3428).

Speaking of 1000toys, they are hosting the SYNHMNRMX art show (booth 3630). This undoubtedly cool display will showcase customs by a variety of talented artists. Industry veteran Bwana Spoons is curating an art show (booth 2449) featuring some of his favorite artists. The timely show is titled ‘Several Fantastic Ways to Enjoy the Pre-Apocalypse’ or SFWEPA for short. Anything that Bwana Spoons does is imbued with joy and fantasy, so make sure to check out this show for a dose of both.

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Johnny Rodriguez's entry in the Jurassic Park anniversary show

Last, but not least, is the DCon/Universal collaboration in the form of a 25th Anniversary Jurassic Park art show (booth 2817 & 3013). Homage will be paid to the original movie that launched the dino-franchise. With artwork ranging from canvas to figures by the likes of Johnny Rodriguez and Nychos, this is a must-visit booth.

Personal Favorites

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Hand Over the Hero Eleven by Tony Paulson (image from artist's Instagram)

Rich and I have long been fans of Tony Paulson and his Hand Over the Hero (booth 2226) prints. Full disclosure, we’ve worked with Tony before and he’s a great guy. This year he’s bringing his distinct take on pop culture and its most popular characters to DCon. It’s the first time for Tony at the show and I could not be more thrilled to see what sort of goodies he brings.

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Pufferfish by Valency Genis (image from artist's Instagram)

The self-titled Creature Creator, Valency Genis (booth 218) is known for equal parts whimsy and artistry in the execution of her work. Visit her booth to admire or adopt one of her many spectacular mounted busts. If her creations are what you covet most, make sure to stop at the booth early as you’ll want your pick of the litter. Her pieces are unique and sell fast.

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DCon exclusives from Uamou (image from artist's Instagram)

Over the last few years, the sofubi collection in my house ballooned. Two artists are to blame for this massive expansion: Uamou (booth 2630) and RealxHead (booth 2631). The first has enchanted me with her smooth and glossy figures while the second has beguiled with his detailed and super cool characters. Both artists reside in Japan and neither has a website. This means that for us stateside, DCon is the best opportunity to fill up on sofubi greatness. Lines for both are usually long, so be prepared to wait. It’s the first area I plan on hitting.

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Tee shirt designs by Jeff Granito (image for artist's Instagram)

I’ve been following Jeff Granito (booth 1907) on Instagram and secretly dreaming up a full-on tiki room. His artwork is Shag meets tiki, pop culture, and a whole lot of wonderful. Having never seen the work in person, I’m beyond excited to explore his booth. If you’re looking for me at DCon, I’ll be the one decked in his tees, pins, and postcards on Day 2 of the show.

Soey Milk prints
Soey Milk DCon exclusive prints (image from DCon website)

Eidolon Fine Arts (booth 2043), the San Francisco based gallery, will have two DCon-exclusive Soey Milk prints. ‘Ether’ to be released on Saturday and ‘Kind’ on Sunday. Soey Milk’s work is stunning. I’m a huge fan and can’t wait to see these up close. Her style combines realism with incredible textures which in a less skilled hand would overwhelm the work. Instead, her canvases are the perfect balance of beauty and chaos. When looking at her pieces, all is right in the world.

There are many other vendors that I’m excited to see, too many to include. But I do hope that this sneak peek into the magic that awaits at DCon has whetted your appetite. I’m definitely ravenous.