By Michelle Steen
CrockerCon 2020 is still happening, albeit with a few changes! Using the hashtag #CrockerCon on Instagram, join us on April 17 at 4:30 PM for family-friendly games, a cosplay contest, and a panorama of local vendors. The winner of the contest gets bragging rights and Museum admission for four people or ArtMix tickets for two adults.
We've put together a list of local, participating vendors, as well as some activities you can try at home! If you share your creations on Instagram, use the hashtag #CrockerCon, so we can see it and share it! Plus, keep your eyes peeled for a special, superhero-themed quiz on Instagram Stories.
Without further ado: Here's just a few of Sacramento's talented creators and businesses who participate in CrockerCon every year. Please support them if you can!
Image courtesy of the artist.
Cody Vrosh
Cody Vrosh is an artist and watercolor painter fusing science fiction elements with bold female characters and playful creatures to create a unique brand of speculative illustration.
Store | Instagram |Facebook |Youtube
Empire’s Comics
A Sacramento, community-based comic shop providing mailing options to make sure you can still have access to your favorite stories.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Graphic Novel Explorers Club
An audio book club for fans of comic books and graphic novels.
Empire Comics, chock full of new graphic novels and comic books.
Jared Konopitski
Sugar-fueled paintings with a neon aesthetic for kids and adults alike.
Website | Etsy | Facebook | Instagram
Julie Okahara
Colorful and whimsical mixed media paintings that make you want to touch and feel them!
Kimchi Kawaii
Sells original designs, many featuring puns and cute animals. Use the code COUCHCON to get free shipping in the USA.
Image courtesy of the Kimchi Kawaii.
Mike Gray, Pencil for Hire
Mike Gray is an award–winning writer, cartoonist, animator, and director who proudly lives in Sacramento! Also a proud Daddy but has yet to win a relevant award.
Olivia Gray
Olivia is a talented young artist who loves to work on commissions and to make little prints, like her "Harry Potter and the Deathly Farts" print from CrockerCon 2019.
You can direct message either @olywood_art or @pencilforhire on Instagram for commissions or prints.
Since 1968 Steve Johnson has had side career, Patent Depending, where he publishes self-illustrated invention cartoons in magazines, online and in books. Books of his work can be purchased on Amazon.
Steven M. Johnson
Steve has produced invention-themed cartoons for magazines, newspapers, and online since 1966. As his work became better known, he became more active, giving lectures on his work, including a TEDx talk in 2013, “Inventing Without a Purpose.”
The League of Heroes Inspired
A nonprofit group empowered entirely by volunteers. We work closely with hospitals, advocacy programs, and other agencies to bring archetypal princesses and superheroes to children and teens who have experienced trauma, to inspire their hero within.
Mike Gray, Pencil for Hire. Image courtesy of the artist.
Of course, you can't have CrockerCon without some family fun. So let's "fly" over here (aka scroll down) for some family-friendly fun!
Create a Sidewalk Chalk Superhero
Did you know that you can make a super heroine or hero come to life on the ground? It’s true! All you need is some chalk and a cape or towel!
Step 1: Draw a picture of a city or town on the ground. Add buildings, houses, trees, people. Can you put clouds in the sky? What will be in your town?
Step 2: When you are done with your town, lie down and stretch out, like you are flying through the air! Have someone take a picture of you, and now you are super!
Ready to take your sidewalk chalk game to the next level? Join Eben and discover how you can use tape and a few neat tricks to create a public work of art! Share your creations online, using the hashtag #CrockerCon, and we might feature them on our Instagram Story!
A "derptastic" coloring book you can print out at home, from local artist Eben Burgoon.
Learn How To Draw Chewbacca
Sure, he started out as a movie character. But he's been in comic books, so let's not be pedantic. Plus, Chewbacca is awesome and he transcends genres. Check out West Sacramentan Stacey Ball's livestream drawing lesson of everyone's favorite Wookie warrior. (Lesson starts around 4:50 PM.)
Derptastic Coloring!
Last, but not least, here's a tiny coloring book from Eben Burgoon that you can print at home! The single page PDF is "ready to print on any home printer and, one cut with scissors, it can fold into a simple, eight-fold zine you can share with friends or family". The book costs less than a dollar and features "unicorns that are just a little derpy."
Top Image: Poppy Heroes by Julie Okahara. Image courtesy of the artist.
About the Author: Michelle Steen is the Manager of Public Programs at the Crocker, where she previously coordinated family and early childhood programs. She holds an MFA in figurative painting from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and joined the Crocker in 2015 after moving to Sacramento. She lives with her husband, one-year-old human and 12-year-old canine in East Tahoe Park.
