LightBox Expo Worth Going To? + Art Book Haul

[@DevinElleKurtzArt]

I heard so many people talking about your sign. big hit

[@Inkwell]

I like how everyone made a new book for the show or like a new painting and my lazy ass was like a sign 🤣🤣🤣thats where the moneys at 🫡

[@inkinaryuu637]

It gets a little scary with the state that the industry is in right now and the AI stuff, but these types of events give me a tiny bit of hope. My favorite thing about expos and cons is being able to see my favorite artists (and giving them goodie bags hehe). I also try to leave my shy cave for 2-3 days & make new connections/network as well (usually it happens while waiting in line for a panel lol). What's also great about these events is it lets me learn as much as I can about the industry/other routes I can pursue (school def did not teach me anything). Lastly, THE MERCH HAULLL!! (P.S. Thank you very much Sang for letting me explore and roam around during these types of events, it means the world me and I appreciate it a lot!

[@CYNEMICAL]

I attended Lightbox primarily to reconnect with animation industry peers, and at the very end of my last day on Saturday I briefly strolled through the vendor hall. It was a complete surprise to me to spot you vending (btw your booth/visual branding is just all-around #goals). It was such a delight to meet you in person, and to be able to bring home one of your Howl & Sophie prints. Thank you for your kindness, I hope to see you at another event soon! 🥺⭐

[@Inkwell]

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed the event as much as I did

[@DesignDuels_JakePleshe]

100% Agree with what you said, Dustin! Definitely still recommend going to Lightbox as a younger/aspiring professional. I think it is CRITICAL for networking and getting a job. Was great to meet you at Lightbox as well, hope to have you and Vonnart on the channel soon.

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Was awesome to meet and talk with you a bit this year! That sign was absolutely worth it. Looking forward to watching this during work tomorrow! EDIT: Aye nice, back of my head at 9:42 😆

[@gabrielzquinn]

CluelessGabriel here! So glad I got to meet you and have a chat! It's so cool seeing my table in this video! I also want to mention how helpful your videos were in helping me prepare for my first experience tabling, thank you! I'm looking forward to seeing you and your incredible setup at more cons in the future!

[@Inkwell]

@@gabrielzquinn your work is stunning, it was lovely getting to chat! 😊

[@coraliespuna5896]

As someone from Barcelona, this video convinced me to at least try to attend next year 🤣 it's incredible the amount of talent that there is in a single con!

[@Inkwell]

Hope I see you there!

[@napostrophen]

Same. Even tho I’m in Graphic Design not really illustration/Animation. I do like making fine art and the educational experience would be nice to explore😊 networking would be sweet too

[@kaijunaut1954]

I really enjoyed your booth and your work. One of the most memorable things I saw at the show.

[@levisimpson516]

My wife and I were there, it was our first one back since the first Lightbox. What a fantastic time, we absolutely loved it and the energy. We're both kind of there for different reasons, we're not young students, just a couple of art nerds in our mid 30s and 40s who love the art community and love supporting it. After Lightbox we headed down to San Diego to spend the week drawing at the Zoo's. Hell of a vacation for us, and we to came back with a pile of books, we had to ship them home, no room to carry them, haha. I wish I would have known you and your channel better, I would have said hi. We were right at Von's booth a couple of times, we usually see Von at Emerald City ComicCon where we sell our work, but he hasn't been there in a few years. Anyway, hell of a show and I love some of the stuff you picked up. Wish I saw that Night Visions, gorgeous! If we ever make it back and you're there I'll try and stop by. :) Cheers, and great video.

[@Inkwell]

Thats the way to do it! See you next time!

[@Kubrafineart]

Not me pausing the video every few seconds to search the artists

[@elisamilan]

same 😂

[@zacheryredden5417]

The bakery dragon is so beautiful but that process book looks amazing!

[@demichenart]

Ah, so great to finally meet you and see your epic booth in person! I'm happy I got to take home a Winged Siren print, the silver foil is awesome ✨ Thank you for the feature and for taking some time out to chat with me! 🥳 What a comprehensive video as always! And Sang is so cute!

[@Inkwell]

@@demichenart ☺️☺️☺️

[@BAESDart]

Every time I passed your table it was packed! Lightbox is always a great time! I’ll never understand the gatekeeping mindset so I’m glad there wasn’t any of that at this convention! Can’t wait for next year!

[@scribblediary237]

Oof the way you summed up the state of the industry felt sooo validating, thanks for this great video! It was me and my sisters first time tabling this year and I wish I would have seen this sooner. We already took so much of your tabling advice from past videos, and this will be so helpful to so many future artists going to lbx as well

[@irismuddyhehe]

Your table was really beautiful!! I really enjoyed this video and found your points really valuable; Ive always enjoyed lightbox so much, and it definitely has a lot to do with expectations and mindset like you explained. Appreciating the bountiful knowledge and connection to be enjoyed!! Yay~

[@thenekobean]

This video is just a catalogue of everything I like - I'll take one of everything, pls

[@Inkwell]

This event was very bad for my wallet ever thing was soooooo goood

[@garylaibart]

Hey it was awesome to see my table in your B roll! (Gary Laib Art) Wish we'd had time to chat more. I only found your booth thanks to my wife pointing it out to me and it's super inspiring to watch your videos. All the best!

[@Inkwell]

Your work is inspiring loved the display as well 🫡 Thanks for letting me film it!

[@garylaibart]

@ Absolutely! Hopefully we’ll get more time to chat at future events! Also, thanks for the video about the “pole” set up. I’ve been looking for ways to go more vertical and it helped a lot!

[@gabrielzquinn]

Gary!!!! Not only were we table neighbors but we also made it into the same KZbin video! hahahah

[@garylaibart]

@ I know right? Moving up in the world!

[@vienslatelier]

Always love hearing your thoughts and seeing your point of view. keep up the fantastic artwork AND content online.

[@Inkwell]

I’ll keep em coming, thanks for watching

[@elisamilan]

SO MANY AMAZING ARTISTS THERE. Honestly, I would love to go just because I would want to meet my favorite artists, including yourself! ✨

[@ferreticus]

Great Lightbox review! And a very cool art haul!

[@andyborch9886]

Wow, I did not even know about that event! Thanks for making these videos.

[@StanleyVB_20]

Very interesting and it was great to learn about the artists and their books. I am based in Malta so will likely never visit the Lightbox Expo, but the interest in artwork is a shared value.

[@dee6561]

Damn, looking at all this gorgeous art!

[@jennyduong2466]

Your videos are a joy to watch and give some really helpful information

[@Mualcaina]

While I don’t think my work aligns w LightBox, it seems like a fun con to attend! Thanks for your insight on this 🙌🏼

[@caringfamily8132]

2:39 Dustin, I seriously dig your booth design game. The look was always cool, like something out of a Miyazaki medieval bizarre; now, the pop-factor is even better - that new character sign is freakin' awesome 👏💪

[@Inkwell]

Thank you! We had been planning it for a while! Really happy with how it turned out!

[@JasmineRossetto]

I wish I'd visited your table at Lbx and spoken to you! I really liked your vlog!! I went last year and found that it has indeed grown and realised that my planning for the event wasn't enough...

[@aprilpark1357]

I visited ur booth on Saturday, and ur display was absolutely wonderful and so eye-catching! I was like WAHH whose table is thattt and when I found out it was you, I got so excited haha. I’m glad I was able to get some prints and tell you in person how much I enjoy ur videos :) Great insights on the art industry in this one too, It’s tough out here, but Im hopeful for the future after LBX!

[@Inkwell]

@@aprilpark1357 thanks for stopping by! 😊

[@KazmaArts]

I love dinotopia! Years ago my sister worked at the art institute in California and got me a signed copy of one of James Gurney’s books he drew an alien with a paint palette in it and I thought it odd he drew an alien and asked my sister why he did that and she said that she told him that I was weird 😜. Still one of my favorite books! ❤

[@Inkwell]

@@KazmaArtswhat a sick addition to your collection!

[@TheLolita05]

I was lucky enough to go for the first time this year, and I loved it ! I'm not even a art student and I am in no level to do art professionally yet, but I was positively overwhelmed by the artists around me and the creative vibe ! Plus I was accompanied by friends that were more socially skilled than me which made me talk to Soooo many artists 😭 I didn't know it was a possibility !!(unfortunately passed your booth several time alone and alone it's still hard to talk 🤣 But your sign was a banger !!)

[@chiiana]

Thank you for this wonderful insight! Lightbox look like a really inspiring event and I'd love to go one day just to see all the amazing artists 🧡 I also really enjoyed the look at all the artbooks, for some reason looking at artbooks more then anything makes me want to do more art myself 🌱

[@GodLovesComics]

I'm only a writer so the only name I recognized out of the blocks was Super Ani (rest in peace Kim Jung Gi). I would love to make some character cut-outs with that fancy schmancy laser cutter. Many moons ago I did that the old fashioned way for my unadorned table at SPX. Hand-drawing three Hans Rickheit yellow cherubs in green tutus, each on foam board and cutting them out with an X-Acto knife. Shockingly, they came out okay. As the video rolled along, of course I did recognize James Gurney as well.

[@FazartOrganization]

I'm 100% jealous of those James Gurney books!!

[@ChantelleArts]

this is such a good haul!! 🥰

[@Inkwell]

I’m a sucker for a good art book 🫣

[@UnchainedHobbies]

Everybody's gansta until Inkwell crunches the numbers

[@gravity_child]

A lot of the issues you touched upon are equally as true in the film industry, though that's probably because film and animation go hand in hand. There's rumors that next year will bring a lot of work, so the goal is to stay afloat until then! Also, that first art book you showed looks familiar... 🧐🧐🧐

[@j.2512]

20% of illustration jobs in the entire industry got slashed because of AI, next year will be more. There are jobs but for thirld world artists mostly, they are outsourcing all positions that can't be directly replaced by AI

[@ecupcakes2735]

i REALLY REALLY wanna go to lightbox!!

[@lillinapoc7647]

LightBox was a little disappointing for me more in terms of how quickly the educational panels filled up. Other than that, I was more inspired by the independent artists than I was the industry (I don’t think I was ever interested in the industry). So if anything, I went in with the question of “do I want to be an industry artist or go full freelance?” After the event, I’d say freelance (even though I know it’ll be harder). Loved your video :) I saw your booth but I didn’t know about your channel until today! I loved how you set it up, it was wonderful. Big shame I had no money, I would’ve thrown it your way.

[@Zabvenie]

Oh, outsourcing isn't speculation or a secret. They've been ramping it up for the last 10 years or so, but when the Canadian guild cut its own deals to undermine the guilds in the states (during the strikes), most studios opened foreign branches. So they've been taking all our work, and they changed their laws to prevent hiring non-Canadians. But that's where the senior positions went and everything else is outsourced to South Korea, France, Singapore, the Philippines, etc. Places with much lower wages and no unions.

[@samuraichameleon]

If Lightbox Expo does panel tickets the same way next year, you can line up for them immediately after the line for the previous panel in that room goes in.

[@Inkwell]

@@samuraichameleon good to know

[@colleen3690]

JAMES GURNEEEYYYYY

[@TimRidleyArt]

I wanted to go, but like you said it's mostly for networking and art students. So $70+ just to see some art and hangout with old colleagues and friends is a tough ask.

[@aaronpagniano7597]

omg I love Puppetmon too!

[@Inkwell]

Peek Digimon

[@shooley]

brb buying all the books you showed 💸

[@BenjiSketch]

Sad I missed the event, and unfortunate that the industry is still hard to break into. That's why I left to be a lawyer.

[@SigneofHorses]

I have imposter syndrome just watching this… that cutout banner is just❤❤❤❤

[@EchoesOfTheDawnOfficial]

Fantastic video! Where did you get the cool smock/apron that you wear in a lot of your videos??

[@Inkwell]

Big Daddy Bezos got it for me, aka Amazon 🤣

[@CalebWarwick]

@6:25 the work you credited to liliuhms is actually my friend’s work. Junk Paradise.

[@nacostaart]

editing is very gen z but your videos are very valuable. Im in central CA near Sacramento so maybe I'll have to try lightbox next year. The last time I went to a convention was GDC in 2023 and I felt sooo much imposter syndrome. I should have been more relaxed with my expectations. I felt like a fraud and an idiot for even going and ended up leaving early and cried a bit lol. I think next time I'm just going to try and have fun and talk to people.

[@samliveshere88]

as an animator from australia yeah the industy is cooked everywhere

[@Lunamooniee]

27:00 favorite part of the video

[@Inkwell]

🥲

[@1000yaos]

Hi! Where is the best website/app to see what your schedule is and where you'll be posted up next? Are you going to be at Designercon?

[@Inkwell]

I’ll be attending DesignerCon, but not tabling, I normally post upcoming events on my instagram

[@1000yaos]

@@Inkwell Ah gotcha! I was hoping to complete my set of your fish while I was there! I regret not just getting all of them when I was at Dragoncon... oh well I'll keep an eye out for the next time I'll be where you're tabling! thanks for the response.

[@BarKeegan]

Please tell me that there’s a room/ table at the Expo, where those looking for jobs in big studios are encouraged to band together and form their own

[@MonicaWilliams-f6m]

Lol, Hugs to Sang.

[@sanglamart]

Lightbox is always a good time. You captured it so nicely

[@Inkwell]

Okay but what if we tried Digimon again!

[@Bumble_bee.tl3]

11:54 does anyone know what this is from?

[@BethanValerious]

i have to be careful watching this content because i get heartpalpatations from the sheer joy i feel

[@SpaceBandit666]

I’d like to know how to get in as a vendor when there are no jobs!

[@Inkwell]

Do you mean like how to apply to be a vendor? The job market in my experience dosent really seem to affect weather you get in to shows or not, most show are just looking at your portfolio not your resume

[@lowbudgetmic]

Love ❤️ da vids Chief 😎🥷👑🌎

[@Inkwell]

🙏🙏🙏

[@arcbrush]

Regarding the animation jobs, I think it's natural market correction. Artists were always a periphery thing, unless you're making millions from personal projects.

[@kcmoon2214]

There is actually another animation industry event that's similar called CTN expo. Not sure what's the status of it is now since it's been public knowledge in the entertainment industry for its terrible customer service and overpriced events. 🤔 It's one of the reasons I believe they created lightbox expo. 😅 Didn't go this year but I'm thinking about going next year. Not for job hunting, but probably to make friends and socialize more. 🤔 Don't have a lot of close artist friends I can talk to or relate with. 😖

[@Inkwell]

I heard mixed things about CTN but never been myself, maybe I’ll have to check it out at some point.

[@bilonic111]

The imposter syndrome is a big problem no matter how good you are is what I have learned.

[@czeqer]

HIRE ME PLEASE. ill make you coffee ... 👉👈☕✨

[@peter8261]

Dude imagine taking the time to talk to a person only to be directed to scan a code. Bro. What are we even doing?

[@TheP1x3l]

It's just so unfair to take some of the coolest people, who have such zest for life and a wonderful perspective, and just.... only see us as a means to make money. It makes me so depressed. I hope things change soon.

[@93hothead]

Outsourcing to third world countries willing to take 1/3 of the pay, competition is tough

[@xonious9031]

pretty sure it is all going to AI tho

[@j00bs]

sadly the dynamic has changed and studios do NOT in fact need animators more than animators need them. the fact is there are so many more animators, so many more art school graduates looking for jobs with each passing year - yet hardly any new studios. more and more the large studios are focused on pleasing investors/shareholders, and with whatever guild/union strikes happen will just serve to lower the bar of quality. photography was the canary in the coal mine. art employment is permanently disrupted , as thats what disruptive tech does. when you democratize something for the masses, the few who benefited from the exclusivity of the subject will suffer.

[@Amelia_PC]

AI could definitely help indie artists with marketing and advertising. However, current AI models struggle to create effective campaign plans beyond obvious and flawed formulas. I'd love to see AI become sophisticated enough to rival a real ad agency, simplifying the process for creators and helping them reach their target audience. Pfft. Instead of this, they're generating images. I want AI to accurately predict money investment analytics and create highly effective ad campaign plans to follow and execute. But no. It's too much to ask.

[@garths]

FIRST

[@Inkwell]

👌

[@riccia888]

Lightbox expo is a scam. For all the newbies out there thinking they will get good when going to lightbox expo. Nope. Feng talked about this in his videos.

[@j.2512]

its the same dozen internet popular artists every time

[@Yyuni44]

The fomo I feel every year. I really wanna get there one year to spend all my money on art I can't get here and maybe make some artist friends(or land a job, but that's not my main priority for now). Appreciate your videos they are really informative and also fun to watch!🫶

[@vonnart]

hahahaha "...stroking egos is highly at play" while showing me getting interviewed. 🤣🤣😆😎🔪🩸