A Day at DesignerCon 2019

When it comes to art and design I’m all thumbs. First of all, I’m far too impatient to put any real effort into it and, secondly, everything I make ends up looking nothing like it did in my head. But, I have several family members who excel at the creative arts and I’ve long admired their talents when it comes to drawing, painting, design and more. Perhaps, because of that I have an endless admiration for creative talents and love viewing (and purchasing) their work. So much so that every year I look forward to DesignerCon, an annual Southern California art and design convention.

For the second year in a row DesignerCon was held at Anaheim Convention Center and featured over 700 vendors offering an array of prints, pins, toys and more. In addition there were panels, discussions and exhibitions including one devoted to the many animated roles of Mark Hamill. Though I love attending DesignerCon I’m still a bit of a novice. I don’t know all the collectible brands, I don’t care about exclusive items and I’m familiar with only a handful of vendors. So when I attend I simply love to peruse the aisles and see all the unique items on display.

My biggest weaknesses are enamel pins and prints but, boy, could I get into vinyl. Whether it’s familiar characters like Tom and Jerry or uniquely modern characters like Ruffle & Toast I can totally see why these pieces are highly collectible. If I wasn’t so adverse to dusting I’d buy them in a heartbeat.

I also love the tributes to pop culture icons. If you love Ron Swanson, Dwight Schrute or even the Real Housewives there are vendors who have you covered. I practically squealed when I spied the Schitt’s Creek coloring book from Hello Harlot and I loved the Hitchhiking Ghosts from Jelly Koe. Then there was the blast to the past Gilligan’s Island pillow and bar towel from Jeff Granito. Hey,, little buddy!

I loved running across old faves like Le Petit Elefant and We are Pretend Friends and discovering new (to me) talents like Merch Hotel and Josey Tsao.

At DesignerCon there’s something for everyone and it’s impossible to leave without buying anything. If I had unlimited funds I could have filled a U-Haul but I stuck to strict budget and only bought an adorable print of Angel’s Flight from Josey Tsao and few postcards from We Are Pretend Friends. Although there is one item I’m super bummed I left behind…

I love this diorama from Wundersmack and really wish I had purchased it. I may need to go online and buy myself a Christmas treat.

Once again, I had so much fund wandering the halls of DesignerCon and already can’t wait to see what’s in store next year.