Attending Conventions

I think I need to write about comics conventions and my somewhat limited participation in them. This year I am involved in two conventions. The first has already come and gone (SuperManila) and the second is later this month, Komikon. I wish I could attend many conventions in one year, but my health isn't very good anymore, plus the fact that I'm a registered PWD (Person with Disability), I simply cannot attend that many conventions anymore. I have decided to attend only one a year and that is Komikon in November. I said yes to Supermanila because I feel a close friendship with Comic Odyssey owner Sandy Sansolis. He understands my situation, and he bends over backward to make it very easy for me to attend. He pays for my accommodation, my transportation and takes care of everything else. It takes months of preparation to attend a convention so I just can't attend something you invited me to the following week. It's just not possible.

What do I mean by "preparation"? I mean that since I have poor health, I make sure I'm feeling my best when the time of the convention comes. I make sure to eat right and exercise the months before the event. I make sure all my blood tests show the best results. I make sure with my doctor that I'm in tip top shape by the time of the convention. And because of my physical condition, I can no longer ride public transportation. The trip will exhaust me, if not kill me. So I have to spend at the very least 4K to rent a van back and forth from San Pablo to Manila. Sandy took care of that for his event. I would also need accommodation because I can't go back and forth in one day from home to Manila and back. The trip would exhaust me. I need to stay a night at least in Manila, specially if the event will take all day. Sandy also took care of that, booking me at a nearby hotel near the venue. I don't ask the same from Komikon because they're not a for profit event. I have great affinity for Komikon because they're organized by my peers and I practically grew up with them in this industry. Nevertheless, they too make it a point to make it easy for me, specially when it comes to paying for my table and for putting me in a spot that wouldn't stress me out too much.

Now if you're an organizer and would like me to attend your event, you now know what to do. And one thing you can't do is invite me today for an event that's happening next week. You have to give me months to prepare, plus the other things. Now if you think this is such a hassle and you don't want to deal with someone like me, then by all means don't invite me. It's OK. There are plenty of healthy comics pros to invite without much hassle. Also, I don't attend conventions that are organized by groups with political or religious agenda. Or any kind of agenda that I don't agree with. I really don't want to get into that too much, but I thought I'd just throw it out there.