Ink, Grit, and 90s Nostalgia: My Weekend at Texoma Comic Con 2026

The Vibe in Durant: A Personal Milestone

Walking into the Choctaw Event Center for Texoma Comic Con 2026, I’ll admit I had some nerves. This was my very first convention standing behind the table as a professional artist rather than walking the floor as a fan. Surrounded by the “80s and 90s” retro theme, I felt right at home among the aesthetics that shaped my style—but the real shift happened when the doors opened.

The highlight of the entire weekend—and honestly, a highlight of my career so far—was selling my first piece of original artwork. It wasn’t a requested commission or a specific character study; it was a piece I had done entirely for myself, fueled by my own love for traditional ink and physical media. Seeing a collector connect with my personal vision enough to want it on their wall is a feeling I can’t quite describe. It’s one thing to have someone like a post on social media; it’s another entirely to have them look at the raw ink on the page and say, “I need to own this.” That moment in Durant turned my “work” into a “collection,” and I couldn’t have asked for a better place for it to happen.

Back to the Drawing Board (Literally)
As a traditional artist, I spent much of the weekend with ink on my hands. In a world that’s moving fast toward digital, there was a massive appreciation this weekend for the tactile nature of physical media. I had the chance to showcase the Concept and Lore book pages for my work in progress, The Adventures of Mabel and Midge, and the response was incredible.There’s nothing quite like watching a fellow fan lean in to look at the cross-hatching or the way the ink hits the paper—details that sometimes get lost on a phone screen.

The Collector Community
The highlight, as always, was meeting the people who want to take my art home. To everyone who picked up a print, commissioned a sketch, or just stopped by to talk about the influence of legends like Jim Lee or Todd McFarlane: thank you. Seeing my work go from my desk to a collector’s hands is the ultimate “why” behind my Patreon and my upcoming website. It’s what keeps the lights on and the ink flowing.

What’s Next?
I’m heading back to the studio with a lot of fresh inspiration. I’ve got some sketches from the con that I’ll be finishing up this week, and I’ll be posting those over on Tiktok. If you missed me in Durant, don’t worry I’m currently working on inventory for the Mana Masters MTG tournament in Norman, OK the first weekend in March 2026 – just 2 weeks from today – so you can grab original pieces directly from the source soon.