DnA Artists
Artists & Friends
CAKE 2025
Author: Dana
Date: 07/22/25
Tags:
#Fests
Dana checking in to talk about CAKE this year! Alex was busy wearing her event organizer hat, so I drove up to Chicago to man the DnA table while she ran the panels and programs during the two day comic fest.
It was great to meet up with Alex in person again; our lives have both kept us busy and and we haven’t had the opportunity to connect in person in over a year. Highlights of the trip include meeding her pet rabbit Ivy, Colectivo coffee, and watching K-Pop Demon Hunters.
Now, to talk about the Expo itself!
We tested out a slightly different display set up which seemed to work well. We keep fine tuning our table display but honestly I’m not sure how much of a difference the tweaks have made. I think having a simple set up and good quality zines and comics is the key to success at these events. And engaging with the visitors and talking to them about your work. Alex and I both have solid pitches that we repeat to visitors that show interest in any of our work on the table.
I was lucky enough to be tabling next to Eve of birding fame! We got to chat a little bit at Halftone earlier this year, and my boyfriend has a small collection of her work so I’d say we’re fans. It was nice to get to spend some more time talking and support each other during the event.
The show was packed with incredible artists and publishers. I picked up things from Iron Circus Comics, a beautiful print from Kyle Fewell, and a cute sticker from Erin Roseberry, just to name a few. Alex took some time to run around the vendor floor and make some purchases as well.
Along with tabling, I was able to participate in the figure drawing session that they held in one of the programming rooms! I love figure drawing and don’t have many opportunities to do it these days, so this was really a treat for me.
That’s all I have to say about CAKE for now! We were unable to attend any of the after-hours events, unfortunately. It was a busy weekend and Alex and I were both pretty exhausted after the weekend.
Looking forward to the next one!