CHU was at Sworn Fest 2022 over the weekend of February 25th in Mesa, AZ. I would refer to it as Fiend Fest 2019 Family Reunion. Many friends were reunited, I got to see so many people I haven’t seen in 3 years and it was good for the soul.
Sworn Fest is organized by Coffin Comics, and Lady Death Creator Brian Pulido. At this niche event you get to meet artists and writers and buy cool exclusives, but the camaraderie and community building is on another level. Friday night is not a preview night, it’s a mixer to reconnect with friends and make new ones. Brain kicks off by introducing every event guest while the audience cheered them on like rock stars.
Throughout the evening he made calls for everyone to stop what they were doing and introduce themselves to someone they haven’t met before. If you enjoy collecting, or horror movies, or rock music; it’s easy to strike up a conversation in this friendly crowd. There is no hierarchy here, everyone is mingling from new fans to veteran fans, to con Guests, to the Pulidos themselves.
Saturday morning is a flurry for getting the exclusives, signatures, and getting on sketch lists. Energy was high, probably the heavy metal music in the background. Maybe they should just blast metal at every con? Crowds were managed well. One big improvement is Coffin made an hourly schedule for CGC Signings so people could focus on other things until their favorite guests timeslot.
One thing I heard from several guests – it was BUSY! The entire attendee base is rabid Coffin fans so there was a constant need for signatures/sketches from all of the guests. Coffin brought the thunder with their show exclusives:
I could write an article about my experience with each one of these guests along with some of the other superstars like Mike MacLean, Dan Feldmeier, Shannon Galarneau, Marshall Dillon, and Jason Fowers. All of these folks pour their heart into this event. If you like what you see please give them a follow and check out their online stores, it’s not easy being independent in comics especially with cons going on hold for such a long time.
Saturday evening included a party back at the convention center to do Rock n’ Roll Karaoke. If you join the Sworn Nation Facebook Group, you can witness some of the shenanigans.
The late night parties didn’t stop the action on Sunday. Panels were running throughout the day, plus you could sign up to take a free shuttle to Coffin Comics HQ and get a guided tour of the facility and visit the Pulido Archive where there is some serious comics history.
One of the most unique aspects of this event is the Trading Post managed by Coffin’s top fans. One could sign up for a one hour slot and bring Coffin/Chaos products to sell or trade. Never seen another con do that and it makes all the sense in the world, much easier than trying to trade in the lobby.
The Cosplay guests were Superheroes Unlimited. The cosplay and design group absolutely nailed the Coffinverse characters. They got up at 5am every morning to put a stunning level of detail into their homemade outfits, looking like they popped right out of the latest Coffin releases
For all the dark imagery, the Pulidos have a gift for bringing people together. I made new friends. Even met two gentlemen from Cincinnati who had no idea they lived a few miles apart from each other until they met in AZ at Sworn Fest, now they have plans to hang out back at home. A pleasant and upbeat member of convention center staff was managing the event, she happily greeted everyone and engaged some of the fans. One Coffin Fiend after another started befriending her and gifting her Coffin swag. She never owned a comic before and now she is a member of the Sworn Nation with an awesome starter collection! It’s no joke, we Fiends welcome and encourage all. There are no entry requirements, come join the Facebook group with a positive attitude and you are on the team!
Lastly, big thanks to the Coffin Crew, they hauled ass all weekend for the fans. They play a role in the fun loving culture and make friends with everyone in attendance as well. They joke around with the attendees and party right along with us, but never give anything less than world class service.
If the horror and rock n’ roll vibes isn’t your thing, that’s okay. But there’s a lot to be learned from Coffin’s approach to marketing and community building. Brian Pulido’s time in comics, 30 years so far, will no doubt leave an imprint on the industry for how to do independent publishing. Coffin Kickstarters have been going as strong as ever, next one drops on March 9th.
Next up is the return of Phoenix Fan Fusion in late May in downtown Phoenix. Anyone else going? Let us know!
this was SWORNTASTIC!
I am one of the gentlemen from Cincinnati..Cole and I are going to hang out..he must experience going through my archives.. I am so glad I was at swornfest. Alot happened…I was “knighted” a vested villian by Dennis Purish..and drank moonshine with Brian Pulido..even won prizes in the sworn Olympics.. and I never win anything.. getting to hang out with Troy Hudson. Tony Buck. Dane Ellingson. Adam Kingsland was awesome. Still reeling after all of it…