My local comic con's artist alley looked totally different this year

I went to the Portland Comic Con in 2022 and again this past weekend. In 2022, almost every table in the artist alley was a person selling prints they'd drawn. This year, I'd say a solid third of the tables were just selling AI-generated prints of superheroes and anime characters. You could tell because the hands were weird and the styles were all over the place. I talked to one artist who said her sales were down about 40% because people just buy the cheaper AI stuff now. It made me realize this isn't some far-off future problem, it's hitting working artists right now. Has anyone else seen this shift at their local conventions?

3 comments

3 Comments

alice45728d ago

That's a depressing shift to see firsthand.

grace_wells9828d ago

The old hardware store on Main Street just put up another "for lease" sign. What kind of shift are you talking about, @alice457? I'm seeing a lot of empty storefronts where real businesses used to be. Feels like everything's moving to some warehouse you never see. Makes the whole town feel quieter, and not in a good way.

lee1828d ago

I get what you mean, but I like the quiet.