My first Toonfest sketch. I didn't know at that time that there would be free sketches, and I didn't even know there would be a cartoonist whose comics I actually read! My dad suggested I bring my sketch pad because I might want to do some drawing. Thank, you, DAD! Having a professional pad of bristol board with me, I got the best possible sketch I could get. Others had Toonfest brochures or random little things, and they got a quick little sketch. I had a 9 x 12" pad of the kind of paper that cartoonists regularly use for their finished comic strips. I got a full-page sketch. He drew this as he was chatting with another fan about the comic industry, pens, and cartooning in general. He seemed to forget he was even sketching as he was talking, that's how natural it was to him. It was an amazing experience that made me realize that I was going to come again every year after that.
Toonfest is held every year on the third weekend of September in Marceline, MO. Their website is at http://www.toonfest.net.