Tintero 2024, my first impression

by JDRMF, comic lover and illustrator

On the 19th of May, a few relatives and I decided to visit an artist convention that had stumbled upon our feeds through the power of social media, and we had been looking forward to attending ever since. Named Tintero, this nonprofit artist convention advertised comics and independent art, made by Puerto Rican artists. To say I was excited, was quite the understatement! This year, they held Tintero in Casa Ruth, Río Piedras, from the 18th to the 19th of May. The location which may change from year to year. 

Upon entering the convention, we took notice of how packed it was, which was not surprising as there was no entrance fee, and a grand variety of artists were at the location selling and exhibiting their goods. With recognizable Puerto Rican artists such as @boricualy, @dragon.coop, and @pyoint, who I had been personally following through their Instagram accounts for quite some time now. It was quite lovely seeing the traffic around their tables, and seeing people recognize them as I had. It was also very fun meeting new artists that I would quickly follow after leaving the premises.

This was my first time attending this artist convention, and I can gladly say, I'd go again. I followed many new artists after meeting them there. A majority of them offered business cards with their social information, and those that didn't had them written down in their banners. It was quite easy finding, following and supporting them, and it's always great seeing a space allowing artists to advertise themselves and their business as a whole, especially one that doesn't charge an entrance fee.

As previously expressed, we had a great time there, the only issues I had with the space being how small it was, especially the second floor, and how hot the building got with so many people moving, huddled, within it. Although I can't harp on them for this too harshly, as one of our biggest artist conventions, Comic Con, struggles when it comes to how much space they offer attendees, too. Maybe tables could've been placed differently to allow for easier traffic and less crowding, nevertheless it wasn't too big of an issue, as the building chosen offered an outer space one could go to cool down if needed.

To conclude, the overall experience was a fun one. I got to talk to artists about their art and business models, met new creatives to follow, and got to walk out with lots of business cards and stickers!