Every year in Austin, Texas, Mondo Gallery opens its doors for what it considers its most special show of the year: House Party. Now in its third incarnation, House Party allows for the gallery to thank the fans for their loyalty, calling upon their stable of regular contributors to send along some incredible pieces for purchase. With over eighty artists represented in the show (and with most contributing multiple pieces), there is literally a wealth of riches available for attendees to choose from.
But, here’s the catch: each piece, no matter the size or the artist or the subject matter, is just two hundred dollars. For original art, from some of the community’s biggest names, this, more often than not, is an absolute steal. And, as usual, popular comic artists were represented very well: from Tulay Lotay and Becky Cloonan to Jock and Eric Powell, it was a very impressive list of contributors.
So, of course, we made the trek to Austin. Compared to the fifteen fans that had waited in the Texas elements since Monday, our arrival on Thursday evening (for the Friday evening opening) didn’t seem that intense. And, as we settled into our #25 and #26 spots in line, we spent the next twenty-four hours guessing which pieces had yet to be revealed and which pieces already previewed would be scooped up by the time we got to the front of the line.
Emotions are always high, especially with a limit of two pickups per person. By the time we got to our chance to buy, there was still an incredible amount of beautiful selections. Brandon picked out a beautiful original from Jock, featuring Batman in the rain, as well as a very detailed canvas from Dan McCarthy. Jason purchased a Scott C. original, celebrating the diverse film roles of Jeff Goldblum, as well as a one-of-a-kind illustration from Becky Cloonan. Sleeping in our car suddenly became very worth it.
If you’re feeling particularly lucky, the remaining stock was put up earlier this week, with very limited inventory still available. You should definitely scroll through and silently weep to yourselves when you realize what you missed out on. Next year, come join us in line for House Party 4 … because we’ll be back, for sure. (But just make sure to arrive after we do, thanks.)
