Author: Jeremy Foscardo
How my dog and I spent Baltimore Comic-Con
[Editor’s note: I was chatting with Jeremy at his booth when I couldn’t help but notice Jackson, his adorable emotional support dog. We came up with the idea of an article talking about tabling with a pet and this is the result.]
There is no one word to describe Baltimore Comic Con. This was the first time I was seeking to create art while pursuing a full-time job as an artist, and it was certainly memorable. However, there is one experience that helps sum up the entire weekend: walking the dog. That’s right, I spent the entire weekend at Baltimore Comic-Con doing my best to take care of my emotional support dog, Jackson.
He has been my family dog for the past six years. I first met him in July 2018 at an adoption program at a local pet store in Hillsdale, New Jersey. I. vice versa. Just jump to his pet shop cage – he chose me and we were destined for life. From that day on he became my companion and we traveled throughout much of the Northeastern United States. Most recently, this year, he has become my emotional support dog.
In the summer of 2023, with the help and facilitation of my parents, Jackson began attending a comic convention and an expo with me. This year, I’m making sure he comes to Baltimore Comic Con with me. It was a mesmerizing experience all weekend long—Jackson’s reaction was unlike any other at the Small Press Expo and Natsukashii Con in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. There were times when he felt trapped and wanted to be with me every step of the way, even hiding under the table because of the noise. Despite these challenges, everyone at the convention adored him. His temperament left a deep impression on several other pros present. To elaborate further, here’s the context in which it happened.
Friday, a pretty standard day. People come to my table to either sign the Baltimore Comic-Con yearbook or buy some art from there – I have a lot of sales. During the commotion, people noticed him, found him adorable, and were given the opportunity to greet him and pet him with consent. It helps improve the mood and morale of everyone in attendance; Jackson loves the attention. When I was working in sales, I took care of him and made sure he had his own bed, except when one of my parents had to be with him. There is also a special bed beside him.
Saturday — things took a different turn. His bed had been left in the rental car, leaving him no place to rest except the hard floor. Once, he hid under the table, shaking all over because he was afraid of the noise around him. I cared about him so much that I picked him up and held him like a baby to make him feel safe. At some point, he met a friendly little French bulldog named “Pickles” whose owner also watched him throughout the day. At the end of the second day, he stayed with me while my parents went to get the car to pick us up. After I closed my booth, we all waited outside the main entrance of the convention center. A few minutes quickly turned into an hour due to the heavy traffic that my parents had to pass through. We waited at the entrance and discovered that the reason there was so much traffic in the area was because a big baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and Baltimore Orioles had ended. Soon we encountered a group of baseball fans/attendees leaving the stadium and walking along the convention center. So I kept a close eye on and kept a tight rein on Jackson. An hour passed and the crowd dispersed – my parents arrived and we all returned to the hotel.
On Sunday, it was more or less the same story — only this time, Jackson was watched by my parents at our hotel before arriving at the venue that afternoon. Honestly, helping Jackson rest before returning is the best option. Upon arrival, he again had no bed and we had to take turns keeping an eye on and holding him so he knew we were here. Finally, we didn’t have to wait hours to be picked up. Instead, we were all present and packed up the car and headed back to the hotel. This just goes to show that even the most supportive of emotional support dogs need a little support sometimes
Despite the many challenges, spending time together at Baltimore Comic-Con was a positive experience for my dog and I. As someone on the autism spectrum, it helped me come to terms with this event while getting used to meeting other people. For me, interaction has always been a human challenge – which is why it helps to have someone like Jackson, who is also now a licensed emotional support dog, by my side. In a way, it helps boost the morale of my vending machine neighbors, my self-esteem—and sales. The U.S. economy has been under a lot of pressure this year, so any small help can go a long way. Because over those three days, sales kept climbing until I was breaking even, selling more than at my previous venue.
What made the whole experience feel like a community was that there were other vendors in Artist Alley who brought their pets to the session. Whether it’s a miniature French bulldog named Pickles or a trained service dog named Sydney, there are plenty of dog owners and dog sitters taking care of their pets during the weekend while attending the convention. Honestly, it goes back to what some peers and others have said over the years: Our pets are like our children. As a parent of your pet, selling art and comics at conventions is almost like “taking your kids to work.” This is a new precedent set at the convention, and I hope it becomes more normalized for pet owners and people with disabilities.
[Editor’s note: At our request, Jeremy provided some of his art to accompany this article.]
Jeremy Fuscaldo is a New Jersey-based illustrator and comic book artist who graduated from William Paterson University with an MFA in Visual Arts. He self-publishes webcomics and Drawtober sketchbooks featuring his original character Amelia Enmity.
