DCC Artist Preview: MJ Erickson

MJ Erickson is coming to Denver Comic Con. She knows how to capture all my favorite female characters. Her fan art of Wonder Woman and Jessica Jones are perfect. I’ve always stopped by her booth, but this year I learned she’s a CRITTER! (Fan of Critical Role (nerdy D&D stream)).

She’s currently working on BOOM! Studio’s The Thrilling Adventure Hour which comes out in July. Also she’s got a Kickstarter comic book project with Jenn Dugan that sounds awesome! “Zara is pretty sure her dream lover, a non-binary assassin named Aderes, is just that: a dream.” Her booth should be a definite stop on your art shopping trip at Denver Comic Con.

What do most people come to your booth to talk to you about?

People always like to chat about their fandoms (if I’m selling art from them) or their own passion and aspirations for art. It’s always fun to have an instant connection based on common interests, and cons are such a cool place to share that enthusiasm.

 

What new thing do you want everyone to know about?

I’ll have new prints for the second campaign of Critical Role this year, along with some D&D themed pins! Outside of my merch, I just want everyone to play D&D, which isn’t new, but I’m so glad it’s gone so mainstream and is helping people have fun and express themselves creatively.

What person, panel, or event at DCC are you most excited for?

I usually don’t get to leave my table much, but my favorite part of any con is always exploring the artist alley and discovering new artists or saying hi to everyone I’ve met there in previous years. Being able to support other artists in person is a cool opportunity that I really only get at conventions.

 

What’s your most popular item at cons?

This changes at every con. I do dramatic superhero portraits that are usually pretty popular, but at some cons people go for the “underdogs” instead. It just depends a lot on the area and demographic. Lately, my enamel pins have been a big hit, which is probably true for most artists.

 

Most hilarious con story?

There are a lot! One was actually a few years ago at DCC. A little boy was looking at my Avengers fan art, but Ultron had just come out, and he really wanted an Ultron print. His mom kept kindly trying to pitch my other art to him (“you like Steve, right? Look at how cool Natasha looks here!”), but he just kept stamping his feet and shouting “Ultron”. Eventually she said “don’t be sassy”, then he stomped away. My table mates and I were saying “don’t be sassy” the rest of the con.

 

Most interesting commission?

I don’t know if interesting is the right word, but the one I was most excited to get was a request for Buckaroo Banzai Jeff Goldblum.

 

What can fans do?

Following on social media and signal boosting art and shop-related posts is always a huge, huge help! I’m also working on BOOM! Studio’s “Thrilling Adventure Hour” comic, written by Ben Acker and Ben Blacker, which you can pre-order at your local comic shops.

 

Where can we find you at Denver Comic Con?

Table Y5 in Artist Valley!

MJ Erickson can also be found on her website, twitter, and instagram.