Getting a table at artist alley is one of the most rewarding things a creator can do in the Texas geek scene — and one of the most logistically demanding. San Japan, FAN EXPO Dallas, Comicpalooza, and AnimeFest all run artist alley programs with their own applications, deadlines, table costs, and rules. If you show up expecting to wing it, you will be turned away at the door. The process starts months before the con floor opens, and knowing the system is what separates the artists who sell out prints on Saturday from the ones who did not get a table at all.
Artist Alley vs. Vendor Hall: What Is the Difference
Artist alley is reserved for independent creators selling original work and fan-made goods. Vendor hall space is licensed to commercial retailers and distributors — shops like Austin Books & Comics or Dragon’s Lair Comics & Fantasy sell from the vendor floor, not artist alley. The physical separation matters: artist alley tables are smaller, placed in a designated creator zone, and priced significantly lower than vendor booths.
Artist alley tables at Texas conventions run between $100 and $250 for a standard 6-foot table. Vendor hall booths start around $400 for a 10×10 space and climb to $1,200 or more for double booths at large shows like FAN EXPO Dallas at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. The extra cost in the vendor hall comes with perks — more square footage, electrical access, and higher foot traffic near retail anchor booths — but for a solo illustrator selling prints and stickers, artist alley is the right fit.
The distinction also matters for what you are allowed to sell. Artist alley tables are for handmade or creator-produced goods. Reselling third-party merchandise, importing bulk goods, or running what amounts to a retail storefront puts you in vendor hall territory and will get your application flagged or your table pulled mid-show. See the full breakdown of securing vendor and artist alley tables at Texas conventions for a deeper comparison of both tracks.
Application Timelines at Major Texas Cons
Texas convention artist alley applications open 6 to 9 months before the event date. San Japan — held every Labor Day weekend at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio — opens its artist alley lottery in January or February for a September event. Applications fill fast; the lottery closes within days of opening, not weeks.
FAN EXPO Dallas, which runs at Kay Bailey Hutchison each summer, opens artist alley applications roughly 7 to 8 months out. The applications are juried, meaning the team reviews your portfolio before accepting you. Have a clean Instagram or ArtStation gallery ready to link — blurry phone photos of your work will hurt your acceptance odds. Comicpalooza in Houston follows a similar juried model through the George R. Brown Convention Center’s vendor portal, with applications opening in the late fall for a May event.
AnimeFest in Dallas and Ikkicon in Austin both use lottery systems rather than jury review. Lottery systems are faster to apply to but offer no guarantee even for experienced sellers. Put your application in the moment the portal goes live — many Texas cons close their waitlists within 48 hours of opening. Bookmark the Texas con calendar and set calendar reminders for each show’s anticipated application window.
A few smaller regional shows — Alamo City Comic Con, Texas Frightmare Weekend, and Anime Frontier — open applications 3 to 4 months out and are more accessible entry points for first-time sellers. They draw serious buyers and carry lower table costs, making them smart choices while you build your convention resume.
Table Costs and What Is Included
Artist alley table pricing across Texas conventions lands in a predictable band: $100 to $150 for regional cons, $175 to $250 for the major shows. San Japan charges $150 for a half table and $250 for a full table, with the half-table option designed for solo artists who do not need the full 6-foot spread. FAN EXPO Dallas artist alley tables run $200 to $225 depending on placement tier.
The base cost covers the table itself, two chairs, and your convention badge for the full event — usually for one person, with an additional badge available for a table assistant at a discounted rate. Electricity is almost never included in artist alley pricing. If you need power for a lightbox, a register tablet, or a sign, you pay for a separate electrical drop, which runs $50 to $100 at most convention centers. Pipe and drape backdrops behind your table are provided at some shows but not all — confirm with the specific con before you pack.
Half-tables are worth considering at your first show. At Comicpalooza in the George R. Brown, a half-table puts you next to another creator, cuts your upfront cost, and reduces the inventory pressure of filling a full 6-foot spread. Once you have done two or three shows and know what sells in Texas rooms, move up to a full table.
What You Can and Cannot Sell
Original work — paintings, prints, illustrations, sculptures, sewn goods, stickers, enamel pins, and comics — is always fair game at Texas convention artist alleys. Work you personally created, designed, and produced falls squarely inside the rules at every show from San Japan to Comicpalooza to Anime Frontier at the Fort Worth Convention Center.
Fan art is where the rules get complicated. Selling prints of copyrighted characters is technically a copyright violation — Nintendo, Toei Animation, and Marvel have not licensed you to reproduce their IP for sale. In practice, fan art is the economic backbone of artist alley at every Texas con, and enforcement is rare. San Japan, FAN EXPO Dallas, and most Texas shows do not actively police fan art tables, but they do require artists to sign a contract acknowledging that the convention is not responsible for intellectual property disputes. If a rights holder sends a representative to the floor — which occasionally happens at shows with large anime studio presences — you may be asked to pull specific items.
What conventions actively prohibit: adult content at all-ages shows (San Japan is 18+ restricted for explicit material; AnimeFest is stricter), weapons or props that violate venue policy, bootleg merchandise (licensed products with fake branding), and food items without the appropriate vendor permits. Read the artist alley contract line by line before you sign — each Texas show has different rules on AI-generated art, traced artwork, and mass-produced goods sold as handmade.
The Local Creator Hub tracks Texas artist alley policy updates and flags when major cons revise their fan art or AI art stances between seasons.
Setup, Display, and Load-In Tips
Load-in at large Texas convention centers is structured by time slot and badge type. At the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center for San Japan, artist alley load-in runs the Thursday night before the event opens. Arriving during your assigned window is non-negotiable — late arrivals lose their spot in the freight elevator queue and end up carrying bins of prints through crowded hallways on Friday morning.
Your table display needs to work in two tiers: eye-level and tabletop. A wire grid panel or foam board backdrop behind your table gets prints up where browsers can see them without bending down. Easels and print racks on the table surface handle mid-range display. Leave the front 12 inches of your table clear for transaction space — shoppers need somewhere to set down what they are holding while they dig for cash or tap their card on your Square reader.
For EVA foam sculptures and 3D work, bring weighted stands — convention halls at the Kay Bailey Hutchison run aggressive HVAC systems that knock over lightweight displays by midday. Secure any hanging banner with real hardware, not tape; the Irving Convention Center and George R. Brown both prohibit tape on walls and pipe systems.
Card processing is essential. Cash sales at Texas cons have dropped significantly — bring a Square or Shopify reader with a fully charged backup battery, and have your Venmo and CashApp handles printed on a small sign at the front of your table. Price everything clearly. Unmarked items train customers to walk away rather than ask.
Bring enough inventory for three days at your estimated sell-through rate, plus 20 percent overage. Texas rooms — especially San Japan and AnimeFest — run hot on Saturday and burn through stock faster than Friday projections suggest. Pack a wheeled cart for load-out; the George R. Brown Convention Center’s artist alley exit can take an hour on Sunday evening when every creator is leaving at once.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I apply for artist alley at San Japan?
San Japan uses a lottery system that opens in January or February for its Labor Day weekend event at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio. Watch the official San Japan website and their social channels for the exact date the portal goes live, then submit your application immediately — the lottery closes within days. You will need a link to an active portfolio showing the work you plan to sell, and you pay the table fee only after you are selected.
How much does an artist alley table cost at Texas conventions?
Artist alley tables at Texas conventions cost between $100 and $250 for a standard 6-foot table. Smaller regional shows like Alamo City Comic Con land closer to $100 to $150, while major shows like FAN EXPO Dallas and Comicpalooza run $175 to $250. The table price includes your convention badge and two chairs; electricity, additional badges for assistants, and display hardware are separate costs.
Can I sell fan art at Texas convention artist alleys?
Fan art sales are widespread at Texas convention artist alleys and are rarely enforced against by show staff at events like San Japan, FAN EXPO Dallas, or AnimeFest. However, selling fan art is technically a copyright violation because you do not hold a license to reproduce the IP for commercial sale. You sign a contract acknowledging this when you accept your table, and if a rights holder’s representative approaches your table, they can ask you to remove specific items. Selling original designs alongside fan art reduces your exposure and builds your brand independent of IP.
When do FAN EXPO Dallas artist alley applications open?
FAN EXPO Dallas artist alley applications open 7 to 8 months before the summer event at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, putting the window in the October to November range for a June or July show. The application is juried, so your portfolio quality affects acceptance. Have a well-organized gallery on Instagram, ArtStation, or your own site ready to link when you apply.
What is the difference between artist alley and vendor hall tables?
Artist alley tables are reserved for independent creators selling original or fan-made work, with table costs between $100 and $250. Vendor hall booths are licensed to commercial retailers and run $400 to $1,200 or more for a 10×10 or larger space, with more square footage and often direct electrical access included. The practical rule: if you made it or designed it yourself, you belong in artist alley; if you are buying wholesale and reselling licensed merchandise, you need a vendor hall booth.
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