Art: The Alley

General Info | Registration info | Helpful Hints | Download the Alley Contract (PDF)

Introduction: Welcome to The Alley!

The Alley is the new name for Artists Alley, but the heart is still the same. It remains what it always has been: a showcase for artists, writers, modelers, crafters, small publishers, clubs, and other small organizations. Where the dealer's room is all about commerce, The Alley is all about creativity and originality.

Hello everyone! Welcome to this year’s Otakon Artist Alley. Last year’s showing was a great success and we look forward to making this year even greater.

The Otakon Artist Alley welcomes artists, modelers, small publishers, clubs and other individuals or small organizations to sell pre-drawn art, create new art, take commissions, advertise their services, or display their works. The Alley is open to studios, professionals and artists who are just starting. Large vendors/publishers should contact the Dealers' Room Coordinator via our Contacts Page.

Just like every year, you’ll find a wide variety of fan made works in the Artist Alley. Prints, comics, buttons, trinkets; all created by the fans, for the fans. Come see your favorite crafters and web comic creators up close and see how they do the things you love. You never know what goodies you’ll walk away with from Artist Alley.

Does your passion for anime extend to your artistic abilities? Do you have a web comic, web site or organization you’d like to promote? Or do you simply feel like showing off your latest sculptures of your favorite character made entirely out of elbow macaroni? Your work, whatever shape or size it is, will get the exposure it rightfully deserves. With twenty thousand plus people walking in and out of Artist Alley, it’s the perfect place to get your artwork noticed. This is the A spot to share your ideas, acquire much needed feedback, and display your artistic enthusiasm for this genre!

Follow the instructions below to register for the Artist Alley and pull up a table. If you’re a returning artist, we can’t wait to see you again. If you’re a new artist, now is your time to shine. And if you’re just passing through, stop by and show some love for your favorite artist. They’ll thank you for it.

Otakon's Stance on Copyright, Trademark, and Intellectual Property Protection

Otakon is and always has been a convention by fans, for fans, and encouraging the creative fan spirit is at the heart of what we do. To that end, we want to encourage creative, original, inventive artistic expression whenever possible—but most especially in our Artist Alley and Art Show, and in various contests that showcase creative, interactive fandom.

Otakon supports the rights of artists and other creators regarding their intellectual property. We have a strict policy regarding bootlegs and counterfeit merchandise, and we take its enforcement seriously, but we also recognize that fandom has a long tradition of “playing with other peoples’ toys”. Doujinshi, fanzines, fan fiction, and fan art are part of what makes fans; they are creative ways for creative people to celebrate what we love.

Unfortunately, a lot of “fan art” risks running afoul of intellectual property rights laws, which weren’t written with fans in mind. Characters and names can be (and often are) protected under international trademark and copyright laws. You’re really not supposed to use them without paying for a license, and licensing is a big part of how the original creators and producers and distributors make money.

Fortunately, creators and industry have seldom pursued individual fan artists over individual items, but it would be unwise to assume that past behavior is guarantee that they’ll always turn a blind eye. Some owners and creators (such as J.K. Rowling) even encourage or explicitly allow the use of their characters in fan fiction and art. A few go so far as to collect fan art. And some companies even view fan artists and writers as an emerging talent pool. But it is generally true that at any time, the rightful owner of any particular property can choose to take action and stop you from using their stuff. That’s not only fair, it’s the law.

Otakon is choosing to encourage original art, and yet we remain supportive of fan works, to the extent that we can legally do so. To that end, we are providing some general guidelines to help you in determining what is generally okay, and what is generally going to get you into trouble with somebody’s lawyers eventually.

So when you sign up for a table in The Alley, we ask that you sign a form that makes it clear you understand and accept all the terms and conditions—and that any violations of copyright, etc. are your problem, not ours.

For more information on issues of Japanese copyrights, we recommend you contact Mr. Kihara at the Japanese Institute of Intellectual Property in Washington, DC.

Mr. Kihara
Japanese Institute of Intellectual Property
Tel: (202) 833-8565
Fax: (202) 833-8563

Rules for Exhibitors in the Alley

The Alley is going to be on a ‘One Strike’ system. This means if you purposefully break the rules, you will be given one (1) warning. If you break the rules again, you WILL be removed from the Alley for the remainder of the convention.
1. While in the Alley all convention, local, state, and federal rules will apply. If you break any of the convention rules you will be dealt with in an appropriate manner. If you break any laws expect to have to deal with law enforcement and possible prosecution. We will not protect you if you break the law.
2. No Smoking or use of alcohol or drugs while in the Artist Alley will be tolerated.
3. No running, screaming, yelling, horseplay or use of obscene language will be tolerated. This applies for members as well as artist.
4. Noise: Overly loud music, videos, etc. will NOT be tolerated in the Alley. If the amount of sound that you, your table, or anything related to you or your table is found to be disruptive (this will be determined by the Alley staff), you will be given your first and only warning and you will be made to turn the volume down.
5. Crowds: If you want to have a raffle or giveaway, please inform the artist Alley staff ahead of time so that we can assist with any possible line forming or crowding issues. Crowing becomes a problem when it begins to block the thoroughfares between tables becoming a fire hazard. Therefore please get your raffle/giveaway taken care of as quickly as possible. If we have to come and tell you to disperse your crowd, please note this will count as your one strike.
6. Pictures: If you want to take a picture, ask permission. This applies to artists, the artwork, the Artist Alley staff, cosplayers, and everyone and everything else. It’s rude to take pictures without asking permission, and if we catch you doing it, we’ll have you removed from the Alley.
7. Signs: Otakon signage is not there for members and artists to use as they wish. They are there to help members find you easily so that you make more money, which is good. So please don’t move them around or use them for your personal display needs.
8. Badges: Otakon badges must be worn at all times. ONLY people with Artist or Assistant Ribbons will be allowed inside the Table Island space. Please limit the number of individuals behind each table to four.

Requirements from the Baltimore Convention Center

1. NO EXHIBITOR WILL BE PERMITTED TO SET UP IN THE ALLEY WITHOUT AN EXHIBITOR’S AFFADAVIT OR A LICENSE.
2. Decorations, signs, banners, etc. may not be taped, nailed, tacked, stapled, or otherwise fastened to ceilings, walls, painted surfaces, or columns in the Baltimore Convention Center.
   No holes maybe drilled, cored, or punched, in the facility.
3. Exhibitors may not distribute any sample food and/or beverage products, except upon written authorization of the Baltimore Convention Center’s exclusive catering contractor, Aramark.
4. Parking in loading dock, service drives, and the Baltimore Convention Center’s employee’s parking area, except for loading and unloading is prohibited. Violators will be towed at their own expense and risk.
5. All fire, safety, and building regulations must be strictly followed. Particular attention should be paid to the prohibitions against propane, acetylene, and other flammable materials.
6. Exhibitors are responsible for the removal of all materials and trash at the conclusion of the show and the area around the exhibitor’s table must be broom cleaned.
7. The BCC prohibits the use of normal tape on their walls and floors. No tape may be used on painted or portable walls. They have listed all approved tapes for the surfaces in the BCC. Only VINYL TAPE is allowed for table and aisle marking in the exhibit area, only PERMACEL 665 is approved for the carpeted floor areas, for concrete areas only POLYKEN 832 (clear) or TC-19100 (double faced) is approved. It is the exhibitors’ responsibility to remove any and all tape applied to any surface and pay any damages resulting for the application or removal to the BCC.

RULES for what you can sell

Items that MAY NOT be sold in The Alley include:

1. “Knockoff” or bootleg merchandise (for example, SM CDs).
2. Bootleg videos (this includes bootlegged videos recorded on blank videotapes with printed labels; “homemade” DVDs, pirate copies of any titles that have been released commercially in the United States, Japan, or elsewhere; titles taped off the air in Japan—and any and all fansubs).
3. Any posters, idol cards, etc., which read “Kodak”, “Fuji”, etc. on the back.
4. Unlicensed reproductions of any products actually released by an American company.
5. Food, snacks or beverages. Aramark holds an exclusive catering and concession contract with the BCC. Aramark states that exhibitors may not sell food and compete with their contract.
6. Legally imported merchandise or legitimate US products, this includes, wall scrolls, sharpies, art supplies, duck tape, glow sticks etc.
7. Buttons, pins, hats, or t-shirts bearing official character likenesses.
   Not allowed. These would be directly competing with stuff that is licensed and would definitely fall afoul of the owners. Clothing and accessories are usually licensed. (But if you’re using characters you already own, or have explicit permission to use, you’re fine.)
8. Photo-shopped, traced, or obviously copied characters in recognizable poses but with different backgrounds.
   Not allowed.
9. Mass produced prints of original art depicting licensed characters.
   Not allowed. (The original is, but NOT the prints.)

Items that MAY be sold in The Alley include:

1. Our policy is amended to clarify that, for fan art (including doujinshi, fan art prints, and similar items), up to 25 copies of a single piece are allowed, unless that item is otherwise explicitly disallowed by the rules.
2. Any products featuring your own creations.
3. Commissioned and hand-drawn works (but see the guidance below)
4. Unique, individual, hand-made items (but see the guidance below)
5. Doujinshi, fanzines, and similar items (but see the guidance below)

Adult Materials Policy

In recent years there has been a marked increase in the number of minors and families that attend Otakon. We ask that exhibitors, particularly those with adult merchandise, please keep this in mind when setting up. The acceptability of displays of adult material is at the sole discretion of the Artists Alley Coordinator; failure to comply with warnings may result in removal from Artists Alley and forfeiture of all fees.

Any materials that are sexually explicit, extremely graphically violent, or otherwise unsuitable for children MUST be displayed in a manner that keeps kids from seeing them. If we see it out in the open, or receive complaints, we will remind you about our adult materials policy ONCE. If you sell inappropriate materials to minors, there is no “one strike” in this case. You will be evicted.

Guidelines for Artwork

Everyone knows that copying someone else’s work is wrong, but there is no “magic rule” about how much you have to change something to make it your own. We provide the following guidance in the hope that it will help encourage responsible expressions of fandom, in ways that honor the people who create the original works we celebrate.

However, we must stress that by providing this guidance, we make no claims about whether it might protect you from action by the legitimate owner. You bear all responsibility and risk for the items you bring for sale at Otakon.

What we allow, and what we don’t, and why:

1. Drawing licensed characters in a different style and background from the original. (Example: hyper-realistic depictions of Ranma and Akane.) Allowed. Copyrighted character licenses generally extend only to clear visual likenesses, and these sorts of changes may be considered parody.
2. Crafting sculptures, jewelry, and hand-stitched stuff with licensed characters. Nearly any sort of handicrafts. (Examples: sculpy Ranma in fight pose..) Allowed so long as they’re not mass-produced or copies of existing work.
3. Doujinshi and fanzines.
   Allowed in limited quantities, only if you are a contributor. It must be clear that the publication is NOT officially sanctioned or licensed by the copyright holders. However, if you’re selling a very large quantity of them, you probably belong in the dealer’s room.
4. Commissions, and sketches done at the con. (Example: Fred Perry sketches the Dirty Pair.) Allowed. These are usually highly personalized and unlikely to compete with any licensed property.
5. Handmade dolls and or figurines of recognizable characters, Allowed, so long as they’re not competing with legit merchandise. Inuyasha plushies are available through licensed vendors; don’t sell your own version. But a hand-made rag doll of Inu Yasha? Is probably not an issue.
6. Any use that is clearly a parody. (Lone Wolf discovers that his “cub” is actually Son Goku)
   Allowed.

Remember, it is the artist’s responsibility to determine that their work is not infringing on copyrighted work. If you are challenged, the burden of proof is yours.

There. That wasn’t so hard, was it?

If you’re confused or unsure about anything that is written here, please feel free to contact the Alley staff using our Contacts Page.