About

Hello there!I'm a freelance artist by night and a computer scientist by day. Always hoping to expand and improve my work, I want to attend as many conventions as possible this year.I really hope you enjoy my art!

Contact: For business inquiries

Social Media

I am most active on Twitter where I go by @frog_well_On Instagram I also go by @frog_well_Or just follow the links below! You can probably find me by some variation of "frog", "well" or even "frogoutofwater".

Illustrated Works

Stickers & Charms

Conventions

Upcoming: Anime expo 2025, Florida supercon 2025, otakon 2025, anime nyc 2025, rose city comic con 2025

At conventions, artwork is available in multiple sizes including postcard (4"x6"), print (11"x17"), and poster (13"x19") forms. The pieces are inspired by various anime, games, and cultural works.In addition to physical art prints, stickers, keychains, and wooden pin designs are also available. The keychain and phone charms also have customized ring and chain designs.Here we have a list of past major conventions (not including local art markets) complete with table setup photos.

After attending Katsucon as a local fan, I had the opportunity to have my first double table here! Katsucon is one of the best conventions for cosplay which my friends and I took full advantage of, running a Genshin Impact Yae Miko Publish House themed table in full cosplay.

table setup

Katsucon 2023 was my first double table spread and I wanted to take full advantage.Art prints and posters were displayed on photoshoot curtains in the back. In the front, one table was reserved for postcards, stickers, and flipbooks. The other table displayed keychains and wooden pins. This made it easier for customer transactions since we could take customers on both sides.The Ms Hina carboard cutout was absolutely mandatory of course.

New addition: keychains & pins

At this convention, I was able to add a new type of product: acrylic keychain charms and wooden pins. Both were sourced from Vograce and I was quite happy with the result. We sold out of nearly half the keychain designs and a good amount of the wooden pins.In the future, I want to bolster my stock and look into getting wooden keychains due to the vibrancy of the color and light weight of the material.

The first image displays my friend gracefully bowing in supplication. She was glad sales that day were good. Her mother and younger sister came by that day to marvel at us. I am not sure what her mother thought about the degeneracy of the convention, but I made sure to impress her little sister.

The second image displays another friend trying to bow but failing. It would have been even worse if she was wearing her tail.She is like a clumsy cute anime girl. Would she be considered a genki girl or dojikko? I contemplated sending the video to her father, but decided not to since she is also a violent girl.

Anime NYC 2023

Anime NYC 2023 is one of the biggest conventions I've attended and a big dream of mine. I recently moved to NYC to pursue my studies and being able to attend this convention was exhilarating.I was initially put on the waitlist, but got the notification that I got in! I had 2.5 weeks to prepare~ thank goodness I still had some stock!

A PARTICULARLY MUSCULAR BINGPUP

PRAYERS TO OUR MS HINA STANDEE

Magfest 2024 is not technically an anime convention but a Music & Gaming Festival. Not to worry -- there was definitely plenty of anime!This was the first time I attended a 24 hr convention and I could feel it in my bones at the end. When not at artist alley, I was playing DDR and MaiMai.... maybe at 4 AM. Even if I don't get into artist alley next year, I would LOVE to attend again!Despite global warming, it snowed VERY heavily and I was snowed in on Friday. Spent an entire morning shoveling. The Gaylord National Harbor Resort had some real overpriced pizza...

snowed in...but with my dog

I GOT A PHOTO WITH SUPEREYEPATCH WOLF!!! (he bought a yuyu hakusho poster and i just about fainted)

FanExpo Chicago 2023

FanExpo Chicago at the Donald E Stephens Convention center was the first convention I had to fly to! It was super fun meeting new artists and fellow nerds in the Midwest.What was less fun was dragging my two gigantic suitcases (weighing exactly 50 lbs each to get through the airport!) in full cosplay through public transport.

new Wooden charms

A new product I debuted at this convention were my mini wooden charms! Compared to my 3" acrylic keychains and 3" wooden pins, these charms offered a more subtle touch of weebery. Perfect to add to the house keys!That's what my mother did with her Lao Gan Ma charm at least. It was very validating and only slightly offset by the fact that my dad lost his not five minutes after I gifted it to him.

Anime usa 2022

Anime USA 2022 was my very first convention. It was quite the learning experience and also great fun.
At the convention, I printed all my own prints which I quickly learned was not very sustainable.

table setup

Since it was my first convention, I neglected to take good table setup photos. However, the general table layout can still be seen thanks to the plethora of cosplay photos! Lots of Genshin Impact cosplayers stopped by (due to us being in Yae MIko and Ms Hina cosplay) to take photos. Thus, the fact we have a table setup photo at all is courtesy of this wonderful Venti cosplayer.We have a standard photoshoot poster setup in the back with postcards on wiregrids in the front.

A poor first attempt (no room for me!)

Flying to Georgia was more harrowing than going to Chicago. Not only did I not have friends or family in the area, I also had a new setup. Due to weight limits, I experimented with using shower rings to hold up a taped together print wall.This was very finicky. The shower rings I chose for this first iteration did not have any clips to hold the prints with so I had to tape the prints to the shower rings themselves. As you can imagine, the whole scotch tape concoction was rather unstable.After switching to metal rings with attached clips, it got a lot better for future cons!

A better second attempt (still under constant iteration)

learning to travel better

After Fan Expo Chicago 2023 (my first con I flew for), I realized the importance of weight. Southwest takes two 50 lb suitcases, one carry on (no weight limit), and one personal item.The first weight reduction were the majority of my wire grids -- there was no need to bring the whole setup if I was only going to use a couple. The second weight reduction was my black backdrop tarp. Cloth is surprisingly heavy.After getting some advice, I found the current convention meta was to use shower rings to hang a taped together print wall. This sacrifices more than a couple prints (their backs get inevitably ripped up unlike the magnet setup) but makes setup and take dwon much faster.

Anime nyc 2024

Round Two!

The last time at Anime NYC, I was taken off the waitlist and given only a few weeks to prepare. This time, I'm happy to say that I was accepted directly! No need to tentatively hope for admittance or steel myself for rejection.Unfortunately, because of the new Anime NYC schedule moving from Fall to Summer, there were more than a few competing events going on at the time (including my summer internship). Regardless, I was much better prepared in terms of stock this time! My friends were also able to help me out which made things a lot easier. It also had the effect of making me buy a lot more merch since I was able to leave my booth for once.

dealing with thick tables

My usual set up, at that time, involved clamping a photostand to the table itself. Compared to a photostand in the back, the prints are closer to the congoers and thus, easier to see (and buy!).However, the tables given by the Javits Convention Center turned out too thick for my clamp stand to clamp to. This put me into a bit of a pickle. Being New York, I was able to run to BNH nearby and grab another table clamp photo stand. However, that also didn't work so I fell back back to my trusty tripod.In the future, I would like to invest in one of those really tall flatfoot photo stands or build some side-arm contraption that would allow a freestanding backdrop to clamp to a table.

Anime magic 2024

Anime Magic 2024 Table Setup

Anime Magic 2024 was a convention on the smaller side but I absolutely enjoyed my time here! Quite a few of my products were running low after Anime NYC 2024 and there was limited time to restock but it was a good opportunity to test out my travel setup in a low stakes environment. I also got to visit family.At the convention, I did unexpectedly well and sold out more than a few items. I also was placed in view of the voice actors and could get a good glimpse of their going-ons. Emi Lo and Patrick Pedraza both stopped by!

A lighter pin setup!

Anime Weekend Atlanta 2024

Record speed setting up!

Not so record speed taking down!

Getting used to travel

AWA 2024 was held in the same convention center as Momocon which was very helpful for me since I already knew the layout and location.Unlike my rather arduous and laborious setup during Momocon, I had finetuned my travel exhibit to be much easier. Swapping out my shower rings without clips for ones with clips meant much tape was saved. I also experimented with sidearms using a combination of tape, zip ties, clamps, and wire easels. They were serviceable but could use improvement.

Nitrogen ice cream - it tasted like normal ice cream but normal ice cream tastes good so I wasn't complaining. I don't think the ice cream shop workers knew a convention was happening in the area though.

time crunch and ice cream

The main difficulties during AWA 2024 wasn't the convention itself. At this point, I had gone through enough conventions (travelling and alone) to have a good idea of what to expect and the confidence to handle troublesome events.Unfortunately, I was both working part time and attending classes.
I was able to call off work meetings (except those in the morning before convention start) but classes were a bit more tricky to handle. Being held in December, AWA 2024 coincided with final exam season. I was able to finish all exams and projects before the convention except for one final group presentation (HPML: Optimizing LLM Inference Latency on Chain of Thought Tasks) which could not be moved.After hurrying back from a day of convention sales, I presented in cosplay. Luckily I was able to position the camera so they could only see my head.Much self-rewarded ice cream was consumed.

Looking neater than ever :D

it's all coming together

After AWA 2024, I knew I had to figure out something about the sidearms for print display. At this point, there were just simply too many designs. Even after I had discontinued a couple of the poor performers, my print wall could not feasibly display everything. My travel photostand also couldn't stretch taller -- I was also hesitant to build too high (the higher you go, the harder the visibility. Depending on the lighting, sometimes glare gets really bad. This causes people to have to stand far back to see everything which 1) blocks traffic and 2) discourages people from coming up close).Thus the booth acquired new additional sections in the form of two panel boxes that stand on the table. I used magnets to adhere side prints to them and it worked out quite nicely. I would bring more panels in the future to go taller!I also invested in some wooden card stands for my postcard display. I'm mostly a print artist as I enjoy complex and intricate design but I think I'll focus on making more stickers or charms next. With the little bit of remaining space, maybe a small flipbook or menu could be a good idea.

zenkaikon 2025

Amish and Anime

Zenkaikon takes place in Lancaster, PA -- the heart of Amish country. As a lifelong east coaster, seeing this much fields and flat land was a new experience. Zenkaikon is a relatively small convention with a reported attendance of around 8000. These days, what with work and other adult responsibilities, I wouldn't bother going to these smaller conventions but I heard many a good thing about this particular convention and I also wanted to check out the surrounding area.I am really happy I went! I went with my mother so we booked a very quaint but cute bed and breakfast. The innkeeper, Eleanor, was very friendly and an excellent cook -- waking up to fresh pastries every morning was a treat. My mother came away with a new oatmeal bar recipe.The bed and breakfast was built on the remains of an old amusement park. It's now shut down but walking through the old fair grounds was an interesting experience. Standing amidst the old carousel and seeing the new housing across the river made me feel nostalgic for a time I've never personally experienced.I also made BANK so that made me very happy :D It just so happened that a few artist friends also went to Zenkai so seeing everyone was also very nice. My mother also made a fellow artist mom friend!

Not pictured -- my mother crouching underneath the table

American breakfast > Any other breakfast

The old trolley that connected the ticket booth and theater

awesomecon 2025

8 feet setup! I really like the additional space

Local-ish and chill

Awesomecon is one of those conventions that isn't an anime con but also not really a comic convention. This makes it a little tough to prepare for since the general audience is just "nerd". But considering the diversity of nerd types these days, the word doesn't really mean anything.
Before going into any con, I make sure to do my research-- either through watching vlogs or getting gossip. The consensus for Awesomecon was a resounding "meh". No one really did super great and there were interesting opinions on the management. But it's pretty close to me and the same convention center as Otakon (Walter E) so I wanted to check it out!I also took the oportunity to cosplay Xie Lian and, ngl, I think I looked great.Personally I had a great time. I really liked the 8 ft table layouts -- it gave me room to breathe and I was really really proud of my setup this time. It also was a great social con for me-- because traffic was relatively slow, I got a chance to chat with everyone coming by. Lots of amazing cosplays! A lot of artist friends attended as both attendees and artists as well. Sales were better than expected (though nothing super exceptional). I will be coming back next year if I have room in my schedule -- it's chill.

Sketch trades!

Wooper Jinshi!

a portrait of Jinshi Ren drew for me

cool people

The main thing I enjoyed the most was just the sheer diversity of art. Behind me was Brad, a traditional comic artist, and his students (he teaches art school and is trying to start an MFA program). To my side was a fellow anime-focused artist and, in front of me, a guy that did beautiful original painterly pieces. Since traffic was relatively slow, I could take my time wandering and going to the bathroom.I find the DC crowd to be quite chatty and just generally really appreciative of artists. An attendee (he works in IT) helped me debug wifi issues. A kid in wanderer cosplay spent his last 3 bucks on my postcards and then called his brother over to just admire the stickers (I gave a couple freebies after that ofc). A couple cosplayers came by every day to show off their new fits. It was so so sweet.

Momocon 2025 was a blast! at this point, I think I can say it's a pretty reliable 5 figure con. Almost everyone I talked to did well this year :D
I think a big improvement was the convention layout -- last year there was a huge walk from the entrance to artist alley (hall C) but this time it was made shorter. There were also multiple entrances instead of a single giant chokepoint.

in the beginning...

Momocon 2025 setup

Cleaned out!

the orange stickies are sold out signs

a peek behind the table

The atmosphere and vibes at Momo were electric. Everyone was just happy to be there.
After graduating this winter, as a real adult now, I sometimes think that it's not the anime that's important. Conventions serve as an excuse for friends to just get together and be silly. Cringe and free and all that! It's escapism at its finest, a mass agreement to just wholeheartedly forget about reality for a couple days.
Often times, I only get to see my artist friends at conventions. Huiyi and her mom kept dropping off food for me since I was boothing alone this time and I really appreciated it. I also did my first stamp rally at Momo and that was so rewarding and fun. As always, getting to meet new people is the best part.

my first stamp rally (MXTX)

Comics

Three Day lotus (ONGOING WORK)

Three Day Lotus (title subject to change) is my current attempt at storytelling. It's very loosely inspired by Dream of the Red Chamber and its themes of conformity as well as its portrayal of Confucian vs Taoist vs Buddhist thought.I've always been interested in wuxia or xianxia stories and have wanted to try my hand at one myself. The genres are the definition of self improvement -- where betterment is reflected in both spiritual and physical growth.Yet, there is a certain irony to these tales. Despite almost all these classical tales extolling personal independence and virtue, they also praise rigid principles and philosophical structures than cannot be undermined nor doubted. We delight in the "lone hero" but only if that hero does not change the status quo.Sun Wukong might have challenged the heavens but, in the end, he also became one of them. The audience love his daringness, but if nothing is truly changed, what use is it? Behind the curtain, one hero switches out for another, each story becomes interchangeable.For a genre about self improvement and challenging both fate and society, the literature itself sure is stagnant.This applies to the secondary characters themselves too. You would think that superpowers would the ultimate equalizer. If everyone can cultivate an immortal undying strong body, then inborn physicality shouldn't be as much of an issue. And yet, women are often relegated to the "jade beauty" or damsel roles. Rather than making any logical sense, I suspect this is another symptom of the built-in expectations of the setting and its structure. They have a role to play after all.Dream of the Red Chamber - of all the four great Chinese novels -- is unique in that it actually has significant female characters. The influences of Journey to the West, Three Kingdoms, and Water Margin influences are seen in every wuxia but Dream of the Red Chamber needs more recognition.In Three Day Lotus, I want to explore a xianxia setting from a different perspective.

If the intent of both the visual and written arts is to elicit emotion and connect with the audience, then wouldn't comics or manga, an intermarriage between the two, be the pinnacle? I'm not such a pure artist as to decry comics as a lesser form. In fact, after my own foray, I think it to be much more difficult!