The weekend's garage sales are down at the bottom. Everything else is up here.

This Sunday I took little man to Hamilton Comic Con. I've been to Fan Expo before, but I'd never been to a comic convention anywhere around Hamilton, so I was pretty excited for this one. My brother took him last year.

It isn't as big as the other ones, but I was still really pleasantly surprised by all the different artists there. I used to work in the animation industry, and I went to school for art when I was younger. Usually a place like this is filled with what you'd expect, comic book artists and comic books. This was more than that. I saw so many artists finding unique ways to create art, and it was very inspiring. That kind of became the theme of our trip.

Not only were there traditional artists trying to make a living selling their own stories, there were artists making all kinds of things. One vendor made crochet stuffed animals. Others were making anything you can think of with a 3D printer. I've included them in the pictures. A lot of vendors were using laser cutters. One would create artwork in Photoshop, then have the image burned onto wood and laser cut, in multiple layers, so it had a lot of depth to it. It looked very intricate. Another vendor made light boxes: they'd laser cut translucent plastic, or plexiglass, I don't know what it is, put it in a box and light it up from behind. There were vendors selling wrestling belts.

Then there was the regular stuff you'd expect at a place like this: the collectibles, the comics, the Pokémon cards, and the swords, which always make me laugh.

There was a row of somewhere between 10 and 20 celebrities there for autographs, and to be honest, I didn't recognize a single one of the names. Either I'm that old or I'm that out of it. If I'd seen their faces, I probably would have. I did spot a picture of the Soup Nazi. Apparently Erik Estrada from CHiPs was supposed to be there, and Bret "the Hitman" Hart. Most of them weren't even there when we got there.

But I spent most of my time telling Kiki how amazed I was by all the ways people express themselves creatively. Back in my day it was mostly drawing and painting, which I spent decades trying to perfect. Unfortunately, I've kinda let that go a little. But going to all these fairs and festivals, and now this convention, has made me a little jealous that all these people are still trying to make a living as artists in whatever way they can.

I try to find ways to get Kiki excited about any activity that doesn't involve video games or TV. I guess that's part of the reason I'm making a short film for him, so he can see what's possible. Here's the teaser.

It was a good day, just the two of us.

Neeks

I was supposed to have a short film for you this week, but I haven't been able to carve out the time to finish it. Really hoping to get it done so I can move on to other creative endeavours. I did, however, find something I thought was really cool to share. I fell down a hole I never saw coming: doing my daughter's hair...

It started with me scrolling one night and finding dads teaching other dads how to braid. Not moms rushing through it at double speed, actual guys going step by step like it's a shop class. I followed a few, and before I knew it I was sitting behind my kid with a hair tie in my teeth.

My favourite is @dad.braids. Strider Patton is a Bay Area dad whose daughter pointed at him and said "Dad braids," and a stranger joked he could teach her husband a thing or two. So he did.

Full disclosure, my first few attempts looked like a frayed rope. Doesn't matter. Here's what I didn't expect: she sits still. Like, actually still. And I get to make her look pretty.

I never thought I'd care about this. It's actually fun, and it's ten minutes where it's just the two of us.

Follow @dad.braids on Instagram, or start with the free guides at dadbraids.com.

@dad.braids on Instagram · TikTok · YouTube

A few more worth a follow:

Dad Braids (free gear and hair-type guides, plus the Dad Braids Club newsletter)

22 sales across Hamilton this weekend. Almost all of them Saturday, with a few Friday and Sunday stragglers. The Mountain is the busiest pocket by a mile, with Stoney Creek, Waterdown, Ancaster and Burlington rounding it out. If you like books, the charity sale on Columbia Drive has thousands of them starting at 50 cents.

See the full map →

Map is updated every Thursday. Bring a coffee, bring the kids, come home with something you will have to explain.