By George Bell President of CWAS (Comic Writer’s and Artist’s Association)
The challenge sounds straight forward enough: either individually or in teams you have just 24 consecutive hours in which to create a 24 page comic book from scratch. I mean, a full day, “that’d be easy” I hear you scoff; but let me tell you, this challenge isn’t for the faint of heart.
The annual 24 hour comic challenge came to be in 1990 through a simple dare between friends to complete a 24 page comic in a single day. Since then the idea has grown and now industry professionals and amateurs alike pick up the gauntlet on the first Saturday of October to see what they can accomplish.
More than anything the event is an endurance test, you don’t have to start bang on midnight however once you start, the clock doesn’t stop. Further more you must start from scratch; no scripts or pre-designed characters allowed, the comic must be entirely thought up and drawn in a single day.
Last year was my first attempt and I can certainly tell you that it is much harder than it sounds to keep the momentum going. In the end I only managed to complete 14 pages, barely half of the target. This year, I’m better prepared with some tricks up my sleeve and a fire in my belly to not be beaten by the clock! I would encourage anyone of any level of interest in writing or drawing to give it a go, as the inventor of this challenge himself says: “Do it! It’s fun, it’s exciting, it’s mind-altering, it’ll teach you all kinds of cool stuff about yourself and best of all, it’s only one day, so what have you got to lose?” – Scott McCloud.
For more information, visit the official challenge website at: http://www.24hourcomicsday.com} else {
