Thursday, October 30, 2008

Box update

[From Steve Stwalley:]

Hello brave 24 Hour Comics Day 2008 participants,

Well, we have 16 people confirmed for the comic set, so I guess we will do a box! Note that even if you have not said you want to participate, you still can. Just show up at our November 6th meeting at Diamond's Coffee Shoppe with 50 copies of whatever you did for your 24 hour comic (regardless of whether it was completed or not). All participants in the box set will get a free copy of the box set. Confirmed contributors to the box set are:

Avidor, Ken (Fork it Over)
Cannon, Kevin (Blotchmen and the cover)
Cannon, Zander (Golden Wing Vs. Freezer)
Cook, Roy
Dow, Ryan (Goodbye Kitty)
Furious, Michael
Gillespie, Jesse (Authentic Oriental Martial Role Models)
Grafsgaard, Jim (True Misadventures of Americo Juan)
Klonowski, Danno
Nelson, Carl
Olson, Dan (Somewhere in Montana)
Preston, Issa
Sgier, Michael
Steinlicht, David
Stwalley, Steven (Field Guide to 24 Hour Cartoonists)
Tuck, Lewis

In the likely event I have missed someone, please do let me know.

Note that the UPS store's fantastic 3 cent copy sale is still going on until tomorrow. These copies are stored on a fob and can be used any time. Also note that when I bought some yesterday, I asked about oversized copies and the gentleman running the Quarry location gave me a hot tip. The copier on the right, he claims, will give you an 11x17 prepaid copy for the same price as an 8.5x11. That is twice the real estate on the page for the same price... so if you want to do some extra layout and cutting labor, you could apparently have 1.5 cent copies on that machine! Huzzah!

We will determine what will be done with the extra copies at the meeting. 10 copies will be given to Big Brain for sponsoring.

I think that's it... hope you all participate in this!

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Print your pages!

All Minneapolis participants should've received an e-mail from Steven Stwalley about what's gotta be done to get your comic in this year's compilation box.

To recap,

** By Friday, October 24: let Steve know if you are going to participate. Reply to his email -- or I suppose you could send him an e-mail via mpls24hourcomicday@yahoo.com, put "BOX" in the heading. He needs to know how many comics there will be. A lot of comics will warrant a nice, big impressive-looking box. A few comics will warrant a small envelope, or maybe just a paperclip. It's up to you. Participate!

** On Tuesday, November 4: VOTE! (This has nothing to do with the 24-hour Comics Day. Or does it?)

** By Thursday, November 6: PRINT UP 50 BOOKS! And deliver them to Big Time Attic's offices. Or bring the 50 books to the collation party the evening of Thursday, November 6, at Diamond's. (As mentioned elsewhere, UPS stores are having a 3-cent copies sale right now, which is the cheapest price you are likely to find for printing your books.)

** Didn't finish your 24 pager? That's okay. Print what you have and put it in the box. It will be a great addition. Really.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

2008 24-hour comics online

We'll post links for this year's comics as they show up online.

Ryan Dow's Goodbye Kitty.
Dan Olson's Somewhere in Montana.

Kevin Cannon's Blotchmen.

Zander Cannon's Golden Wing Versus Freezer.

Jesse Gillespie's Authentic Oriental Martial Role Models.

Jim Grafsgaard's The True Misadventures of Americo Juan.

Ken Avidor's Fork It Over.

The end

10 a.m. Sunday. Minneapolis. That's it.


[Update: You can click on many of the pictures and get a closer view.]

Thoughts

This is my 5th consecutive year of 24 hour day, and as the past years I finished today with some time to spare.

UNLIKE the last several years, I am making the "sure-to-be-broken-by-next-year" vow that I NEVER WANT TO DO THIS AGAIN!!!

It was just really draining this year (though I have no idea why) and I spent most of the night wishing I was at home in bed with my wife.

But ... as the guy "in charge" I'm sure I'll be here next year. And I'm sure I'll do another 24 pages.

Cause if I don't, I won't have officially wasted a week of my life come 2010, and that seems like a pointlessly majestic goal to achieve.

Thanks to everyone here in MPLS who participated.

NOW GO PRINT UP YOUR 24 HOUR COMIC FOR THE BOX SETS!!!!

--danno

There are nights, and there are nights

Its about 8:30.

I--Danno--am now officially done.

Carl Nelson also just finished.

Roy is done.

Lupi and Dan Olson will have to finish at home(Dan's hand nearly fell off and Lupi is, well...loopy).

Zander has about 6 pages left to finish inking.

David and Ken have gone spelunking.

Michael Furious JUST FINISHED!!!

Jim is on the road to completion.

Joe is done.

YAY!

The rooms

A view of the rooms at 5:30 a.m. Sunday morning.

[Click picture for closer view.]

Here comes the sun...

7am.

Whooo....

KEVIN CANNON(24 hour legend) finished around 6:30 or so, completeing the strangest, funniest book thats so full of copyright infringement we'll probably never hear from him again once he's in the prison system.

I--Danno--just finished inking. Only have to fix(white out)...and then do a cover(though i have alredy completed 24 pages).

MIchael Furious is about done with his bad-ass lookin' book.

DAN OLSON may loose a hand.

OH! and no cops ever arived due to he alarm...

so very very sleepy...

--danno

Encouragement

On the white board:

OOPS!!!

Earl has accidently tripped an alarm.

If the police arrive, we'll post more.

Otherwise assume we've all been pepper-sprayed, bound, and arrested RNC style.

--danno

hiiiiyeee

I'm on page 11. Woefully behind schedule. But it's still more pages than I've ever finished in one day.

loooooopy

Soft! What light through yonder winder breaks...

Lo, and hearken ye to this,
Mine tale of wear and woe.
Mine hand hath mov-ed for a time
And hath begun to slow.
Now hathing far too much-
Good hathing time hath come and gone.
Not too many pages done;
I'd best keep moving on.
'Tis 'just now Five; my twelfeth page...
A-inking now I'll go.
So sing for me and pray for me:
Mine mind soon mayeth go.

--wearily, Jesse G.

WE'RE SO FUNNY!!!!....so very, very tired...

We've now officially made the "Hey, it's 4:20!" joke twice.

Kevin Cannon may actually eat someone before the night is through.

Lupi and I are attempting to drink the last 2 beers...we should finish them around 8:15.

So quiet...so tired...only the ipod is soldiering thru unabated.

--danno

Huh?

4:15 a.m. Sunday. Awake and inking.

--David Steinlicht

Oh Sweet Hey-Zues...

In my years of doing 24HCBD I have never been so tired, nor have I seen a group get so poop-sleepy so fast.

Everyone not already not done wants to finish their pages and then burn them.
And then burn those who are already finished.

I keep misspelling already as alredy. WTF?!

3:30...theres a 3:30 in the AM now?!

As a wife man once said:
"Fuck You, have some bananas."
That wise man is probably wisely sleeping right now.

--danno "alredy" klonowski

No more words.

I have created a wordless comic, not out of consciously cultivated minimalism, but out of a total lack of words.

I am having a certain amount of thinking trouble. This is my third year doing this here at the Open Book building. The Open Book building tells me to vote yes on the land legacy bill.

That is all. --Sarah

Saved!

1:30 p.m. Ken's comic is done!



(P.S. Thanks, Sarah, for the TUMS.)

Burning Eyes and Monotonous Dog

Intently staring at my paper as I doodle around has a couple of benefits. And I'm sure I could list them at an earlier time of day. But, right now, all I know is that staring so long at scraps of paper has given me the need to rip out these contacts. Dry eyes BEGONE!

And, another thing, why did I choose to do so many strips single panel strips about a dog? I've got 33 of 48 planned strips completed, and I'm just about tired of drawing the guy.

Well, less than 8 hours to go now. I won't have trouble staying awake, but I may have trouble staying sane.

joecombs

Stwalley Out

2 a.m. Finished! Failed! But satisfied. 24 Panels in some hours...

Just after 1am

Hi all-- I'm three or so pages behind where I'm supposed to be and my brain is not having a very good time figuring out where the story should be going next.

The people here seem to have a single-minded seriousness about their business; there's a rare laugh or two at the comedy stylings of "The Old Codger", but it's generally a pretty quiet group. Seems like no one has much energy to be cracking wise at this hour.

--Zander


Lewis, Danno


Michael


Issa


Jesse


Kevin


Carl, Matthew


Lupi


David

It's Midnight and My Hand is Numb

Well, not yet, but it hurts like h**l.

This is my first 24 hour comic attempt, and so far I am right on track (except every time I get up to schedule, I have to do something else like a blog entry - ah well, its all part of the experience).

Anyway, my Jessica Abel/Jessica Alba/Jessica Biel comic is progressing nicely. It amazes me that some people managed to churn out 24 pages already and have gone home. Others, of course, have bailed out, or only shown up to provide moral support.

At any rate, its a lot of fun, even if there isn't a ton of conversation - too much drawing to do!

The 'old geezer' music playing right now is gonna kill me, thought - the intermittent bit of grumpy old man humor from the host isn't sufficient to counteract the soporific effects of the early-twentieth century tunes.

Next year, however, my comic is going to involve a wedding that takes place in a blizzard, where all the groomsmen wear white tuxedos (anyone familiar with the notorious Snowbird vs. Wendigo issue of Alpha Flight knows what I am talking about!)

Anyway, back to the drawing board (table, actually).


Roy T Cook

Saturday, October 18, 2008

T-Shirt Fun



We got a little crafty this year and brought some equipment to make iron-on t-shirts based on the 24HCD poster.

The process is pretty easy. Step One is to print out the artwork on special t-shirt transfer paper (you can get this stuff at Target). Then cut to size.

Step Two is to peel the backing off the artwork and position the art on a clean, ironed t-shirt.


For Step Three, place a piece of wax paper on top of the art (this wax paper is found in the packet of t-shirt transfer paper).


Step Four: Iron, man! For something this size, we went for one minute, alternating between "wax on" and "wax off" motions.


Step Five, finally: Let the thing cool off for a minute or two, and then carefully peel the wax paper off. Since the t-shirt was pre-washed, it's ready to wear!


Here are a few happy customers:


Michael Furious


Zander Cannon


Dan Olson


Dank!


Kevin Cannon


Earl Luckes

Am I still here?

I'm a bit surprised that I'm still going. I didn't have as much sleep last night that I should have. But coffee and pizza seem to be helping.

The Herge style is still working out, although a bit limiting. So I find that I'm switching out between styles depending on what I'm trying to do.

My aim is to finish the story I'm working on by 15, and then start another. Let's hope I can finish that one.

Mike Sgier

Still going


10 p.m. Minneapolis.
[Photo by Andrey Feldshteyn, who stopped by to bolster our spirits with coffee and cookies. Thanks, Andrey!]

10:05pm - Half way mark!

So while Danno yelled at everyone else to get their ass over and blog, he asked me very nicely. So hah to the rest of you.

We just took the "It's 10pm" picture, there may have been far less enthusiasm as before but doing nothing but drawing for 12 hours may do that to you. I's doing really well, I'm a page ahead and everything is smooth sailing so far.

There was another paragraph coming but I don't have enough brain cells to make that work out so this is probably the end. See you in 12 hours, real world!

-Issa Preston

Funny Story...

I am currently a little behind schedule, just finishing up page number eleven, while I should be starting page twelve.

However, that isn't what I wanted to address. About a half hour ago we were told by our "neighbors" upstairs that we needed to pipe down, since we were causing too much noise. Yeah, cartoonists, pens and noses to paper. Apparently we need to shutup.

Meanwhile, our neighbors are having some sort of production, which actually sounds like they are moving furniture. Good times.

Some suggestions were made on how to combat this. Alas, we will likely do nothing other than perhaps lampoon them via another comic or this blog.

- Daniel J. Olson

Cheese!


Zander, shouldn't you be drawing?

Footsteps on the Brain


Every year at MCBA, without fail, 8 o'clock rolls around and we exhausted cartoonists start to hear a pattering of footsteps above our heads. The footsteps soon turn to footstomps, and if we're lucky the footstomps are followed by or accompanied by hooting and hollering. As I type this it sounds like someone is either rolling a large metal barrel overhead or starting an old truck.

We're told that some sort of theatrical event is happening upstairs. But we know the truth. It's zombies.

Speaking of zombies, Danno is killing everyone off in his comic. May the gods of 24HCD have mercy upon his soul.


Kevin

I'm really no good at this.

But I'm going to keep at it because a) I like working late; b) there's beer; and c) I don't have a car, so I'm stuck here until tomorrow morning.

I'm a couple pages behind schedule because I've smudged almost every panel, I drew one of my establishing shots on the wrong page, and I took a break to draw Kevin Cannon: the toy. I am the slowest cartoonist ever!

lupi lupi lupi lupi lupi

You don't know where that thing has been!


....must... draw... comics... can't keep going... but...

--Ken Avidor,
6:45 p.m.

six o'clock and all is well

So it's six o'clock and I'm holed up across from Danno on the eighth page of my comic, slightly behind schedule. Last year, I finished with plenty of time to spare, so this go-around, I figured I could afford to lavish a little more attention on my pages. Ryan Dow (the rascal) is already done, and his comic is a freakin' gas. You should all read it when he posts it on his website. Meanwhile, I'm trying to get my characters out of a dark meeting room and cast atop the arctic circle, or a desert, or some place that isn't so time-consuming to fill with black ink. It seems like doing a complete page at a time is a nice way to go, as it allows you to work out story points in your head while you're busy lettering or inking. Anyhoo, I'd best get back to work, as time is a wasting and my page count is lower than I'd like. Stay tuned - we still got about 14 hours to go.

-Carl Nelson

When there is no more room left in hell, cartoonists will walk the earth!

We've begun getting zombies roaming by the front windows.

DAMMIT!

Glass won't hold against the hoardes of the walking dead!

Tell my wife and kids i love them!

--danno

Brain... Hurting...

I've never done anything remotely like this before. It's really making me realize that I need to compartmentalize parts of my brain into "regular drawing style" and "cartooning". I'm not a cartoonist. I'm also confirming a fear I've feared to fear in the last couple of years: that I have no unique art style. Every panel is really inconsistent with the one before it, and it's super hard to not want to cram in lots of details to cover up the fact. Gripes aside, though, I don't think I've done anything this fun in a while, as far as "things with people sitting around the same room together for a long time"-type activities go. It's a real challenge, and a great learning experience. I have no idea if I'll finish or not. Yeek!

--Jesse Gillespie

24-hours at MCAD

Barbara Schulz stopped by MCBA (Minnesota Center for Book Arts) with some photos of goings-on at MCAD (Minneapolis College of Art and Design). Thanks, Barbara!

At least 25 students, alumni, and faculty are participating!

The Comic Art student group Comic Heads has been hosting an on-campus 24-Hour comic event on campus for the past eight years.

They looked eager and excited here at 4 P.M., they started at 10 A.M.

If they are not too tired, they will blog more at: ComicHeads.

Diana Nock was on track with a page an hour.

As was Peter Wartman.

Sean Lynch (Class '08).

Nehemiah Nesheim.

Diana Green!

Done!



Well, I'm basically done anyway. I'm going to hang around for a while longer, look over my art and make sure the crosshatching is somewhat consistent.

My goal was to make a 24 page comic in 14 hours or less. It looks like I'm at the 7 hour mark (although my brain is a little fried right now for math), so I accomplished my goal.

David suggested I use my remaining time to scan and color my comics. No, I'm too lazy for that. But once the pages are scanned, you'll be able to find them at my site, introspectivecomics.com.

Ryan Dow

The Dreadful four o' clock hour!

Im not totally sure why I called the post the dreadful four o' clock hour, but I did, and it sounds cool. I'm only doing eight pages, and finished around 3:45 and am now working on covers, so its all good. Kevin Cannon left for a long time, and is still somehow on track. He was probably driving and drawing, which is like driving and drinking but dangerous. Now I gotta go draw. Later!

sincerely,
The famous Lewis Tuck

BEER!

Finished pencilling and lettering my 24 pages.

Celebrating by drinking one of Avidors beers.

Avidors mind just blown by revelation there is a liquor store across the street.

19 hours to go..

--danno.

Herge...more complicated than it seems...

So for my 24 hour comic, I'm attempting to imitate Herge's style of drawing. Check out his Tintin comics for examples. This may seem simple at first, but to draw it requires a bit more attention to detail than anticipated. But I'm enjoying the results.

Regrettably, I'm a page behind...

Best,
Mike Sgier

2 PM Updates.

Four hours on, and the ink still flows readily.

Hands have yet to cramp, but inklings of severe pain have already begun.

Rumors of roving bands of zombies continue to permeate the festivities.

We might very well all be doomed.

Our strength will have to remain in our numbers. If we band together, and wait it out for the full 24 hours, we might just have a shot at survival.

-Matthew Kriske

Hour 4: Stwalley shows up



2:00 p.m. Hey, Steve! How's it goin'? Have some pizza!

3 HOURS IN!!!

We're 3 hours in and most everyone seems 'on track' so far(except for Kriske. We have no idea what he's doing...).

Britt Aamodt, writer extrodinaire, has arrived to watch the paint dry as we plug away.

Still plenty of pizza.
MMMMMMMMM....


And the Zombie Pub Crawl begins soon right outside from where we are,

THATS RIGHT!

ZOMBIES goign BAR to BAR getting drunk.

Our town is so cooler than your town.

...Danno

Pizza Luce rocks!



11:30 a.m. Woo!

Hey, Look at this.......

Hey, check out Roz Stendahl's profile of me here - Avidor

NUMBERS

Despite the early sign-up, we only have 24 cartoonists so far (Stwalley will make it 25).

So if you signed up and aren't here...YOU'RE MISSING PIZZA!!!

...and there is still 23 hours to catch up!

Come on down to book arts!

...Danno

ONE HOUR IN--PIZZA!!!

We've begun!
We started at 10:15 am here in Minneapolis.
Its now 11:30...

several are done with their first page.

and PIZZA arrived,

PIZZA from the bestest pizza place on earth...PIZZA LUCE (with 4,300 convient locations in MInnesota).
THANKS LUCE for the many cheese, combination, and mock duck rustler pizzas!

more to come...danno

Welcome, stragglers!


11 a.m. A few more people showed up to participate. Hello and welcome! Now get to work!

Ready? Go!


10 a.m. Minneapolis. There we are -- all ready to start drawing.

[Click on picture for larger view.]