24 Hour Comics Day is a big deal among cartoonists world-wide. One of our great authorities on the comics medium, Scott McCloud, issued a challenge a few years back to a fellow artist to get on with it, get some work done, and be quick about it: 24 pages of comics within a 24 hour time period. That challenge has evolved into an international event. This year’s world-wide observance is October 2 thru October 3. For more details, check out the 24 Hour Comics Day site.
What an opportunity. Think about it. Any cartoonist worth his or her salt should jump at such a challenge. Cartooning, as we know it, is what, a mere hundred years old. This medium continues to grow in leaps and bounds; keeps gaining recognition from all sectors of society. What an opportunity to be in the thick of things, part of the zeitgeist. Well, your friend here at Comics Grinder, none other than Henry Chamberlain, is jumping in. I have a 24 Hour Comics Day set to take place here in Seattle, a hotbed of comics activity coming from a fans and creators in numbers well above the national average.
My goal is to honor the 24 HCD concept as closely as possible. Not only that, I will provide you with as much information as I can on the subject. I can tell you now that every step of the way is both rewarding and challenging. The initial check list can be daunting. Where to have such an event? Check. How many people can you accommodate? Check. And, perhaps the most important single question of all: Will there be pizza??? For now, I can tell you that we have a most fine venue for the event, the Phinney Center, a charming community center that has a colorful history as having been a school dating back to 1904. It is located on what we locals call, Phinney Ridge, a quite distinctive hunk of topography. The neighborhood literally sits atop, and along, a ridge that commands awesome views looking down to other neighborhoods and beyond to amazing mountainscapes.
It is always nice to get a little help from one’s friends. I’d like to share with you one friend who believes in this project, without hesitation, and that is our sponsor, Comics Dungeon. This is one hell of a comics shop. The folks there know their stuff. If in Seattle, or online, make your way to Comics Dungeon.
As of this writing, there are twenty-three days left until 24 HCD. That is a lot of time, or not so much, depending on how you look at it. I see it as simply being what it is: I have just about enough time to get things pulled together. I hope as the big weekend approaches, and time allows, to bring to you some history of the event, share some thoughts, and maybe share an interview or two. We shall see. I already have enough details to juggle let alone blog about it. But that is what you expect from me, right? So, I’d better find some time to blog.
Cool idea! It’s also cool to see that it’ll be taking place in a local Seattle neighborhood. I look forward to learning more about it.
Thanks, Ryan. Yeah, we’ll see how it goes. I know this is going to be a really awesome event.