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The first 24-hour comic, by Scott McCloud

One day a year, venues all over the globe (and online) sign up to host 24-hour comics marathons. This year, that day is October 2, or more precisely, October 2-October 3 (10 am to 10 am). There are venues hosting events in all over the US, as well as many other countries including Greece, Cambodia, Brazil, Finland…you can find out if there’s a place near you by looking at the listing, here.

If you’ve never heard of 24-hour comics, here’s the short version: a 24-hour comic is a 24-page comic conceived, written, thumbnailed, penciled, inked, lettered, corrected, and, ideally, reproduced, in one 24-hour period. (Many people fall a bit short of this ideal, but that’s no reason not to aim high!) The idea springs, like many of the most interesting in comics, from the mind of Scott McCloud.

Matt and I strongly advocate marathon comics, and give ideas for how (and why) to run a marathon session in chapter 15 of DWWP. You can find lots more tips on hosting and participating at the 24-hour comics day site. You can, of course, do your own 24-hour comic any day you choose, but it’s a lot more fun with friends, and how much more so when you know hundreds of other people are drawing their comic at the same time you are!