24 Hour Comics Day at Pulp Fiction and The Comic Bug this weekend

This weekend, hundreds of artists will make a daring attempt to do in one day what many comic book pros do in a month.

Several creators are expected to meet at Pulp Fiction in Long Beach or The Comic Bug in Manhattan Beach to take part in 24 Hour Comics Day Saturday Oct. 2.

The annual event challenges artists worldwide to create a 24-page comic in 24 consecutive hours.

Pulp Fiction and The Comic Bug will officially start their sequential art marathons 12 p.m. Saturday and continue until noon the following day.

To some it sounds easy. I once did a comic in a single day when I was about 15 years old and the task was complicated and exhausting.  

The pencil art alone for a 22-page comic book can take up to a month to finish.  Throw in all the other components; story, inking, lettering, colors and a single project can take months. 

Organizers consider the definitive 24 Hour Comic to consist of ONE creator doing a 24-page book with completed story, art, lettering, proofreading, paste-up and colors (if you're using them). According to the sponsors site, your pages can be just about any size you want as long as there's 24 of them.

However, the organizers are quick to point out that making the effort and sharing the challenge with fellow creators are the true prizes. And if spending 24 hours working with a partner to create a comic is the goal, then that's fine.

Mike Wellman, co-proprietor of The Comic Bug, said he's hosted 24 Hour Comics Day for six years and the number of artists who eventually cross the finish line is astonishing.

"I would say more than half of the people usually finish," he said. "When there's more people in the room it kind of affects the energy."

Wellman expects more than 60 participants and store guests at this year's event.  Among that number are some established comics professionals including Brad Rader (Fogtown) and Nat Gertler.

Meanwhile, at Pulp Fiction, 24 Hour Comics Day will be covered around-the-clock by digital content publisher WOWIO in a live video stream at www.ustream.com/wowio.  

Space to push pencils, stack pages and snore is limited at these locations.  Call or e-mail stores for more information.

Pulp Fiction is located at 1742 Clark Avenue Long Beach, CA. 90815 (562) 986-4154

The Comic Bug is located at 1807 1/2 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Manhattan Beach, CA. 90266 (310) 372-6704

Making a comic book in 24 hours first gained notoriety by way of writer-artist Scott McCloud, who is also widely known as a leader in comics theory (Understanding Comics).  In 1990, McCloud challenged another graphic arts notable, Steve Bissette (an artist on DC Comics' Swamp Thing) to create a comic book in a day. McCloud and Bissette pushed each other to finish within the allotted time and the results of the challenge helped inspire the annual 24 Hour Comics event kicked off by writer-publisher Nat Gertler in 2004. 

Also, there's no stopping some of you creative types from picking up paper, pencils and pens and working along with hundreds of others from the comfort of your home.

Nevertheless, here's a list of other participating sites around California down page or after the jump.