Home - 24-Hour Comics Day

24-Hour Comics Day is October 20th!

NEWS UPDATE: If you hosted a 24-Hour Comics Day event in 2011, the website may have contacted you saying your "membership" was "expired." Please disregard this notice--sign up for the 2012 event will begin in June 2012. Hosts and participants will never be charged for their participation in this event!

What is 24-Hour Comics Day?

24-Hour Comics Day is an event held around the world which challenges writers and artists to create a full 24-page comic in 24 consecutive hours. Thousands of artists take the 24-Hour Comics Day Challenge every year!

How can I participate?

Starting in June, you can find a venue near you who is hosting a 24-Hour Comics Day event. Can't find an event site near you? Participate on your own and post your comic pages online.

Check back in June 2012 to register as a participant!

Host an event!

If you have a business, school or library with space to host artists during the challenge, you can host an official 24-Hour Comics Day event.

Check back in June 2012 to register as a host!

The original 24-Hour Comic was created by Scott McCloud.

Visit www.scottmccloud.com for a wonderful history of the 24-Hour Comic, 24-Hour Comics Day and much more! From Scott McCloud:

THE DARE:

To create a complete 24 page comic book in 24 continuous hours.

That means

everything: Story, finished art, lettering, color (if applicable), paste-up, everything. Once pen hits paper, the clock starts ticking. 24 hours later, the pen lifts off the paper, never to descend again. Even proofreading has to occur in the 24 hour period. (Computer-generated comics are fine of course, same principles apply).

No sketches, designs, plot summaries or any other kind of direct preparation can precede the 24 hour period. Indirect preparation such as assembling tools, reference materials, food, music etc. is fine.

Your pages can be any size, any material. Carve them in stone, print them with rubber stamps, draw them on your kitchen walls with a magic marker. Whatever you makes you happy.

The 24 hours are continuous. You can take a nap, but the clock keeps ticking. If you get to 24 hours and you're not done, either end it there ("the Gaiman Variation") or keep going until you're done ("the Eastman Variation"). I consider both of these "Noble Failure" Variants and true 24 hour comics in spirit; but you must sincerely intend to do the 24 pages in 24 hours at the outset.

THE ONLINE VARIATION: The above applies to printed comics or online comics with "pages" but if you'd like to try a 24-hour Online Comic that doesn't break down into pages (like the expanded canvas approach I use in most of my own webcomics) then try this: At least 100 panels AND it has to be done, formatted and ONLINE within the 24-hour period!