So, you’re hosting 24 Hour Comics Day and don’t know what to expect?  Don’t worry!  Here are a few pointers to help you out.

1. Get a clear number of participants before the event.  It is important that you have people in your store participating at the event, but it is also important that you don’t have more than your space can hold.  Get people’s information when they mention to you that they are interested and periodically check back in with them.  It does not have to be something as intrusive as a phone call.  Just send them a quick email a couple of times before the event to make sure that they are still interested.
    

2. Try to work with the art community in your town/city/suburb.  You run a comic store!  You probably have several artists come in every week.  Start up some conversations with them about 24 Hour Comics Day and see what the feeling in the community is for the event.  If you have someone within the art community that is willing to help you out take advantage of it.  Many communities have groups that get together and draw comics already.  See what you can do to bring them into your store.
    

3. Make sure that you have supplies for the artists.  They are going to be in your store for 24 Hours.  Have something for them to eat and plenty of coffee and soda.  It seems likely that everyone is going to need a caffeine boost.  You also should make sure that you have plenty of workspace and a place for each artist to sit.  If you would like to provide some art supplies for your artists I am sure that they would appreciate it.  That is not to say that you have to give everyone 24 pages of comic drawing paper, but one or two wouldn’t hurt!
    

4. If possible find a place to display these artists’ work.  Do you have a website?  You can post their artwork there.  You could even have it in the store for some amount of time after the event has passed.  These artists will likely be happy to have any exposure that you are willing to give them.
    

5. Stay in contact with your artists after the event has ended.  Maybe you can use their work as constantly changing content on your website.  Perhaps you have enough wall space to have a small art show of their work.  At the very least you can have them back for 24 Hour Comics Day next year.
    

6. Advertise the event as much as you can.  Put up posters, send out press releases, mention it on your blog, get your customers to mention it on theirs.  The more people who know about this event the more people you will have coming into your store and buying things.
    

7. Use this as a building block within your community at large.  Let local art teachers know that it is happening so that they can tell their students.  Maybe you could even have some of the artists participating in your 24 Hour Comics Day go and talk to an art class.  If you can gain younger readers from this event it would be very beneficial.
    

8. If you have a lot of interest in creating comics after 24 Hour Comics Day bring back your local artists and have them run a workshop.  Get more people interested in the medium.  Bring more people into your store.  It can only help you in the long run.
    

This helpful list is also available in MS Word.doc format here.

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