Local artists who want to test their mettle — and sleep deprivation — will be furiously drawing for 24 hours straight at Oklahoma City's Atomic Comics this weekend.
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Atomic Comics, 6006 S Western, is a host for the third-annual 24 Hour Comics Day. Atomic Comics is one of 91 planned locations for the event worldwide.
The day is an international celebration of comics creation. Cartoonists around the world take the challenge of trying to complete a 24-page comic in 24 consecutive hours.
Atomic Comics will host artists working on 24-hour comics from 9 a.m. Saturday to 9 a.m. Sunday.
"We stay open the entire time," owner Jerry Wall said.
Scott McCloud ("Understanding Comics") came up with the idea of doing a 24-hour comic. Nat Gertler of publisher About Comics promoted the first 24 Hour Comics Day on April 24, 2004. More than 500 cartoonists took part in the first challenge. More than 800 cartoonists were at work in 70 event locations for the 2005 celebration.
Wall keeps a webcam going throughout the 24 hours and updates the store's Web site at www.atomicokc.com with new pictures of art as it's completed throughout the night. There's also a chat room running throughout the event at the Web site. Last year, Wall said his artists received encouragement from around the world in the chat room.
Wall said 24 Hour Comic Day motivates artists to complete a work.
"I think it challenges people to come up with something when they didn't think they could," he said.
Wall said taking the challenge at a comic bookstore, with the camaraderie of other creators, is a special event.
"The good thing about participating in something like this is that the artists tend to encourage one another," Wall said.
Wall said previous 24-hour comics completed at Atomic Comics have ranged from action to humor to drama.
Wall said Atomic Comics stocks up on artists' supplies for the weekend, to aid last-minute entrants.
For more information, call 632-2848.
Previous 24-hour comics have been published by About Comics: "24 Hour Comics" featuring stories by Neil Gaiman ("Sandman") and McCloud; "24 Hour Comics All-Stars" featuring Dave Sim ("Cerebus") and Paul Smith ("Uncanny X-Men"); "24 Hour Comics Day Highlights 2004" featuring Josh Howard ("Dead@17") and many amateurs who created comics in the 2004 celebration; and "24 Hour Comics Day Highlights 2005" featuring Zander Cannon ("Top Ten") and 2005 festival participants.
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