The Seven Day Quest Comes Out of Its Coma

Well, looks like my blog has really caught on with Chinese spambots. Nice to know it at least has some appeal.

Audience, it has been one year and twenty four days since my last post. I find that my life has taken a turn for the precarious. As you may have gathered, I did not, in fact, make it to Spaz Dog last year. I missed that 24-hour comic day.

24-Hour Comics Day 2010 is October 2nd. This year, I don't know if Spaz Dog is hosting an event. There is a comic shop in Phoenix that is hosting, but I haven't the time or money to go there this time. But, I intend to create another 24-hour comic nonetheless. I will be hosting my own mini-event at my house, with Caleb and myself each taking on the challenge.

I intend to be blogging throughout, of course because I don't want to disappoint the spambots.

Spaz Dog Redux

Yep, it's not on the 24 hour comics day site yet, but on the spaz dog site they claim that they will be hosting again this year. So, I plan to be there again this year, and my son is planning to join me this time. He was hoping to join me last year, but couldn't. Don't remember why... Anway, with any luck, we will get there again this year, and I will complete the comic again, and do an even better one this year.

Where Does the Time Go?

Well, look at the calendar...

It's closing in on a year gone by... I haven't raced in any 5Ks or triathlons, I haven't been kayaking, and I have not drawn a single image since last year's 24-hour comic.

Hey, did I even tell you that I showed my 24-hour comic to professional comic artist Corey Pandolph, and even got feedback from him? That was very cool.

Anyway, I had all these plans last year (notice how I always have all these plans?) that I would really work on my drawing skills so that I didn't look like such a N00b at the next 24-hour comic. And I have done zip. Not so much as a freehand pencil sketch. Though, in my defense, I have won an awful lot of games of solitaire in the interim.

Anyway, this year, 24 hour comics day is October 3rd. So, you know, looming. I dunno if Spazdog is going to host again, but I hope so (they aren't on this list yet, but there are only about 6 places registered so far). I'd love to do it at Spazdog again.

Although, if some place in Minnesota hosts it, I might just hafta go there.

24 Hour Comic Day -- The Movie

Yes, they filmed us. If you want to get a great idea of what the event was like -- and hear some odd interview questions get lethargic answers from sleepy contestants including yours truly, then click the links, if you dare:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Thanks to Shawn and Daniel for creating the videos!

24 Hour Comic On-Line

Okay, I'm planning on adding some more information (I also need to do a post here recapping everything), but for those of you who can't wait, my 24-hour comic is posted now, right here:
http://www.babelsphere.com/7dayquest/comic/page.php

I Declare Victory!

Just finished the final page and checked through all 24. Overall, I'm pretty happy. I stayed awake all night, and I succeeded. The comic is pretty lame looking, but I'm okay with that -- I'll get better in time for next year.

I won't have the comic online until tomorrow at the earliest; I may not have time to get it online until next weekend. But I'll let you know.

Ryan is just finishing up his (far superior) 24 hour comic. I'm going to stick around and read his once he's done -- then it is off to my hotel for some sleep!

Sunrise

Yes I am still here. 20 pages down, 4 to go, slightly more than 5 hours in which to finish. So I'm feeling good about making it. I'm also feeling like I wish I was a more capable artist. Lots of times I wanted to draw something, but just had no idea how.

Looks like Ryan and I are the only ones still in the running to actually meet the challenge. DJ was keeping up, but he just gave up and went home. Daniel is still here, but he was never on pace to get 24 pages done. There are people who are putting out high quality (like Daniel), and people putting out high quantity (like me). Ryan is the only one doing both. But Ryan makes his living as a comic book artist, so.... whaddaya expect.

Anyway, I just ran out to Starbucks to caffeine up for the final 5 hours. Gotta go drink my quad-venti now.

Everyone Else

I was going to try to do a blog post on all the other folks doing this with me. But, Sean who runs Spazdog has already done that on his blog, so I will just point you there.

Four AM

Four a.m.

I made a couple really simple pages, so I have 18 down, 6 to go. I need to take a break.

I am 10 to 20 years older than everyone else here. I'm too old for this. Whine whine whine.

Actually, I'm still having fun. I may not be coherent though.

Am I making sense? Or snese? or nsene olfjc nsdl sdfljeia ??

This Is Where It Gets Crazy

2:30 a.m. Fifteen pages done. My thumb is killing me. My back isn't real happy either. But I'm not tired and I'm not about to give up.

Aha Break

One in the morning. Fourteen pages done (and the latest is my best yet, I think). Things are getting a bit silly now, while a pile of geeks high on energy drinks. We just took a break to watch this video, and to roll on the floor laughing.

By the way, my wrist is doing fine. It's my thumb that is killing me.

Half Way Point

Just finished my twelfth page. There is a TV tuned to SNL that is trying to distract me now. But I'm going to try to press on.

Going to take a quick walk.... stretch my legs...

Pizza Break!

Page 9 not quite finished when the pizza arrived. We've lost a couple guys already. A couple others are being waaaay too detailed and won't possibly finish 24 pages (some are still on page 1 or 2). But I think four or five of us still have a shot.

Momentarily Ahead of the Game

Just finished page 8 -- 45 minutes ahead of the pace. But there will be pizza at 8, so I need to not get cocky... I should try to finish one more page before the pizza gets here.

Out of Ideas...

Hey, we're a quarter of the way through! Six pages in six hours. Six straight hours of drawing is the most I've ever done before (and that was years ago...) So now we are heading into unexplored territory....

My wrist is holding up and I'm reasonably happy with the drawings... But now I'm out of ideas.... Must think... Need more caffeine...

Cheating

Five hours (almost) gone. Five pages done. I was half an hour behind, now I'm all caught up. Even had time to take a break and get my picture taken with the Red Bull Girls.

Yeah, I kinda cheated. You'll see when it all goes online....

The Earlier You Fall Behind...

The longer you have to catch up....

3 pages done... 15 minutes behind...

Two O'Clock

Two pages done... Just barely... don't bother me now!!!!!

First Page Done!

Okay, I guess I'm on track so far. I think everyone else's stuff looks better than mine, but hey, I'm the only one with a finished page. I'm pacing myself....

Five Minutes...

Really, really regretting forgetting the camera now. There are about 5 of us here now, and everyone else looks like comic artists. Most brought computers and everyone's trying to find a place to plug in. One guy as an enormous tower, not a laptop.

Ooh, I've got butterflies...