April 23, 2004
| Truly Gleeful Miscellany >>
The Thirteenth Labor
Yeah, sure, he had to clean some pretty nasty stables. And there was that thing with the three-headed dog.
But did Hercules ever write and draw a 24-page comic book in 24 hours?
I thought not.
That’s because a challenge like this ain’t for chumps. Luckily, I’m an old comics pro.
I’m sure you recall the adventures of the Baker Bobcat in The Torpey Talk-About, Baker Middle School’s paper of record.
Perhaps you were a fan of my, er, avant-garde editorial cartoons in The State News.
Or maybe you saw the Poynter.org centerpiece. Disclaimer: Not my finest hour.
Well, that was all just preparation.
Pop Comics in Sarasota. Midnight tonight to midnight on Saturday. 24 hours. 24 pages.
There’s an important stipulation to this challenge: “No sketches, designs, plot summaries or any other kind of direct preparation can precede the 24 hour period,” says Scott McCloud. Ideally, you’re not supposed to think about it at all ahead of time.
So, to guard against premeditation, I’ve asked my old college crew to e-mail ideas — words, names, phrases — to Matt, who will print them out and seal them in an envelope.
Tonight, as the clock strikes twelve, I’ll tear it open; the scraps within will be the seeds for my 24-hour labor.
Comments
Actually, I do remember seeing your spazzed-out bobcat drawings in the Torpey Talkabout. They were top-notch. But do you remember my column in the Torpey Talkabout, entitled "The Cyberspace Ranger"?
Actually, no you don't, because you were long gone. But I think I confused the hell out of everyone at Baker back in 1995 with weird strings of text that started with "http".
boo bobcats.
Yay Blue Devils!
Unfortunately, the beloved Larson Blue Devil is no more, replaced by a "Rebel." what the hell is a Rebel anyway? it's just some dumbass guy in a cowboy hat. ooooh.
1. "Spazzed-out" AND "top-notch." My favorite kind of praise.
2. Yeah, the only thing the Larson Rebel was rebelling against was the irrefutable lameness of his school. Bobcats rule 4-ever. (Wow, who knew Snarkmarket would ever play host to bitter intra-city middle school rivalries?)
I made it home! Woo! See some pictures here.
My 24-hour comic (23 pages long -- rats, the last page got me!) will be forthcoming. Trust me, it is rad.
Dude, Margeaux was there?? She's my best friend Rocky's little sister.
So apparently about 500 people across the country participated, mostly in groups at comic shops. That's so cool. I mean, Scott McCloud & co. basically just said, "Hey, let's have people get together & be creative" -- and they did!
Dude! Can't wait to read your comic... Hopefully I'll get my originals back from Brian today because I realized I haven't even read my own damn comic.
Your 24 hour comrade,
Shawn McBee
Hey Shawn! Glad you found the blog. I can't wait for the Pop Comics compilation; I'd like to give "Tom Donovan, Robot P.I." another look.