24-Hour Comics and Irish Free Comics Day 2008

ztoical · 25-06-2008 2:40pm #1

All the events listed below will take place on the weekend of October 18th.

Irish Free Comic Day

An interesting and thought-provoking discussion on this very board has led to Ireland's first "Irish Free Comics Day" taking place on Saturday October 18th. The event is being organised by Rob Curley and will involve most of Ireland's Comic Book stores throughout the Republic and Northern Ireland. The motivation behind this event is to push the Irish small press scene and encourage people to not only read Irish comics but to make new Irish comics as well.

For a comic to be considered for inclusion for "Irish Free Comic Day", the comic needs to be the majority product of an Irish creator or a creator who is based in Ireland [ie at least 51% of the book should be Irish] - after all, this event is for promoting Irish comics!

You need to be able to provide at least 40 copies per store [that means if you wish to submit your comics to just Sub City in Dublin then you will need to have 40 copies, if you wanted to submit to Sub City and Forbidden Planet then you would need 80 copies and so on]. The shops involved so far are Forbidden Planet Dublin, Forbidden Planet Belfast, Sub-City Dublin, Sub-City Galway, Other Realms Cork.

There is no payment for these comics - the creator is donating them for free to be part of "Irish Free Comic Day", and they will in turn be given away for free in participating stores.

Every comic that is part of "Irish Free Comic Day" will need to include the event logo on the cover. The logo is still being designed for the event but when ready it will be available for download via the web. It can be included on the cover before going to print or if the comics are already printed, printed off as a sticker and added to the cover.

Comics that may contain work not suitable for children should be clearly marked.

The main focus of this event is to highlight the Irish comics scene, and as such we want to encourage as many creators to get involved as possible. With that in mind, I would like to encourage those who might not have the money to produce a comic for the event or have enough work to fill a comic of their own to consider getting together in small groups and sharing the cost of printing for a small sampler comic featuring several artists.

This event is being used to promote Irish comic work to both the Irish comics scene but also outside of that so as such we would like to keep the quality level to a high standard. If people are unsure about how to go about getting their comic into print please leave a comment.

There is further information to come so keep an eye on this thread - we are sorting a FAQ but need feedback from people as to what questions they might need answered so please comment on this thread.

For further information regarding Irish Free Comics day please contact Rob

24 hour comics day 2008

Draw Comics

Come lock yourself in a room with strangers for 24 hours and draw comics! Ok we don't actually lock the doors but we do draw comics for 24 straight hours. The details for this year's 24 hour comics day are as follows. It will take place in Dublin at the Central Hotel [across the road from Sub City] on October 18th to 19th. Drawing begins at noon on saturday and will continue to noon on sunday. It is free to take part.

People are welcome to come and attempt the full 24 hours or just part of the 24 hours. It is open to people at all skill levels and all ages. Don't worry if all you draw is stickmen, this event is about getting people drawing and creating. People are also encouraged to drop in and look around, talk with the artists and read/buy some indie comics.

Read Comics

We are expanding the reading table that proved to be a hit last year. A table in the room will be set up with a selection of mini comics, zines, self published comics with a big focus on Irish-made comics. Space allowing we will aim to have a kids friendly comic selection in one area and a section for the more mature themed comics. So if you don't have time to draw comics but might have half an hour to spare, come in and read some comics.

Buy/Sell Comics

For those who have comics that aren't part of the Free Irish Comics day, we invite them to sell their comics at the small press table at 24 hour comics day. The table selling these comics will run from 11am saturday morning until 8pm saturday evening [it will not run on the sunday]. There is no charge for people leaving their comics to sell on the table but you must be free to come pick up your unsold comics and or money before 24 hour comics day finishes on the Sunday. The table is for indie press comics only (this means no posters, prints, buttons, stickers etc).

There is some more information, a FAQ, and examples of 24 hour comics for the past two events on the event website

For further information on 24 hour comics day please contact Ztoical (Cliodhna) or Fysh (Kyle) [Please put "comics" somewhere in the email subject]

Fysh · 25-06-2008 3:43pm

Yay, I'm looking forward to this already. It's going to be a mad weekend, but lots of fun as usual

Nathanual · 25-06-2008 4:34pm

If there is anything I can do to help please let me know. I'd love to be involved in any capacity. Just let me know.

Stephen

alnolan · 25-06-2008 7:57pm

Me and Ian are "on board" as well.

livingtargets · 25-06-2008 10:00pm

Sounds interesting.

I`d love to do another 24 hour comic.And the comic-selling table sounds deadly!Can`t wait!

Luke F ( http://lukefcomics.blogspot.com/ )

Hoovers · 26-06-2008 2:26am

That free comic day sounds great, and actually could tie in nicely with something I'm working on at the moment.
What are the criteria for the comics submitted i.e. do they have to be of a certain shape, format, colour or b/w, number of pages etc, or is it totally up to the artist?

Thanks,

ztoical · 26-06-2008 5:49am

Hoovers wrote: »

That free comic day sounds great, and actually could tie in nicely with something I'm working on at the moment.
What are the criteria for the comics submitted i.e. do they have to be of a certain shape, format, colour or b/w, number of pages etc, or is it totally up to the artist?

It's up to the artist just remember these comics aren't for sale, they will be given away free the same as the international free comic book day comics so if your printing something really nice that you want to sell, put some of the sales table at 24 hour comic day and do a sampler for free comic day. Any comics submitted must have the logo on the front and at least 40 copies per store.

I'm going to get on to some of the libraries and see if we can get them involved so we may need copies for them, thou they prob won't need 40 if they are interested - fingers crossed and if anyone has any good ideas for promotion or other places that we can have the comics, don't be scared leave a comment, this whole thing got started with a comment on this board [actually both events got started with posts on this board, my very first post here was "does anyone want to do a 24 hour comic?"

]

the Shades · 26-06-2008 11:15am

Don't think I'll be involved in either event.

ztoical · 26-06-2008 5:05pm

Its been pointed out that Octocon the Irish Sci-fi con is on the same weekend, it will be just up the road at the Royal Dublin Hotel. We're going to contact the organisers and see about co-ordinating something between all the events.

Also for people thinking about putting comics together for the free comics day remember these are free comics being used for promotion for the irish comics scene but also for your own work - you don't have to put a massive comic together, if you've a webcomic/longer book you can put a sample comic together with a couple of pages and some sketches.

ztoical · 01-07-2008 1:29am

some updated information for people thinking of taking part in Free Irish comic day - all the comics taking part need to be sent to Rob [either dropped into Sub city dublin or posted, contact Rob for more info]

The dead line to get books to him is September 26th

Tree · 01-07-2008 1:38am

I'm going to do my best for 24hour comics day. dunno if i'll be working or not yet but i'll defo be around for most of the night.

also, DO NOT DRIVE TO THIS EVENT, unless you have somewhere to sleep in dublin on teh sunday night. or you dont intend staying overnight. and certainly dont drive to cork while still high on teh solventy markers used to colour in your comics.

ztoical · 01-07-2008 1:42am

Tree wrote: »

also, DO NOT DRIVE TO THIS EVENT, unless you have somewhere to sleep in dublin on teh sunday night. or you dont intend staying overnight. and certainly dont drive to cork while still high on teh solventy markers used to colour in your comics.

also don't be a passenger in said car with sleep deprived driver high on the solventy markers - nor should you be a passenger in said car with sleep deprived driver high on the solventy markers and the pages covered in aforementioned solventy markers sitting in the car seeping more solventy fumes into the car.

[you can see the solventy marker pages here

]

ztoical · 03-07-2008 8:43pm

some more ideas coming up for both events and wanted to see if I could get some feedback from people. Would anyone be interested if some of the comics for free comic day were made into PDF magazines or if we put together an exculsive PDF comic they could download? I want to encourage the web cartoonists out there to get on board.

Also as the event is about promotion I was thinking about sending a pile of the comics to a few of the good podcasts out there - what do people think? worth doing or wasting issues that could be sent to a comic store?

Nathanual · 04-07-2008 10:51am

If you want to add Bobby the Bot to the PDF thing you can.

If there is anything I can do let me know.

Stephen

Fysh · 04-07-2008 10:58am

Count me in for everything; I've also been in touch with Brian Moloney, the guy who did 3 Cheers For Mute Ingloriousness and he's said he's happy for me to get a bunch more copies of it printed up to give away as part of Irish Free Comic Day, so I'll definitely chuck a few of those aside for podcasts folks.

Also, I think someone started co-ordinating boards.ie podcasts a little while ago - I'll go and look them up, they might be interested in doing a piece closer to the time about these two events and it would help us spread the word....

ztoical · 10-08-2008 1:55pm

Hi all,

just to remind everyone to get comics together for irish free comics day. We can add two more stores to the list in Kilkenny and Waterford. While 24 hour comics day doesn't really need much prep other then getting the word out, Irish free comics day is basicly replying on people getting comics together. I know a bunch of people on this board are doing pages for the boards.ie comics zine but if you haven't chucked your name into the hat for it make sure to pop over to the comics production board and add your name.

And get the word out - blog, post, email, let people know whats happening. The whole point of this venture is to promote local artists which means promoting it as much as possible!

Nathanual · 11-08-2008 9:44am

I don't know how many people would be interested in having it, but I'm printing up the two Bobby the Bot webcomics for this. I have some time on my hands now so if there is anything I can do for prep let me know.

I've also prepped a PDF file of the print out so people can download.

Stephen

ztoical · 11-08-2008 7:15pm

I meant to add to the other post, if people are working on stuff outside of the boards zine can they email Rob to let him know as he was feeling like no one was doing anything.

ztoical · 15-08-2008 1:11pm

I just got an email from a group in Belfast that are putting together a 24 hour event up there. I'll post more information when I have it but it will be the same weekend [as nearly all 24 hour comic day events will be that weekend] and it might be easier to get to for some people depending where you live.

Nathanual · 19-08-2008 8:15pm

Bad news!!!

I had planned on printing up the two bobby the bot stories for free comic book day but alas the printer won't have it ready for the day.

If anyone (anyone) wants a copy I have a .pdf file of it and will email it to them.

Sorry, as a non artist (lonely writer) I hoped to have something ready, but alas.

Hope to have more Bobby fun ready soon.

Stephen

ztoical · 30-08-2008 4:53pm

Catalyst Arts, who are the group hosting the belfast 24 hour event, have sorted their website issues [it was down for a while and I linked to their myspace before] and they've posted all the information for the event.

Pretty much same set up as Dublin - same date, starting a little earlier at 10, bring stuff to draw on and with and make a comic in 24 hours, dead simple, cept for the whole drawing a comic in 24 hours part.......

I'm in touch with the organizers and we're going to see about having some sort of either email hook up or text message report thing going between both events.

Geranium · 01-09-2008 11:24pm

Perhaps a stupid question, but can more than one person work on a single comic for the 24 hour thing?

Also, can you use photography/photocopying in the comic, or do you have to stay in the building?

ztoical · 02-09-2008 9:48am

Geranium wrote: »

can more than one person work on a single comic for the 24 hour thing?

Yes more the one person can work on a comic - according to the "official rules" if two people work on a comic then it should be a 48 page comic but honestly we've never been massive sticklers for the rules at our event as we really just want people to come along, draw comics and have fun.

Geranium wrote: »

Also, can you use photography/photocopying in the comic, or do you have to stay in the building?

Yes you can use photography/photocopying if you can figure out a why to use it within the time frame. People are welcome to bring laptops and graphics tablets to work digitally if they don't want to draw by hand. People do come and go from the building during the whole event, some people can't stay for the full 24 hours or arrive after the start due to work, people also go out for smoke breaks, food/drink runs etc etc The hotel door is manned 24 hours and we've never had an issue with people going in and out at past events. I'm not sure where the nearest photocopier would be to the hotel.

Geranium · 02-09-2008 11:41am

Thanks! Sounds fun and flexible. Hope to go!

Fysh · 02-09-2008 1:08pm

ztoical wrote: »

I'm in touch with the organizers and we're going to see about having some sort of either email hook up or text message report thing going between both events.

I've been trying to figure out whether I could use my eeepc and a graphics tablet to go all-digital this year, but even if I can't figure it out I'll have the eee with me anyway. The hotel has wi-fi access, so if someone at the other end has a computer with net access and a webcam we could use skype to videocall them. Might be more fun and cheaper than phone calls....

ztoical · 08-09-2008 5:21pm

Just to update people and let them know that Tower Records on wicklow st in Dublin are on board for Free Irish Comics day.

Please don't contact any of the shops directly regarding submitting comics for Free Irish Comic Day, please email Rob Curley as he is co-ordinating with all the shops and artists. Rob's email is listed in the first post of this thread

ztoical · 30-09-2008 1:55am

Not long to go now to 24 hour comics day

Fysh · 30-09-2008 9:34am

Woo! Looking forward to this, flights are booked and this time I should be there for the whole thing - hopefully thus avoiding a repeat of last year's "scare the lady next to me into thinking I'm planning to shoot up the plane" entertainment.

magwea · 07-10-2008 6:46pm

Great poster ztoical, captures the spirit of 24 hour comic dayer's slow descent into delerium and madness. For shame, no daliesque melting clocks though.

Any of these in comic shops? Make a great full page ad in the Irish Times.

ztoical · 07-10-2008 9:59pm

magwea wrote: »

Great poster ztoical, captures the spirit of 24 hour comic dayer's slow descent into delerium and madness. For shame, no daliesque melting clocks though.

Any of these in comic shops? Make a great full page ad in the Irish Times.

I dropped copies into the 3 city center comic shops last week, wither they put them up or not I've no idea as I haven't been in Dublin since. Working with Catalyst arts in Belfast, who are hosting a 24 hour comics event as well, on a joint press release. Not sure if we could afford a full colour ad in the Irish Times but we'll see if we can get some free publicity off some radio and print outlets.

Fysh · 16-10-2008 5:34pm

Woo, not long to go now! I'm flying on Saturday morning so will be getting up aggravatingly early, but on the other hand this means I'll be there for the whole goshdarned thing

Saruwatari · 17-10-2008 6:20pm

I'll be popping in early enough tomorrow, won't be able to do the full 24 hours (though next year I will), but I'll stay for a few hours and draw. :pac:
I'll see if I can get a friend to come along...

Hoovers · 19-10-2008 6:28pm

Ha ha, that was a great bit of madness, and it was great to see some of the familiar faces again, as-well as meeting some new people too! There was some deadly stuff being churned out over the time I was there...
Looks like I won't get to finish my effort till next week- How'd everyone else get on? Was there many there till final whistle?
Fair play again Cliodhna for organizing the whole thing!:D

Saruwatari · 19-10-2008 8:43pm

Agreeing with Ronan, brilliant day! I'm listening to the ComicCast interviews now, great stuff.
Big cheers to Cliodhna for organizing the whole thing, and to Kyle (who apparently done little to nothing for the event :pac:).
I'd say you're all conked right now, hahah! Fair play to those that stayed the whole 24 as well...
Did Alan, Dec and Bob ever show up again? (or at all in Bob's case)

ztoical · 19-10-2008 8:48pm

Going to keep this short as I'm wrecked and really need bed right now - Huge massive thank you to everyone who came along for the event - this was the biggest turn out yet, we had 30+ people drawing comics and loads of people popping by to say hi, read mini comics, buy comics and of course get some free comics. The boards zine came out great.

Couple of us did do the whole 24 hours - I think it was 7 or 8 did the full 24 hours plus we had the lads from Belfast on the webcam with us the whole time as well.

The lovely lads from the comic cast stopped by and grabbed several people for mini interview which they've already posted on their blog Now I'm off for some much needed shut eye.

Saruwatari · 19-10-2008 9:09pm

ztoical wrote: »

Going to keep this short as I'm wrecked and really need bed right now - Huge massive thank you to everyone who came along for the event - this was the biggest turn out yet, we had 30+ people drawing comics and loads of people popping by to say hi, read mini comics, buy comics and of course get some free comics. The boards zine came out great.

Couple of us did do the whole 24 hours - I think it was 7 or 8 did the full 24 hours plus we had the lads from Belfast on the webcam with us the whole time as well.

Whew, I expected a little more to stay the 24, but a huge pat on the back for those 7 or 8 folk!
30+ folk, Christ, that's impressive. Didn't seem like that much at the time at all...
I wonder how the Belfast one went...

magwea · 19-10-2008 10:12pm

Just got up an hour or two ago, will probably be in a vampire like state for the next few days: worth it for sure. i think i got the 24 hour comics survivor 1000 yard stare.

Still great fun, cheers Cliodhna for bringing us comic nerds together; reading the one Tom Gauld mini comic alone would have already made the trip worth it for me, wasn't expecting that i would be able to yap about random Chris Ware comic oddities and the virtues of Grant Morrison's Batman RIP as well AND draw comics. Also, more ginger baby jokes than i've ever heard.

Was happy enough with the drawings i got done at the time, but man, getting home and looking at them. Maybe, do a Bob Byrne, yearly comics style, thinking that's how long its going to take to make my drawings decent.

Hooray!

ztoical · 20-10-2008 10:28am

Saruwatari wrote: »

Whew, I expected a little more to stay the 24, but a huge pat on the back for those 7 or 8 folk!
30+ folk, Christ, that's impressive. Didn't seem like that much at the time at all...
I wonder how the Belfast one went...

we'd 9 tables with 3 at each table at least one table with 4 and had to add an extra table for 2 at one point. I didn't think it was that many until I went through the email list.

I'm sure Patrick Brown can give us a report of the Belfast event next time he logs in.

el_tiddlero · 20-10-2008 10:44am

Great event humans, twas a pleasure to stop by for a while on Saturday night..
congratulations to you all who participated and extra congratulations to those who worked hard to make it happen.

ztoical · 20-10-2008 11:21am

magwea wrote: »

reading the one Tom Gauld mini comic alone would have already made the trip worth it for me,

Don't forget you also got a drawing of a lizard wearing a tie.

Patrick Brown · 20-10-2008 1:11pm

The Belfast end of 24 hour comic day went very well, I thought. I think seven of us actually did comics, although there was a bunch of other people who dropped in from time to time and I can't really remember who was doing what.

My first time doing anything like this, so I didn't really know what to expect. I'd met Fionnuala of Catalyst Arts, who organised it, once before at 2D (and caused some embarassment a few days later by picking up the conversation in Waterstones with her twin sister, who had no idea who I was). I'd also met Andrew Croskery, who comes along to the pub meets that PJ Holden started at the Garrick on the first Thursday of every month. Everyone else was new to me. But hi to Jonny, Michael, Vicky and the other guy whose name slips my mind (hope I haven't left anybody out), and all the moral support people whose names are a complete jumble.

Catalyst is an artists' studio/gallery space in a converted old industrial building, and isn't particularly warm in the middle of the night. It has a balcony where they've rigged up a barbeque made out a wheelbarrow, and we ate very well thanks mainly to Andrew, and his mates who due to some kind of misunderstanding couldn't stay but brought food anyway. I think next time I'll bring one of those foam bedroll things - I'm getting too old to be sleeping on floors, and I'm still a bit stiff.

What I saw of everyone else's comics looked great. Andrew did one called "The Four Seasons" featuring Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter as squabbling sisters. Jonny, who'd never drawn a comic before, started out with some very detailed pencils but misjudged how long it would take him, and halfway through abandoned that comic and started another one in brush and ink. Fionnuala did hers in blue biro on a continuous roll of old-fashioned perforated printer paper. Looking forward to seeing them all scanned.

I think I was first finished. I called it "Something" (on the grounds that I had to call it something). I made up the story as images occurred to me and it ended up being a sort of ghost story.

Judging by the webcam link I think we were a little less garrulous than you guys, but then there weren't as many of us. The fact that we could hear you but you couldn't hear us made it a wee bit awkward, but it was good to see you all anyway.

ztoical · 20-10-2008 6:02pm

Couple of photos from the weekend - didn't take very many as it tends to be just alot of people with their heads down over pages for most of the time lol These were taken pretty near the start around 2pm I'd say based on the page Will is inking in one of them.

Saruwatari · 21-10-2008 10:35pm

Nice photos! Alan's in the back talking to Deirdre, Hilary and me, hah.

BTW, where are you in the photo Magwea, I had no idea you were at the thing!

AdMurray · 22-10-2008 3:50am

Cliodhna, thanks so much for putting this all together

Can't wait for next year

ztoical · 22-10-2008 12:00pm

Saruwatari wrote: »

BTW, where are you in the photo Magwea, I had no idea you were at the thing!

I think he arrived after I took these. I didn't click who you were Saruwatari until after you left

I've emailed everyone who took part drawing comics on the day with information on emailing your comics to me for the website. If you were there and didn't get an email from me I either didn't get your email or I copied it out wrong from my notebook - sorry. You can email me by clicking here

Also any and all feedback on the event is welcomed, I asked those taking part for feedback in the email but I've no way of contacting those who just dropped in to say hi and look around, so if you were one of those and have any comments please leave them here or if you'd rather not leave them on a public forum you can email me.

magwea · 22-10-2008 6:45pm

Yeah, i think i just came as you and the comiccast people were leaving. I was the guy in the blue hoodie one table down from ztoical's.

You were the chap in the back row in ztoical's first photo, right?

The lizard wearing a tie and drinking coffee is presently being framed for my mantel piece. Ronan was doing sketches for people at the end as well, equally great stuff.

Fysh · 22-10-2008 7:09pm

I'd forgotten about the awesome sketch Ronan did for me, hope I've preserved it so that I can add it to my small pile of original artwork

Saruwatari · 22-10-2008 8:15pm

magwea wrote: »

Yeah, i think i just came as you and the comiccast people were leaving. I was the guy in the blue hoodie one table down from ztoical's.

You were the chap in the back row in ztoical's first photo, right?

The lizard wearing a tie and drinking coffee is presently being framed for my mantel piece. Ronan was doing sketches for people at the end as well, equally great stuff.

Ah, I would've came up to you if I knew you were there...

Yes, I'm the guy with the dire pudding-bowl cut. :cool:
Anyone have photos of the sketches Ronan drew? The lizard one sounds brilliant!

Fysh · 22-10-2008 8:53pm

The only lizard with a tie I remember was Tree's one, which had the additional merit of also having a panel with the tie wearing lizard riding a bicycle

Burky126 · 22-10-2008 9:04pm

Hey just wanted to give a big thanks to you guys i really had a great time last Saturday.I wish i could of stayed longer but therell always be next year.Did you get any more random drunk people? Big thanks to everyone who took part.lll try and upload my comic book even though my scanner is infected with hepititus B at the moment.My scanner made some bad decisions in life.

<insert random Swedish accent>

"See youse soon pals.Bye bye."

Hoovers · 22-10-2008 11:58pm

Ha ha, ah yes, it's all coming back to me - I've only remembered now drawing random sketches at the end of my stint there.

Yes, I'm the guy with the dire pudding-bowl cut.

Wow, I wish I had a similarly fashioned Pudding-bowl hair cut- it's AWESOME!!
Roll on next year!!:D:D

24-Hour Comics and Irish Free Comics Day 2008

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