Monday, March 21, 2005

The race for Just 1 Page

Alan Davis


Dave Windett

Sunday, March 20, 2005

24 Minutes from Mile End

Or the 25 and a half minute comic (due to misreading my clock and the logistics of getting the pages to everyone)

The day began at 7.24 a.m.
By eight twenty four my arms and hands ached from the two boxes of comics I wanted to give away at the Thing.

At nine twenty four, I had arrived, got my refreshments for the day and had set up the table. And then I started tracking who was here for the 24 minute challenge.

Several folks asked about taking part, so we had a list of thirty by 11.24 - the time I was ready to make announcements, although a few people did not seem to have arrived. (Thinking out loud: consider making the next one as many pages as there are volunteers.)

So it was time for my first bit of shouting of the day.
(I resisted the temptation to sing a few songs from "Calamity Jane". Thanks for asking, though.)

The idea of audience suggestions started to seem less worthwhile as I only had 19 forms handed in by the time I needed them ... so I made up 5 myself and decided to drop the "location" because things like "The Albert Hall" and "Toulouse" just seemed too much to ask anyone to draw.

So, everyone came over to collect their page instructions at 12.15
... in fact, there were 26 people (or teams) which led me to ask Bridgeen Gillespie and Ping Teo to share half a page each (sorry !) and Roger Langridge to do the cover.

At this point I should say that NEXT time, I have a few simple changes to the process. Anyone else got any suggestions?
1) preprinted pages with the page directions AND PAGE NUMBERS (!).
2) a line at the bottom for "creator's name / website"
3) a defined drawing area - as the portfolio tables were mostly taken when we started
4) a loudhailer

Anyway, back to my account of the day ...

The frantic drawing began at 12.30, and most people seemed to be happy to do so at their tables (yes, I have photos of all twenty five pages being drawn). I was going to ask Mike Carey to start the action, as he'd written the rhyming couplets which tell the story, but time and lack of a starting-gun/klaxon/siren/hand-bell meant that I did the shouting.

And at 12.54 ... I mis-read my watch ...
And at 12.55, I announced the end of the 24 minutes.

Some folks were worried that their pages were unfinished
(I told you to use the do not disturb signs !)
but there's very little lacking in the art or storytelling.

I collated the original art pages and made my "little mistake" which resulted in two of the pages have been mis-labelled - see if you can spot which ones !

By one twenty four I was in the i2design photocopy shop on Mile End Rd, who had agreed to produce the comic (and they were extremely helpful and fast and let me do most of the collating) http://www.ink2design.co.uk/contact.htm
Unfortunately, I had a problem collating and numbering the master copy pages, so this took me about half an hour.
But the first copy was in my hand by four minutes to two.

Remarkably, by 2.45 I had eaten lunch and gotten a phone call to say that all 100 copies were ready !

And at 3.24pm the comics were on sale in the Thing Hall.
Technically that's a two hour and fifty four minute comic,
but the art is the important part !

A twenty four page comic, plus a cover, created by approximately 33 people in less than three hours !

And, the cohesion between pages created only from a 48 line "script" is most excellent. Even if someone did add an extra eye to J1P the Alien !


If anyone did not get a copy and wants to buy one, they will be on sale in Gosh, or you can send me £1 (or four first class stamps) PLUS a stamped, self-addressed envelope. (email just1page(at)aol(dot)com)


NB I am VERY SORRY for anyone's art that was misprinted or cropped in the quick photocopying stage. That was due to the time it took me to collate things.
The corrected, scanned & improved version will appear in Just 1 Page, to be launched at the Comic Expo in Bristol on May 14th & 15th.


I think the original art should be auctioned as a whole, since it really is a one-off comic, does anyone disagree ?



Thanks very much to everyone who took part, and to folks who cheered us on ! Same time next year to break the record ? (I reckon I can shave an hour off the printing process

Saturday, March 19, 2005

THE 24 Minute Mini Comic

A World Record Attempt

A comic conceived, written and drawn .. THEN PRINTED ... during the day.
24 artists (or artist and writer teams) attending the "UK Web & Mini Comix Thing" will each spend less than half an hour during the day drawing a page of minicomic. The 24 pages will then be assembled and photocopied and be available for sale by the final hour of the event.

The finished comic will also appear as an insert in Just 1 Page 3 to be published in May 2005 - which will also feature web address & contact details for all 24 Minute Mini Comic contributors.

The approximate itinerary will be as follows
(subject to the UKW&MCT events timetable)

PHASE 1
From opening time (10am) until noon, visitors and exhibitors are invited to fill in a form with key plot elements for the story.


Suggest a location (type of building, a room in the house, geographical place etc)
Suggest an object. If you cannot attend before noon, please email me for a "suggestions form".

These suggestions will be placed into three "hats" and drawn out so that each contributor has four random things to work into their page.

There will be a "protagonist" character to appear in every page linking the story in some way. Hopefully, we'll be getting an archetypal character design sent in.

The theme of Just 1 Page 3 is Battles or Team ups, so I reckon our character should go from page to page interacting with the "guest" characters. The contributors will be able to include a character or person of their own choice. (Any comics character, including their own.)



PHASE 2
Noon to 12.24 - The Draw and everyone assemble.
First 24 names are drawn from hat 1 to decide who draws which hour/page, there will be 24 pages each with a rhyming couplet prepared by professionals. The rhyme will have a very open description of what our character might be doing at that time of day. It is not meant to tell you what to draw, but to be a bit more interesting than "12 noon - dinner"


NEW RULE: Other than any sound effects, the only words on each page will be the rhyming sentence describing the activities of the hour - rather like in Rupert cartoons.

Then each of the suggestions are drawn - like the game consequences - so that contributors know what two things they need to fit into their page.


eg
Page 14: 6pm-7pm, "A sandwich full of pickled jam, what a lucky chap I am!", "SPATULA", the Moon. Roger Langridge.
Page 15: 7pm-8pm, "I'll read before I go to bed, to refill the dream stuff in my head", "POSTBOX", A tool shed in The Hanging Gardens of Babylon. David Baillie.

The layout, format, content of their page is completely up to each contributor. Perhaps the protagonist should be shown walking in at the top left and out at the bottom right of each page - unless someone can think of a better "framing device" :-)




PHASE 3
12.24pm to 12.48pm - THE 24 MINUTE COMIC
To be started by official event starter : then everyone draws their page.

I reckon A4 size would be good enough, but if anyone insists they can do it larger or smaller.

I think this'd be good to do all sat around the central stage area, so that you can discuss events with those doing the hours either side of the one you are drawing. But it could just as easily be done at the contributors tables.
Hopefully we can get someone to film it.



PHASE 4
12.50pm
I will collect all the art, run off to a quiet room to paste it up and then go to a local photocopy shop which has agreed to take part




PHASE 5
By about three o'clock, the 24 minute mini comic should be on sale.


All put together in less than four and a half hours !



If you want to discuss any of this with the group, please go
here

Friday, March 18, 2005

J1P3 - 24 Minute Mini Comic contributors

On Saturday March 19th, at
the UK Web & Minicomix Thing
we will be attempting to produce a record-breaking comic.

The 24 Minute Mini Comic to be completed and published on the day.

Each artist or art team will have 24 minutes to draw a page based on certain keywords or phrases, contributed by the audience at the event, like a comedy improv night. At the end of the 24 minutes the pages will be collected, collated & printed and will be on sale before the end of the event.

The final effort will be on sale by 3.00pm and will also appear as a pull-out supplement in Just One Page 3, the charity comic magazine. The final comic will also feature the names and contact details of the creators, their web sites etc.

You do not have to be an exhibitor to take part, all you have to do is pay the entry fee and come and join in - by contributing suggestion to be included in the pages.

Artists will be asked to draw one page (minimum size A5, minimum 4 panels) in just 24 minutes at The Thing. The only other rules will be:
- their page will be allocated to a time of day and the finished collection will tell the tale of a day in the life of our featured character.
- they should feature another character of their choosing.
- they must feature an object and a location suggested by the audience, and randomly drawn from a "hat"
- the only words will be a rhyming couplet loosely describing the events.

All proceeds will go towards the Just 1 Page charity (Childline), and the finished item will be reprinted in Just 1 Page (members.aol.com/just1page/J1P3.htm)


We have 24 people (or teams) lined up, but need a reserve list.

Currently, unless I've forgotten anyone, this is who we have taking part:


1) Kat & Dave www.twosideswide.com

2) Roger Langridge www.hotelfred.com

3) "vented spleen" (who is already halfway there with) www.ventedspleen.com/onehour.html

4) Roger Mason roger.phatcatz.org.uk/pages/main%20page.htm

5) Sean Azzopardi phatcatz.org.uk/

6) David Baillie www.davidbaillie.net

7) Eddie 'Eddache' Bowley www.bolloxcomics.co.uk

8) G Douglas www.vduinc.cc

9) Caroline www.localgirl.co.uk

10) Chikin www.greatvagueness.co.uk

11) Zoe Stead www.drunkduck.com/Earthbound

12) Shane Chebsey www.smallzone.co.uk

13) Dan Fish fish1000.blogspot.com

14) Willie Hewes http://www.williehewes.tk

15) Bridgeen Gillespie www.koniption.blogspot.com

16) Joff (possibly Darren & Wes too) www.gfbowl.com

17) Titch (& assistant & computer!)
www.drunkduck.com/ChaoScape

18) David Goodman www.bahala-na.co.uk

19) Arthur Goodman www.favouritecrayon.co.uk

20) Ali Graham www.housd.net

21) Marc B www.automaticfreestyle.co.uk/

22) James Morris jampotcomics.blogspot.com

23) Ping Teo www.thejaded.co.uk

24) Gary Northfield stupidmonsters.blogspot.com

Plus: Patrick Findlay (subject to him being VERY BUSY organising The Thing !)


If your name is not on there, remember that we may need "reserves" and that people can team up.


Let's make it a visual event with everyone frantically crayoning, painting, etching or keyboarding (if you can print your contribution out or maybe copy it onto a floppy disk at the event then why not?)

Meanwhile, whether you are taking part in the 24m mc @ UKW&MCT or not, you can still do a full page strip or art-page for ...
the Just 1 Page Charity Comic 2005


See previous item for more info about how the event will happen.

Monday, March 14, 2005

Just 1 Page 3 - pages and promises so far

It's not too late !
Deadline for contributions is 31st March.

Here you can see who has delivered.
I asked them, do you deliver and they said, "The butcher's shop is next door".

* Adrian Bamforth - Superman & Obelix
* Alex De Campi - Wonder Woman & Tank Girl
* Aris Iliopoulos
* Bevis Musson - Storm V Wonder Woman
* Bobby Vala & Michael Karpas - The Authoritah!
* Brian Crowley - Constantine & Hellboy
* Bridgeen Gillespie - Cerebus & The Hulk
* Carl Brown
* Cath Tomlinson
* Charlie Adlard - Thor VS Asterix & Obelix
* Dan Fish - Ambush Bug V Animal Man
* Daniel Lundie - Batman & Superman
* Dave Windett - Totally Spies meets Danger Mouse
* David Baillie - All of Comics Vs. Dr Frerick Wertham
* David Hitchcock - Satan & Gabriel from Constanteen Vs John Constantine
AND The Hulk VS The Thing
* Drashko Roganovich
* Eddie Robson & Simon Logan (or is it Penter?) - WE3: Woodstock, Snoopy, Garfield
* Felipe Sobreiro - Lobo/Ranxerox
* Frazer Irving
* Futurequake - Monster Squad (& "friends")
* Gary Northfield
* Gene Poonyo - The Minx V Alice (from Resident Evil)
* Graeme Reid - Punisher V Tintin & co
* Graham Hill - Supermen
* Grant Cross - Judge Dredd & Hellboy VS Judge Death (or is it Judge Death & Hellboy VS Judge Dredd ?)
* Grant Springford - The Defenders and co
* Hunt Emerson - Plastic Man and the Mighty Atom
* Indio - The Menace V The Thing
* Jason Sobol - Daredevil V Elektra V The Hand
* Jim Whelok
* Joacy Jamys - Best Battle?
* Jock
* Joel Meadows
* John "Swampgas" ? - Spider Man V The World
* Johnny X - Grant Morrison V Alan Moore
AND another to be confirmed
* Lee "Budgie" Barnett V Jamie McKelvie
* Lew Stringer - Aunt May VS The Sub-Mariner
* Mark Peyton & Mal Jones - Planetary V The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
* Martin Eden - The O Men versus The Xmen
* Mike Carey - 24
* Mike Collins - Lobo vs. The Littlest Hobo
* Paul Palmer
* Paul Ridgon - Deadpool / Snake Eyes
* Phil Winslade - Wolverine vs Killraven
* Richard Elson - Sagat (Streetfighter) Versus Tetsuo (Akira)
* Rob Croonenborgh - Maximortal V El Guano
* Rob Williams
* Roger Langridge
* Roger Mason
* Roxane Grant - Optimus Prime and Bender from Futurama
* Sean Azzopardi
* Sam Hart - Batman V Lobo
* Simon Penter (Futurequake) - WE3
* Simon Perrins - The Watcher & Phantom Stranger
* Stuart McCarthy
* Stuart Tipples - MONKEYS GO APE !
* Tim Seelig
* Warren Pleece

Just 60 pages ??? C'mon !!!

Oh, and there's the small matter of Jesse Farrell's statue and a possible BONUS STATUE !

And the 24 Minute Mini-Comic makes 6x4 ! Or more likely 6x 4/4 or something similar.

Friday, March 11, 2005

How I roped Plastic Man ...

Hunt Emerson steps up to the plate !

Sunday, March 06, 2005

Just 24 Pages

I suppose that's HALF WAY.

A message for the best possible comic artists in the world.
We need sixty pages here.
Where are you? Where are you? Let's be having you! Come on!

Meanwhile, here's the latest art.

Charlie Adlard


Bridgeen Gillespie


Dave Kendall


Monstersquad


Dave Willacy


Felipe Sobreiro


Graeme Reid


Dave Hitchcock