One of the "suggested" stipulations in Scott McCloud's 24 Hour Comic dare is that the artist rely on improvisation. Prior to 24 Hour Comics Day, if I had an idea for a comic, it was immediately banned from use during the event.
When the clock struck nine on April 24th, the first thing that popped into my head was a phrase I saw in an e-mail from my friend Alan. I pilfered and destroyed it, but his original version went:
"We're in the third day of rioting here in the stamp department of Marshall Fields, Ron, and as you can see, the damage here is hard to look at. It's estimated that the rampaging collectors have done nearly $4.37 worth of damage to the store's basement, mostly in the form of littering."
Every now and then, I'd discover that I was behind schedule, so I'd whip up what's called a "splash page" -- a page that consists of a single panel, usually containing a large degree of impact and/or detail. Unfortunately, on more than one occasion, these splash pages actually slowed me down... but who cares. I finished all 24 pages with enough time to spare to make a cover page.
Anyway. Hungry, tired, and cursing Scott McCloud and his cockamamie ideas, I finished the damned thing and went home to bed, presumably to sleep until Labor Day. Ultimately, it was more fun than attending a rodeo, which doesn't rule out another 24 Hour Comic in the future...
(Oh yeah... be sure and check out Eric's, too. He was there with me.)
