All of these stories were created on October 7th as part of 24 Hour Comics Day, an annual event where cartoonists all over the globe try to create a complete 24 page story in just 24 hours. The event is based on a challenge created by Scott McCloud, author of the classic Understanding Comics and the new how-to book Making Comics.
Over 1200 cartoonists took part this year,” explained Nat Gertler, founder of 24 Hour Comic Day and editor of 24 Hour Comics Day Highlights 2006. “I read a lot of fine work and had a hard time paring it down to the stories listed. These stories aren’t just good, they also capture the diversity of what was created on the day. Many books filled with worthwhile stories could be made from all the fine material that was submitted.”
To make editing harder, this year’s book is 256 pages, instead of the 496 pages of the books from the last two years. “While it’s a shame to have to say ‘no’ to so many good stories, keeping the page count down means the book can be priced at less than half the price of last year’s. The hope is that bringing the price down to $11.99 will entice more readers than the thicker, more expensive books of the past.
