24hr comics and meta-goals

I can’t wait to start working on my 24hr comic this weekend. The goal of 24HCBD is to create a 24 page comic entirely (from idea to paper) in 24 consecutive hours. Although we aren’t supposed to think about what we are going to draw, it’s totally acceptable to think about formats and tools to be used.

To that end, I always like to create meta-goals for myself for each 24hr comic. Last year I decided I wanted to 1.) create a wordless comic 2.) create a fully watercolored comic and 3.) create a serious comic. Not only did I finish my 24hr comic in pretty decent time, I also achieved my two meta-goals as well. You can read that comic here. The year before that my meta-goal was to create a comic based on suggestions from Twitter users. Click here to see that comic.

This year will be my sixth 24hr comic book and I think I’ve picked out at least one meta-goal. I want to create a comic book using a cheap blue BIC pen. I’ve always been terrified of drawing straight to ink, so I always work with pencils first. I’m happy with my style, but I thought it would be fun to try doing something I’m uncomfortable with (like when I tried doing a serious comic last year)… Plus, I love the way BIC sketches look:

The only problem is: It’s hella hard to find real BIC pens anymore. I’ve tried Walgreens, Office Max, and Flax art supplies with no luck. It’s driving me nuts! Actually, that’s not the only problem. I’m also worried about page size. 24hr comics are easier to create if you work small. I usually prefer 6″ X 9″, but BIC pens aren’t great for details, so I feel like I need to work larger, then shrink it down. Bigger pages means more time per page… ick!