#24HCD 2013 and we're off

So a bellhoy story ...something something giant squid monsters and ninjas... Demon ninjas... And maybe pirates...

#24HCD 2013 Countdown

Everything is prepped for the challenge, I have scraped together 24 sheets of DELETER A4 manga paper, tested a range of micron pigment markers, and warmed up my Mac mini.

Dom has decided he wants to have a go too, which will be a good story to add to his portfolio.

#24HCD2013 preparing the way

I'm off today and Monday to prepare and recover from #24HCD.
I've been running this blog for about 3 years now, and seen some 40 thousand visitors, and the most popular post by far is the first post I did for #24HCD 2011, http://www.strangebiros.co.uk/2011/10/24hcd-first-post.html
which is odd, because it's not really about 24 Hour Comic Day, but about my previous career as an illustrator.
SO for #24HCD 2013 I'm planning to relax a little, mainly due to the Glenlivet I'm drinking to fend off my cold.
I'm planning to do a HellBoy story, and have prepared by reading Mignola's 'Baltimore'
The story is ok, the artwork acceptable, but mainly I feel "I could do that"
So  I will.
#24HCD for me starts at about 10am tomorrow.
In the spirit of #24HCD I've no idea what the story will entail, except that it'll have a big red guy in in.

#24HCD2013 - crossed with Asylum Jam 2013

I'd signed up for the Asylum Jam a while back, the idea being to generate a game in a 48 hour period from 11th to the 13th Oct, NOT set in an Asylum...
That may seem like quite an open criteria, but in light of the recent Tesco and Asda indiscretions with Halloween costumes, maybe it's not such a bad idea.
SO
I have the opportunity to write my #24HCD comic this weekend, and turn it into a game next.
How can I resist.

Spooky

#24HCD2013 24 Hour Comic Day 2013 - Saturday Oct 5th

Doesn't seem like a year since the last 24 Hour Comic day.
This year I have a bit more kit to call upon in the form of a Cintiq, and a jolly little macbook air. However. I feel like I may go old school just paper and ink. One of the things I enjoyed doing the most this year in terms of artwork was the black and white flip-chart pictures for graphic facilitating the Analytics workshops.
I found the large scale flip-chart paper was really pleasing to use, and the Copic Ciao pens were really fast.
I will check to see if I have enough paper and pen power to bash out 24 pages.

As always the idea is to think up, write, pencil, ink, letter and publish 24 pages in 24 hours, NO PREP, except making sure the pens and paper are ready.

best tidy my desk....

Wacom Cintiq 12 WX testing

I've been meaning to buy a Cintiq for years, so many years that the versions that have been objects of my desire have been revised several times... so I bought the last version the 12WX, not as bright and shiny as the new 13HD, but still the model that has been on my wishlist for a fair while.

Thing is, I've been so busy doing "stuff" I haven't got round to using it till this morning.

So the Wacom is well made, but the bundle of cables and hoohah make for a fair bit of clutter. 

Aside from that it was very much like using my normal tablet... so much so that I'm not completely sure it works better than the normal tablet.

Now I have a bit more time on my hands I'm going to try and finish off the Wychwolf story which has been on hold whilst I've been finishing my degree, which should be a good trial for the Cintiq.

Graphic facilitation

We've been working up some ideas around Big Data, and as part of the process I've been taking the thoughts we've gathered and tuning them into pictures.
Some more successful than others: