Conspirator and Daily Cross Hatch contributor SARAH MOREAN has made a documentry about 24 Hour Comic Day 2009 here in Minneapolis.  Super cool, Sarah!Â
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Minneapolis Jam: October 2009
Here’s a little something to read during the halftime show of tonight’s Vikings/Packers game:
Old Testament Stories Presents: India… To the Moon!!!
Click image for pdf — an uncomfortably nonconfrontational 6.1 mb!
Minneapolis Jam: September 2009
If you like spelling bees, then you’ll LOVE this hefty 24-page comic book:
Pork Raised Responsibly, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Licking Pigeons, and Other Doomsday Scenarios: Things That Fit on a Bus, But Shouldn’t
Click image for pdf — a ripe 4.5 mb!
MPLS/STPL Conspirator/Master Plumber ERIK NELSON featured in Dickies commercial
  That’s right! Conspirator Erik Nelson is a Master Plumber by day–Conspirator, creator of the comic WALKABOUT, MANLY TALES OF COWARDICE: GUEST ARTIST SPECTACULAR and BIG FUNNY contributor by night.   And now he’s “THE FACE!” of Dickies Work Clothes. Well…not THE face, but A face in a new commercial. It’s a pretty great ad. My favorite bit is the Zach Snyder-esque closing shot. ENJOY THE COMMERCIAL HERE.
MPLS Cell Jam Meeting is this Thursday, October 1st and 24 Hour Comic Day is hot on it’s heels
Ok, so there may not be any surprise guest artists dropping by this month’s jam (then again, who knows?), but 24 HOUR COMIC DAY is for sure happening on OCTOBER 3rd, literally just hours after the jam ends. Hope to see you at both!
The Minneapolis Cartoonist Conspiracy meets at 6:30 until 10:00 the first Thursday of every month at Diamond’s Coffee Shoppe in Northeast.
Generally, we draw collaborative “jam†comics, socialize and drink caffeinated beverages. Afterwords, we often have uncaffeinated beverages somewhere else.
The meetings are open to anyone who wants to draw with us, and the results are posted here sooner or later (and sometimes even printed).
Diamond’s Coffee Shoppe
1618 Central Avenue Northeast
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Please spend some money at Diamond’s while you’re there, even if it is just a cuppa coffee… they are excellent hosts, and we wanna stay welcome there.
Big Time Attic hosts our monthly jam meetings at Diamond’s… they will be supplying us with a big old plate of pastries or something. Thanks fellas!
Mpls/Stpl 24 HOUR COMIC DAY update–WET PAINT in-store and more!
   YES!!! It’s happening!!! Despite earlier word it was not going to be possible, WET PAINT will WILL WILL(!!!) be having an “in-store” from 10:30am to 1pm on OCTOBER 3rd at BOOK ARTS during our 24 HOUR COMIC DAY event. That’s right! This is your chance to load up on boss supplies like the Pentel Pocket Brush above (or refills, or paper, or brushes, or whatever) without even having to go to St Paul!   (I should note however: since their store will not be opening until 30 or minutes AFTER 24 hour day officially begins, if you come with NO supplies you’ll loose an hour of drawing time. So bring a pencil at least. Then when the store opens BUY BUY BUY!!!)
   If that’s not enough, WET PAINT will be giving away FREEBIES to all contributors! Thanks WET PAINT! You rock!
  ALSO: As I mentioned before the MCAD “Comic Heads” will be joining us this year! A projected 15-20. Combine that with our usual 20-30 participants and we are going to have a crowded house! Speaking of which…MN CENTER FOR BOOK ARTS is going to be busting with people on the 3rd. So much so we’ll be occupying the MCBA gallery for most of the day (though once people go home we’re free to move about the facility and score the high tables).
  Get some rest, October 3rd is closer than you think.
Mpls/Stpl 24 HOUR COMIC DAY UPDATE and SURVIVAL TIPS–like two and a half weeks to go!!!
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Good news about Mpls/Stpl 24 Hour Comic Day at the MN Center for Book Arts! (OCT 3rd-4th, 10am to 10 am!
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1) The MCAD “Comic Heads” will be joining us this year at Book Arts! Yay! A chance for Conspirators and Conspirators-Of-Tomorrow alike to join in the rarely communal act of making comics! Always a good time. Welcome!
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2) While they won’t be able to have a “store” this year, WET PAINT will be providing a free grab bag of goodies for the creators! So remember, before 24 Hour Comic Day(and after!) shop WET PAINT!
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3) Signing up before-hand STILL is NOT manditory, but greatly appreciated! 24hourcomicday@gmail.com
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4) Finally, and because they are ALWAYS invaluable, a tip from the MASTER:
 KEVIN CANNON’s “TIPS FOR SURVIVING TWENTY-FOUR HOUR COMIC DAY”
PRODUCTION TIPS
Obviously there’s no one way to draw, but here are one man’s tips:
– Have your paper ready and, if possible, pre-ruled.
– Come prepared with drawing materials.
– Come with a list of things you want to buy from the Wet Paint booth (it’s only open for a few hours). At the same time, let Tim (the owner) know what kinds of materials you want him to stock for cartoonists.
– Bring a lamp and extension cord for direct light.
– Pace yourself. You have to carve out time for meals and bathroom breaks.
– Try doing a page every fifty minutes. That gives you 240 minutes to rest and recoup and eat.
– If you’re chatty, you’re shooting yourself in the foot. Don’t be surprised when you end up with only 20-30 minutes to draw each page.
– Some people like to pencil the whole book and THEN ink. I HIGHLY discourage this. Try to COMPLETE a full page every hour. This lets you accurately budget your time.
– Do as little penciling as possible. Nobody’s going to win an Eisner with these books, so why not jump into the inks right away?
– Bring comfort items: extra clothes, an iPod, a cushion, etc. Better to bring too much stuff on your first time.
– On the flipside, don’t bring a bunch of unnecessary crap. Things are going to be tight this year and space — especially table space — will be at a premium.
– Wait until you get home to erase.
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HOW TO MAKE IT TO THE FINISH LINE
You will get distraught and tired and want to quit. Some tips on surviving the full 24:
– Split the day into chunks. I like to think of the day as 3 8-hour shifts.
– Set goals for yourself. “When I finish 12 pages I’m going to gorge on cookies and walk around the block.”
– Listen to your body, it’s going to tell you when you should eat and drink. Avoid caffeine if you can help it.
– If you’re a coffee addict, only drink coffee in the mornings. That is, drink up Saturday morning, but then not again until Sunday at dawn. This will keep you on an even keel and it will give you a reason to push hard during the wee hours.
– Imagine people who are not as fortunate as you. When it’s four a.m. and you want to die, think about some guy out there who’s working the third shift at a dirty, poorly-lit machine shop. Drawing comics doesn’t seem so bad now, does it?
– Keep an eye on someone who’s better than you. Watch their progress and use their success for inspiration. Ask for tips. Tell them how much you like their comic.
– Keep an eye on someone who’s worse than you. Man, wouldn’t it be embarrassing if THAT person finished the full twenty-four hours and YOU wimped out? Yep, time to keep drawing.
– Don’t drink alcohol. You’ll feel sluggish the rest of the event. Limit your drug intake to stimulants.
– Bring a lamp and extension cord. Bright, direct light will keep your rods and cones all fired up and give you more energy.
– Change your environment when you feel restless. This could mean physically moving your spot, putting on some headphones, or even putting on a clean shirt.
– Document your progress. Take photos, give interviews, blog.
– Tell your family and friends to check Steinlicht’s blog (the one you’re reading right now). You’ll be more apt to keep working if you know that your Aunt in Dubuque is going to check the blog before she goes to church on Sunday morning.
GET YOUR HEALTH ON Â
I started drawing “Far Arden” as a series of 24-hour drawing marathons. After my fifth straight monthly marathon I woke up to a numb drawing hand. The numbness extended from my fingers to my elbow and lasted for two days. I was freaked out at first, but then angry. Angry at
myself because this situation was completely avoidable:
– Keep your drawing hand and arm loose. Catch yourself if you’re gripping your pen too hard.
– Put padding on your drawing tool. I bought some colorful elementary school foam pencil holders at OfficeMax. They look retarded but feel great.
– Shake out your arm once an hour. Stretch your fingers, flex your elbow, massage your meaty palms, etc.
– Eat often and eat healthy. That crap-filled candy bar you ate at Hour 2? It’s going to start tearing at your stomach lining during Hour 17.
– Drink lots of water. More water than soda, anyway.
– Help out your immune system by downing some echinacea. Do this by taking a multi-vitamin or drinking a “Green Machine” Naked Juice.
– Keep it fresh: bring a toothbrush/paste, deodorant, clean socks, whatever.
– Take a walk in the fresh air. Get your heart-rate up once in a while.
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… AND FINALLY:
– No sleepy, no drivey.
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Sat. Open Studio, Sept. 12, noon – 4 p.m.
![[At the Drawing Board]](http://www.cropart.com/CartCon/Artist_Pigtails.png)
Join us for drawing and socializing at Minnesota Center for Book Arts. And drawing. You could look at this as a warm-up for the Oct. 3 event at MCBA — 24-hour Comic Day. Or not.
Sat., Sept. 12, noon to 4 p.m., MCBA Bindery (Flexi Space, the metal tables)
If you can’t find us in the MCBA building, ask the friendly person working in the MCBA bookstore. This is an open studio — all are welcome.
Minnesota Center for Book Arts
(Just down the street from Big Brain Comics)
1011 Washington Ave S, Suite 100
Minneapolis, MN 55415
Phone: 612-215-2520
Future Sat. Open Studio schedule:
Oct. 31 Oooh! – Bindery (high tables)
Nov. 28 – Flexi Space (metal tables)
Dec. 12 – Bindery (high tables)
The GUEST ARTIST SPECTACULAR for MANLY TALES OF COWARDICE begins!
The MANLY TALES OF COWARDICE “GUEST ARTIST SPECTACULAR” has begun!!!!Â
http://staplegenius.wordpress.com/category/guest-artist-spectacular/
For TWO WEEKS writer BRIAN BASTIAN and a cadre of artists  including BUD BURGY, KEVIN CANNON, ZANDER CANNON, RYAN DOW, DEAN FRASER, JESSE GILLESPIE,  BRITT HAMMERBERG, BOB LIPSKI, EARL LUCKES, LUPI MCGINTY, DAN MURPHY, ERIK NELSON, DANIEL J OLSON, DAVID STEINLICHT, and MIKE TOFT will lend their talents to the MANLY TALES legend!!!Â
Check it out today! www.staplegenius.com
MPLS/STPL cells get ready for 24 HOUR COMIC DAY–Oct. 3rd, 10am
    That’s right!  24 HOUR COMIC DAY is nearly upon us again. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3rd from 10 am until 10am  SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4th (or whenever you get done, whichever comes first).Â
    Once again we will be taking over the MINNESOTA CENTER FOR BOOK ARTS to do this, and ALL are encouraged to participate whether you’ve attempted 24 HOUR COMIC DAY before or not–and remember, if 24 hours seem too daunting, you can always try a 4, 8, or 12 hour variation. Whatever you like. The more the merrier. We also collate a box of 24 HOUR COMIC DAY mini-comics a few weeks afterwards, to commemorate the good times. Â
   Bring your own art supplies, a treat to share for the “POT LUCK”, and a love of drawing comics.Â
   If you’re interested in participating, please drop an email to 24hourcomicday@gmail.com (please note, this is email and the 24-HOURCOMICDAYwebsite are for people participating at the Minneapolis BOOK ARTs location only. Please see the official 24 HOUR COMIC DAY for all other inquiries.)Â
  HOPE TO SEE YOU BY 10am ON OCTOBER 3rd! (Get there early and stake out a good spot!)
As always, a THANKS to all our usual sponors: