Last year, the participants in the Cartoonist Conspiracy’s Minneapolis 24 Hour Comic Day event took their completed comics and published them the Sunday after the event in an almost 200 page book (the first time any of us read them all was in book form).

This year, we’re thinking of taking a different approach.

Using the “box full of mini-comics” format we used in the Lutefisk Sushi show last September, we plan to have interested participants contribute copies of a mini-comic of their completed 24 hour comic to collate into a limited edition box set.

Doing this is easier than you might think (although doing it on the tight timeline we are hoping to do it in is NOT easy).

You can order blank boxes online here:

http://www.uline.com/Group_29.asp

We will be getting this one for our project:

http://www.uline.com/ProductDetail.asp?model=S-159&ref=1403

Here are a couple other good inexpensive options:

http://www.uline.com/ProductDetail.asp?model=S-650&ref=1403
http://www.uline.com/ProductDetail.asp?model=S-156&ref=1403

For a box cover, you could silkscreen it, use a sticker, or use a rubber stamp.

Here is our plan:

1. Each person who participates in the box MUST complete the full 24 pages. Besides the comics completed within the 24 hours, noble failures will also be accepted.

2. Each box participant must print up 100 copies of their comic by 1:30 PM Sunday and deliver them to a location to be announced. That gives you 4 hours from the end of 24 Hour Comics Day to get them printed and delivered. Yikes.

3. Each participant must sign all their comics.

4. Every participant must help collate the boxes, starting at 1:30PM Sunday. We’re all going to be loopy as hell, so we’ll have to double check the collated boxes.

5. Participants are encouraged to join us at MicroCon to sell boxes as soon as they are collated on Sunday, assuming we finish in time. Microcon closes at 4:00PM.

6. Each participant will be able to buy copies at cost (which will be cheap… they should be under fifty cents each). The number each person will be able to purchase will be limited, and will depend on how many people participate.

7. Leftover copies, if there are any after participants buy their copies, will be sold. Out of the 100 copies, at least 10 will be sold at Big Brain, and at least 10 will be sold elsewhere (probably Microcon if we make it in time).

8. Any profits made will go into the hosting costs of the Cartoonist Conspiracy website.

Groups around the country participating in 24 Hour Comics Day are encouraged to imitate this method. It is a great, fairly simple way to give participants a cool memento of the event.

(Participants in the event should note that participation in the box is not required)

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me, or post them on the board.