For the past 3 years, I’ve given myself a project to create 1 comic for every day in November. It is a time for experimentation and exploring short forms. In many ways, these 3 months of comic creation were very productive for me not just in output but in allowing me to change my work process and my conceptualization of comics. It was during the 30 Days of Comics 2009 that I started using appropriated text in my work, to go along with the appropriated imagery I started using in my piece for the Abstract Comics anthology.
Last year, I tried to round up other artists to participate, a number of people showed interest, some started and gave up, and a few stuck it out. There have even been a few other publications (besides mine) that came out of it. Allan Haverholm released his 30 Days of Comics as well as Lots which was drawn in a similar vein during last November. Warren “#drawnwhile” Craghead more recently printed his 30 Days of Comics too. And I know it was a productive (and fun) exercise for people. Simon Moreton has even noted on Twitter that “I wouldn’t be drawing how I am now if it wasn’t for #30days last year.” (I think it’s because of the project that I first saw/read Simon’s work.)
So, this is fair warning for those who are interested in participating this November. The parameters are pretty simple:
Make 1 comic a day for the month of November.
They can be anything you like, any format (4 panel, 3 panel, 1 page, multi-page(!)), any style (pencil, ink, digital, photographs, cut paper, found object), any subject or theme (autobio, mystery, joke, abstract, lyric, conceptual). Just do it everyday.
We’ve been using #30dayscomics as a hashtag on Twitter (which is where most of the activity was last year), Tumblr, and other places. Spread the word if you think others would be interested.
