The First 24-Hour Comic

was a scary experience. As far as I knew, no one had ever done anything like it, and as far as I knew, it couldn't be done – least of all by me.

In the summer of 1990 I was convinced that I was the second-slowest artist in comics. The slowest, my pal Steve "Glacier" Bissette, was having a particularly slow year, producing at a rate of a little over a page a month when he came to the Boston area from his native Vermont to do a signing at a local comics store. I watched in awe as he did sketches for fans. His hands ripped across the page at blinding speed, turning out masterful pen and ink renderings that would make Heinrich Kley weep with envy. I thought: Why is this guy slow?? I'll bet he could do a full length comic in a day if he wanted to! Why, I'll bet he --

[Sound Effect: Lightbulb clicks on.]

Suddenly, I knew what Steve needed to do. And I knew I could only get him to do it, if I did one too.

The deal was struck. We would each do a complete 24-page comic in a day. It had to happen by August 31st. My original idea had been midnight to midnight, but Steve's semi-nocturnal schedule worked better within the more flexible 24-hour rule.

[Click on the cover to go to page 1 and more of the story.]