Local artists converge at Idea Works for 24-Hour Comics Day Challenge

MANSFIELD — If you’re going to do something for 24 straight hours — and invite others to join you doing it — it had best be something you love.

That’s the case with comic book creation for Lou Graziani of Mansfield, who is hosting the 24-Hour Comics Day Challenge at Idea Works, 40 W. 4th St. in downtown Mansfield.

The free event began Saturday at noon and concludes at noon on Sunday.

Graziani, who operates Graziani Multimedia at Idea Works with his wife, Tracy, is in his seventh year of hosting the 24-hour event, an idea launched in 1990 by national comic book artist Scott McCloud.

But drawing and comic creation is something the 46-year-old Graziani has loved since he was a child growing up in Columbus and while attending Miami University.

Even as participants were busy drawing at tables around the Idea Works co-working commons areas, Graziani had his own books and materials spread out in front of him.

He admitted creating art is often a solitary experience, making this 24-hour period different.

“It’s more interesting and fun and more of a community event to do it together,” Graziani said. “Comic drawing, or any type of art, is often a lone thing you do by yourself. There are 364 other days a year, if I am drawing something, that’s usually what I am doing.

“It’s nice to come together and do something. Everyone is doing their own thing together, kind of getting energy from each other. It’s not literal collaboration in that we’re working on the same comic, but we are working in the same area.

“Idea Works is a great space to do that since there is a lot of room to spread out and do their business, and yet still open enough we can walk around and see what each other is doing,” Graziani said.

Art supplies and paper were available for use, as well as food, music and prizes and the opportunity for a group art project. 

Artists who complete the challenge may submit copies of their comics to be included the official 24-Hour Comics Collection hosted by The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Museum & Library.

In past years, more than 2,000 professional and amateur cartoonists around the world took the 24-Hour Comics Day Challenge.

Creating a comic book can require weeks and months. Graziani said the 24-hour effort is a different kind of creation.

“Rather than worrying about it being perfect, see if you can pace yourself to do it all in a day, quickly. That can be attractive because often these projects can be huge and span a long time. Putting all that other stuff aside and doing a short project is kind of neat. At the end of the day, if you do it all, you end up with a whole story,” Graziani said.

He admits he hasn’t always finished a comic during the day/night effort. But it’s the effort that counts.

“Everyone else has their own unique take on it. Some people have finished in less than 12 hours. Others only draw a few pages and decide their story is over or they give up. Sometimes they don’t draw a story at all, they just draw fun characters just to be participants. That’s OK, too. It’s not a competition,” Graziani said.

He said artists, usually in their 20s, often come in and out during the 24-hour period. There is no age limit — Graziani said he has seen artists in their 50s and as young as 3.

“We have had people come from Cleveland and Columbus. It depends on their availability and where I advertise it. I am expecting some people from Columbus later today,” Graziani said.

How does he evaluate success of the annual event?

“Did people have a good time? How many people showed up? Staying for 24 hours is something I have never looked at as important. We want people to come, draw as much as they are comfortable with, and get that sense of community, even over just a few hours.

“It’s a success either way,” he said.