It took a while to get this posted, but the NINTH book in the Bret Blackberg and the Fifty State Tour is online! For those not in the know, since 2008, I have been creating 24 Hour Comics, each with the theme of one of the fifty United States. This challenge was put upon me by my good friend Danno Klonowski. The final product will be 1200 pages of, well, Bret Blackberg.

The next chapter will take place in Nevada, but I don’t have the exact title yet. Oh yeah, I’m having a kid in February, so it may be a few months (or longer) before I get another one of these books done. So….enjoy!

As always you can purchase my books at my Big Cartel shop. Which is located here. Unfortunately, I am sold out of the physical Bret Blackberg trades, so just read them here for now.

OR, you can read them for free at the following links:

Chapter One: Somewhere in Montana

Chapter Two: Meanwhile in Wyoming

Chapter Three: Elsewhere in Utah

Chapter Four: Subsequently in Idaho

Chapter Five: Capriciously in Washington

Chapter Six: Somehow in Alaska

Chapter Seven: Also in Hawaii

Chapter Eight: Evidently in Oregon

Then click on the graphic all the way at the top to read Later in California.

Hey kids, this Saturday and Sunday is the Minneapolis Indie Xpo, which from what I understand is in its final year. You best come and check it out. I will be there along with a bunch of other fabulous artists. I hope to have my sXe mini finished in time for the show.

Oh yeah, best part of the show? It’s free to attend.

BE THERE!

The EIGHTH book in the Bret Blackberg and Fifty State Tour collection is complete! Since 2008, I have been creating 24 Hour Comics, each with the theme of one of the fifty United States. In 2010, I was challenged by Danno Klonowski to complete a book for each state. Since December of 2010, I have been participating in a 24 Hour Comic challenge every other month, in order to complete this epic by approximately 2019. The final product will be 1200 pages of adventureless adventure. I wasn’t able to post until a couple of days following the event, due to prior commitments, so I bring it to you now, chapter eight, “Evidently in Oregon!”

Now, for some dialogue about the process. I finished around 5 AM at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts, which was where the annual 24 Hour Comics Challenge was held. I finished later than usual, mostly because I felt kind of nauseous during the first hour of the campaign, and also to spending a bit more time on certain panels and pages. If you aren’t familiar with the 24 Hour Comic Challenge, check out the website of its creator and comics scholar, Scott McCloud.

The day started around 9 AM, with me sitting alone at a table. Ryan Dow appeared he was going to sit next to me, but instead opted for the high tables. Curse you DOW! Britt Hammerberg showed up around 10 or 11ish and sat next to me (yay!) while she worked on a long form story she has been meaning to do for some time. Her art is gorgeous and, if you haven’t heard of her already, well, you suck. Next , the incomparable and hella talented Dan Murphy (of the never mentioned before Minneapolis Dan Trifecta) plopped his arse down next to mine and wowed me with his art as well. So much talent, such a little market! CollaboratorsLupi Miguinti and Danno arrived later to round out the table. Oh yeah, I almost forgot! Zander Cannon sat next to us as well! I may have missed someone here, if so, let me know and I will make note of you. I don’t mean to be a dick, I was just really kinda focused.

For more 24 Hour Comic Day fun, go here and check out the happenings. Of course, some tweeting/Facebooking was going on. You can search on Twitter for the hashtag #24HCD or #24×50 to see what we had to say.

The next chapter will be entitled “Later in California.” The exact details as to when and where I will be completing it are still up in the air. As of this point, I know it will be taking place in December.

My other book, “Swerved,” formerly “Hijinks,” will not be ready for MIX. It has been a process that has taken WAAAY too long, but I am determined to finish it this year. Wish me luck.

As always you can purchase my books at my Big Cartel shop. Which is located here.

ANYWAY, I think you should take the time to catch up on the Blackberg story please purchase the first six stories (and subsequently help me out with my home remodel) here.

OR, you can read them for free at the following links:

Chapter One: Somewhere in Montana

Chapter Two: Meanwhile in Wyoming

Chapter Three: Elsewhere in Utah

Chapter Four: Subsequently in Idaho

Chapter Five: Capriciously in Washington

Chapter Six: Somehow in Alaska

Chapter Seven: Also in Hawaii

Then click on the graphic all the way at the top to read Evidently in Oregon.

Hey folks, 24 Hour Comic Day is nearly upon us and I’d like to give you a quick glimpse into what I’ve experienced. These aren’t necessarily the end-all-be-all of tips or tricks. If you’d like those, head over to the Minneapolis 24 Hour Comic Blog and take a look at Kevin Cannon’s bible on how to survive this marathon.

Since 2007, I’ve completed eight 24 Hour Comics. Each event has taught me something, but that first book, Origin of Man the Ladybug really was a trial-by-fire that gave me a good foundation of personal dos and don’ts of 24 Hour Comics.

KNOW YOUR MATERIALS
I make sure to have my materials ready before the big day-night-day. I would suggest to pick out the pens, pencils, brushes, and paper that you plan on working with. Most of the tools I’ve used since my second comic are pretty standard: Mechanical pencil w/ 0.5 mm lead, Pigma Micron markers in sizes 1, .08, .05, and .02, an old Pentel pocket brush pen for fills, Staedtler Mars Plastic eraser, Pentel Presto White Out pen 12ml, and 11″ x 17″ graph paper divided into four 5.5″ x 8.5″ sections.

PRE-RULING PAGES
Yes, I pre-rule my pages prior to the event. I know this doesn’t necessarily fit within the guidelines of the 24 Hour Comic, but it does help me layout what I am going to do. I don’t plan on the size and shape the panels in advance, instead I take a 11″ x 17″ sheet of graph paper and divide it into four separate 5.5″ x 8.5″ sections. It saves on the cost of paper and amount you will have to carry around.

Also, by pre-ruling I am able to figure out how to collate my pages in advance. This helps later when I produce print comics.

DON’T LOSE ANY SLEEP IF YOU ALREADY HAVE AN IDEA
Before the 2008 24HCD, I stayed up pretty much all night worrying that I was “cheating,” because I had a vague idea of what I wanted to do. This led me to a very long 24HCD…I was VERY tired by the end and slept until the following Monday. I ended up using the vague idea and since then I’ve expanded on it, creating the Bret Blackberg series of 24 Hour Comics.

Maybe this is “cheating”, I’m not sure. Comics guru Scott McCloud stated, in so many words, that by accepting the challenge you should come into the exercise with a clean slate. However, I cannot do ANYTHING with a clean slate. I always have ideas bouncing from one synapse to the other! So, I’ve relaxed. I don’t plan out my comics intricately at all (as you can probably see from the comics if you’ve read them), however I do know a few key points going into each Blackberg book.

1) Who the recurring characters are.
2) Where the previous chapters left off.
3) What state that book is taking place in (each of the Blackberg books primarily takes place in one of the fifty United States)

WORK SMALL
In 2007, I used 9″ x 12″ bristol for each page, much to my own chagrin. I had way too much room to play with, which led to a lot of dead space. It helps me to work at a smaller size, because I am less tempted to fill that extra space with ornate designs. Now, I’m not saying that art should be boring, but it really helps to simplify the panels. Believe me, your hand will thank you later.

PACE YOURSELF AND DON’T BE TOO CHATTY
After my first two 24 Hour Comics, I decided that I would try to write the story first, pencil it, and then ink. My reasoning? I would much rather have a somewhat cohesive story than drop-dead gorgeous artwork. True, this lends itself to not being able to budget time by finishing approximately a page an hour, but it seems to work well for me.

I spend the first six to ten hours of the event writing and penciling my pages (they tend to happen simultaneously) without any distractions. I put on my headphones and pretty much ignore people. Sorry, but I want to get done! Then, I loosen up, get something to eat, take a small break, check out people’s work without trying to bother them, and then get to inking. I ink the more detailed pages and panels first. Rather than seeing the progression of art getting worse and worse as the story unfolds, the reader should see some nice pages and panels throughout the book, while some of the less attractive panels are hidden. I tend to believe that inking the 24 Hour comic as a portion of the process that doesn’t require as much thinking. I generally flesh out my pencils well enough to the point where it is just “tracing” anyhow.

DOCUMENT YOUR PROGRESS
This isn’t necessarily essential, but I like to keep track of where I am in regards to previous 24 Hour Comics. It’s true that I haven’t done a full 24 hours since my first two books, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t completed 24 pages! In fact, it generally takes me anywhere between 16 to 18 hours to finish now. I owe this all to doing multiple 24 Hour Comics and documenting my progress. I document, for the most part, mentally (for example I know where I need to be in terms of writing/pencilling to get the comic done by X-o’clock), but I also throw some progress reports up on Twitter under the hashtag #24×50. The next day I look back on notes I’ve made and have started documenting them in a tablet (unfortunately, I only have rough ideas or where I was at for the first few books.)

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
After my first 24 Hour Comic, my hand started cramping up and I needed to finish the book at home. Yes, it’s sad, but I did it within 24 hours (just not 24 consecutive hours.) This I blame on lack of hydration, potassium, and hand exercises. My advice? If your hand starts to hurt, or if you start to just feel ill, STOP DOING YOUR COMIC! Really, it’s not worth it. Your health is the most important thing you have and injuring yourself over a crudely created comic isn’t very smart. You can always exercise, take a break, or just quit if you can’t bare it.

Okay, that’s all I have. I might be missing a few things here or there, but I feel I got my gist across. If you have any other questions regarding 24 Hour Comics, feel free to ask in the comments section below. I will answer them as soon as I can!

Oh yeah, if you want to read my previous 24 Hour Comics click on the links below:

October 2007: The Origin of Man the Ladybug

Bret Blackberg and the Fifty State Tour
October 2008: Chapter One - Somewhere in Montana
October 2009: Chapter Two - Meanwhile in Wyoming
October 2010: Chapter Three - Elsewhere in Utah
February 2011: Chapter Four - Subsequently in Idaho
April 2011: Chapter Five - Capriciously in Washington
June 2011: Chapter Six - Somehow in Alaska
August 2011: Chapter Seven - Also in Hawaii

The SEVENTH book in the Bret Blackberg and Fifty State Tour collection is complete! For those not in the know, each chapter of this exercise/marathon is being completed as a 24 Hour Comic. Each state will get its own chapter, which means the final product will be 1200 pages of adventure, romance, betrayal, and beer. Unfortunately, I failed to post the Hawaii chapter earlier this week, as I had some other priorities. Anyhow, I once again completed it around 3:30 AM which seems to be the norm now. I could have finished early, but I didn’t, because I ended up playing with my cat for about 45 minutes (she is soooo cute sometimes!)

To begin, I started the day at the Big Time Attic studio on Saturday, June 11th around 10 AM along with proprietor Kevin Cannon. Next Ryan Dow, the aforementioned Danno Klonowski, Lupi Miguinti, and Britt Hammerberg all showed up.

Kevin had a party that he had to run to, so around 7 PM I moved the lonely party (it was just me) to my messy home (too much construction going on to invite anyone over without being embarrassed).

Of course, some tweeting/Facebooking was going on. You can search on Twitter for the hashtag #24×50 to see what we had to say.

The next chapter will be entitled “Something in Oregon.” I am planning on completing it during the 24 Hour Comic Day event in Minneapolis at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts. Want more details? Go here.

Of course, this event will be competing with Sarah Morean’s housewarming party, which I am really bummed about, because Sarah is AWESOME and I really want to go! Sorry Sarah, I gotsta stick to my schedule. Depending on when I finish, I might be able to stop by. Are you going to be partying until 4 AM?

Meanwhile, I am still trying to finish my other book, “Swerved,” formerly “Hijinks,” in time for MIX. It has been a process that has taken WAAAY too long.

As always you can purchase my books at my Big Cartel shop. Which is located here.

ANYWAY, I think you should take the time to catch up on the Blackberg story please purchase the first six stories (and subsequently help me out with my home remodel) here.

OR, you can read them for free at the following links:

Somewhere in Montana

Meanwhile in Wyoming

Elsewhere in Utah

Subsequently in Idaho

Capriciously in Washington

Somehow in Alaska

Then click on the graphic all the way at the top to read Also in Hawaii.

Hey folks, I am going to be doing yet another 24 Hour Comic this weekend. It will be seventh installment of the Bret Blackberg and the Fifty State Tour saga. This time around our lackadaisical non-adventuring adventurer travels to Hawaii. In the spirit of the 24 Hour Comic, I’m not sure what is going to happen. Hopefully it will be funny, enjoyable, and most importantly coherent.

If you want to watch me suffer through this process, I will be starting the day at Diamond’s Coffee Shoppe in Nordeast Minneapolis on Saturday, August 27th around 10 AM and lasting until about 9 PM, after that I generally go home and weep while I draw alone. I will have copies of Bret Blackberg and the Fifty State Tour: Volume One for perusal and purchase - they are $12 each.

If you can’t make the event, or don’t want to, you can always check out progress and live tweeting on Twitter by following the #24×50 hashtag.

Below is the cover for the trade paperback Bret Blackberg and the Fifty State Tour: Volume One. This book will feature the first six adventures of Bret Blackberg and is accompanied by a flattering introduction by Danno Klonowski. After completing the first three books in this collection, Danno challenged me to take on the task of completing one 24 Hour Comic for each of the fifty states in the union. I took him up on it and have been cranking out one 24 Hour Comic every two months ever since.

Stay tuned on where and when you can get a copy of this collection.

My SIXTH 24 Hour Comic is DONE! The Bret Blackberg 50 State Tour continued this weekend and this time I took a bit longer than usual and finished on Sunday, June 12th around 3:30 AM. As mentioned before, this whole comic stems from a challenge issued by Danno Klonowski. In the end, I will have completed FIFTY 24 Hour comics. A whole 1200 pages of the begruding adventures of Bret Blackberg and company.

To begin, I started the day out at Diamonds Coffee Shoppe on Saturday, June 11th around 10 AM. Kevin Cannon showed up about a half hour in and scared the crap out of me. He then wished me good tidings and went back to the Big Time Attic studio to work. Later, he would join me and continue his work on a pretty sweet looking map, which I’m sure he will go into more detail on the Big Time Attic blog once it’s completed.

Britt Hammerberg and Ryan Dow were the next two to arrive. Britt, the trooper that she is, stayed with me until Diamond’s closed, which was around 9 PMish. While Britt worked on her comics, I noticed that she quite possibly has some of the tightest pencils I have ever seen. That’s probably why her work always looks so polished…maybe I should try that, hmmm? Lastly, about and hour or so before Britt and I left Diamond’s a wonderful surprise showed up, Athena Currier!!! I also took a gander at Athena’s brush work, which was….AMAZING! I would, selfishly, like to see more of her brush work.

Athena, Kevin, and Britt would later move their party over to Pracna for happy hour. I wish I could have come out, but instead I moved my project over to mi casa, where I set up a makeshift comics studio in my wife’s office.

Of course, some tweeting/Facebooking was going on. You can search on Twitter for the hashtag #24×50 to find out about my process and “The Sneezing Guy.”

Also, I have some good news to report on the book front. The first six chapters of Bret Blackberg and the Fifty State Tour will be collected into a trade paperback coming this July. I am also hoping to make it available for digital download. Unfortuantely, that means I will also be charging for these six chapters in July. Sad, I know.

My other book, “Hijinks” (which is undergoing yet another name change), should be completed and ready for purchase in time for MIX. Yay! I’m so happy to be getting this book done, as I think I am finally, artistically, ready to start working on a book about my epilepsy.

As always you can purchase my books at my Big Cartel shop. Which is located here

ANYWAY, I think you should take the time to catch up on the Blackberg story while it’s still free. Here are the other chapters:

Somewhere in Montana

Meanwhile in Wyoming

Elsewhere in Utah

Subsequently in Idaho

Capriciously in Washington

Then click on the graphic below to read Somehow in Alaska.

Hey everyone, posting here has been scarce, to say the least. We are still in the process of getting the studio fixed from the flood. In the meantime, I took a picture with my phone of a piece I had been working on for the last month. There are still some things I’d like to do with it before I make it available as a print or as the cover of the first collected edition.

Oh yeah, concerning the collected editions. There are going to be a total of nine trade paperbacks. Once completed I have big plans for a box set, if there is any interest with a whole bunch of other goodies.

I finished my fifth 24 Hour Comic of the Bret Blackberg 50 State Tour on Sunday, April 17th around 2 AM. This whole comics stems from a challenge issued by Danno Klonowski. I started yestserday out at Diamonds Coffee Shoppe with fellow cartoonists Kevin Cannon , Britt Hammerberg, Ryan Dow, Lupi Miguniti, and the aforementioned Danno Klonowski. Also, Ted Anderson made an appearance, but I was too far into “the zone” to talk to him. Sorry buddy!

There was plenty of tweeting on the event, mostly by myself. If you’re curious you can search on Twitter for the hashtag #24×50.

It may be smart to catch up on the story, if you aren’t already familiar. Especially, since there are callbacks from the previous books. Here are the other four chapters:

Somewhere in Montana

Meanwhile in Wyoming

Elsewhere in Utah

Subsequently in Idaho

Then click on the graphic below to read Capriciously in Washington.