Once a year, cartoonists around the world participate in 24 Hour Comics Day! Java Café & Gallery will host a Cambodian contingent joining cartoonists all over the planet who are attempting to draw 24 pages in 24 hours.
The 24 Hour Comic is a ‘free drawing’ exercise designed to unlock creativity. Our Books has been developing Project: 24 since October 2008 to gradually introduce Cambodian artists to this unique exercise and the global comics community.
This year marks the first time Cambodian comic artists will attempt to ‘go the distance’ for a full drawing day. Cambodian and overseas artists are welcome to join the drawing marathon at Java Café’s new downstairs space, beginning at 8am SHARP October 03.
Art supplies, paper and coffee will be provided until 8am the following morning. One-page efforts from 2008 will be posted as example and incentive for this year’s effort.
All artwork will be posted as it is finished on the walls of Java Café, to be exhibited for the following month. A live webcam linkup and Twitter feed will be accessible via http://www.javaarts.org . Staff from Cambodia’s comics nonprofit Our Books will be on hand to scan pages and assist overall documentation of the event.
• Artists: bring your ideas and enthusiasm, we will see who makes it to 8am the following morning!
• Amateurs: all nationalities are welcome, regardless of your skill level, please feel free to give it a try!
• Enthusiasts: enjoy reading comics? Check in on use in person or via the web to see art in action and cheer us on! We’ll need all the encouragement we can get!
• Pages will be on sale for $24 a page, at the discretion of the artist. (We request that they remain on display at Java for the following month’s display.)
As with the previous year, we offer participants a ‘Cambodian Variation’: One artist – one page – one hour of the day. Many Khmer artists have jobs, school, and family obligations, but all artists who have an hour to spare are welcome to join the exhibition!
‘Best of’ pages from 2008 and 2009 will be collected in a photocopied ‘zine’ collection and archived on the web as a ‘Who’s Who’ of contemporary Khmer comic art by Our Books, as well as sent to the permanent 24 Hour Comics archive.
Event Time: 8am – 8pm Saturday October 03 2009.
Event Location: Java Café & Gallery, 56e1 Sihanouk Blvd, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Event on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=120819675668&ref=nf
UStream Webcam Feed: http://www.ustream.tv/broadcaster/1590699
+855 (0)12 526 840 (John, Our Books)
+855 (0) 12 894 180 (Dana, Java Café)
info@javaarts.org
john@siewphewyeung.org.kh
For more information, updates and background, to follow shortly at http://www.javaarts.org !
Tags: comics
I was so excited about this, as it’s an idea I came up with in college 17 years ago, and it reflects the exact comic attitude and imagination I had at that age.